Ligety’s legacy cemented into the fabric of Birds of Prey

BEAVER CREEK, Colo. – Taking a position behind the microphone, rather than in the start house or on the posters of the Birds of Prey World Cup, Ted Ligety is not even a little sad about not racing here.

“I didn’t feel the desire to push out of that start gate today,” Ligety said after Thursday’s super G race. “I’m not itching to get out there. I’m happy to let it go to the next generation.”

The 37-year-old Utah native announced his retirement last season during the world championships from a race career that spanned two decades and included 52 World Cup podiums, five World Cup titles, seven world championship medals and two Olympic gold medals.

He landed five of his 25 World Cup victories here at Beaver Creek as well as a world champs gold – more than any other American in history. As the star racer for several years during America’s only stop on the men’s World Cup tour — and featured for a few of those years as the actual poster child for the event — Ligety was recognized in celebrations Friday and Saturday, during which Beaver Creek representatives announced that a section of the Birds of Prey course will henceforth be named after him: Ligety’s Legacy.

“It’s definitely an honor,” Ligety said. “I feel lucky in my career to have had a venue like Beaver Creek.”

When looking back at his legacy in Beaver Creek, he’s had so many shining moments, it’s tough to nail down a standout.

“The highlight that sticks out is really the world championship, winning the giant slalom. That second run was one of the best runs of my career,” he said. “To come back from fourth place after the first run and to win, it was a dream come true on home snow.”

But wait. There’s more. Let’s not forget 2013.

“The GS, when Bode and I went 1-2, being able to share the podium with Bode – a childhood hero – was awesome,” Ligety said of the staggering win in which he beat Bode Miller by 1.32 seconds, third place Marcel Hirscher by 1.82 seconds and the rest of the field by nearly 3 seconds.

Then there was Ligety’s earliest memory of racing at Beaver Creek – a NorAm in 2002.

“We had a NorAm here right after the World Cup. It was even more serious as a J2, racing one of the first super Gs. I watched the World Cup and World Champs here a few years prior to that. I knew the hill. Racing it in person, that was also a standout.”

Beaver Creek was also the site of Ligety’s very first World Cup podium – a third place in slalom in 2005.

“It’s a hill that has tuned me in so much,” he said. “Being on the poster, the face of the event for some of those years – to live up to that a lot of that time – it was a cool experience. It’s an honor, for sure. Beaver Creek has always shown a lot of pride and support for the sport.”

Ligety landed a total of 13 podiums on Beaver Creek courses in every discipline besides downhill (although he did add a World Cup downhill podium to his bounty of achievements in Lenzerheide in 2014), including a world champs bronze medal in alpine combined in addition to his GS gold in 2015.

His decision to retire last year came after dealing with nagging back pain for years and residual issues from multiple injuries throughout this career. He’s been on skis this week doing course inspections and taking a few free runs before commentating on the Birds of Prey races for NBC.

When asked if he sees himself competing on the World Pro Ski Tour – where he has been known to make an occasional cameo – he said it’s not likely, at least not this season.

“The big part of my plan is ripping around Deer Valley with my family. I’m not strapping on the race skis any time soon, but super excited to go out there and have fun,” he said. “Where I am now, my body and back are in no place to race. At this point, heading out with the family is my main priority.”

Ligety and his wife, Mia, are bringing up three boys – 4-year-old Jax and 1-and-a-half-year-old twins Will and Alec. In addition to calling a few World Cup races as well as helping with race analysis at the Beijing Olympics this February, Ligety is keeping plenty busy with his optics/helmet company Shred.

“I’m still working with a lot of partners. It’s fun to have a diverse selection of work to keep me busy,” he said. “I have no regrets on the retirement side. It’s fun being up there, seeing the guys, all the friends. It’s fun to watch, fun to be back at Beaver Creek.”