Jared Goldberg embraces the history of downhill to find speed

By Published On: October 30th, 2020Comments Off on Jared Goldberg embraces the history of downhill to find speed

Nine-year U.S. Ski Team member Jared Goldberg has a lot on his mind as the 2020-21 season approaches. An American Downhiller and true downhill enthusiast, Goldberg has been preparing this summer with his sights set on the World Championships later in February. 

When gyms were closed earlier this year Goldberg and fellow downhiller Sam Duprat assembled an at-home facility where workouts were “CrossFit-style” with free weights, heavy lifting, and strength. Goldberg was able to build up a strong base before moving to the Center of Excellence in June. 

When training camps began, Goldberg was thrilled to spend time in Mount Hood, Ore., where the recreational opportunities outside of training were as productive as the 4:30 am alarms for glacier training. 

“It was so nice to have summer ski training and have so much fun off the hill,” said Goldberg. I brought all the toys and would kite surf and mountain bike in Hood River in the afternoons.” 

Jared Goldberg arrives at Mount Hood for summer training.

Goldberg recently returned from Europe back to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he will spend time focusing on strength and endurance to mimic the downhill course environment before leaving for the Copper Speed Center in early November. 

Living history

Downhill has consistently been Goldberg’s favorite event. As specialization has evolved, Goldberg kept his eyes on speed and the history of downhill, which drives his passion for the event. Part of that history includes the terrain, bumps, and gnarly conditions that translate into speed, racing from the top of the mountain to the bottom. 

Downhill is a sport of speed and patience. Goldberg appreciates the time it takes to learn and memorize the terrain in order to learn the perfect way to ski individual courses. 

“It’s so challenging but that, in my opinion, is the essence of downhill,” said Goldberg. “You have to play the game in downhill.” 

Wengen, the longest downhill on the circuit, is Goldberg’s favorite venue of the season, which is celebrating its 91st anniversary this year. The history of the course is one of Goldberg’s favorite aspects including the raw terrain from top to bottom. Goldberg appreciates the spectacular views from the start gate that last over a minute while gliding at high speeds for the first half of the course before getting into the “old-school,” raw portion of the course toward the bottom. 

Jared Goldberg kicking out of the start in Wengen. GEPA pictures/ Matic Klansek

“You have to play mental games because your legs are burning just half way down and you have another minute-and-a-half to go,” said Goldberg.  

Goldberg is planning to return to Europe on Dec. 1 to prepare for the speed opener in Val d’Iere, France (which has now been called into question due to a coronavirus uptick in that country). The team will spend a week training on European snow to prepare for the first race of the season. 

“It’s really difficult to go from perfect training in Copper to Europe, where sometimes the snow can be very suspect,” said Goldberg. “We want to try to ski on that snow for a week before the races.”

Goldberg has already had weeks of training in Europe where he spent time making fine adjustments on his boots by experimenting with different flexes and cuffs to create the perfect setup for race season. Recreating the race environment can be challenging when testing gear, which is why Goldberg relies on visualization and glacier snow to recreate a race environment for gear testing. 

“I’m ready to throw down and keep moving towards the top, because I definitely have the speed,” said Goldberg. “I have big goals and I am realistic, and I know where I stand right now and I need to continue playing the game.”

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About the Author: Karina Schwartznau

Born and raised in Bonney Lake, Washington, Karina grew up ski racing for Crystal Mountain and PNSA. She competed for 14 years across the world until settling in Salt Lake City, where she attended the University of Utah and achieved degrees in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. She currently resides in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.