Contributors

Mikaela Shiffrin is hoping to log some critical speed miles ahead of the Beijing Games, but the weather may be her biggest foe in Lake Louise.

On a hill where only the best of the best have won, Mikaela Shiffrin has momentum on her side but faces her stiffest competition yet.

"I love the parallel, and so do most of the athletes I speak with, and Lech does it as well as anyone. ... But when the calendar gets more and more packed every year, everything suffers."

As the season gets rolling, many racers are busting out new fleets. Todd Carroll of WINTERSTEIGER US returns with some dos and don'ts of equipment maintenance. You wanna get this right, people.

In pursuit of innovation, the ESKI project got underway this past summer. An initiation of the Alta Badia Ski Academy, the project was funded by EU Sports and Education grants.

Get a jump on the weekend! Steve Porino returns for another season of the Pino Preview, breaking down all the action from Soelden.

"If you do choose to commit to the life of a FIS racer, you’ve just begun to 'run the gauntlet' in pursuit of your ski racing goals."

"With September coming to an end, you have entered Phase II of the prep period for the ensuing race season that is equally as important as your summer efforts to your achieving your ski racing goals."

One of the more glaring aspects of this upcoming season’s World Cup calendar is the

The Minnewonka ski club up in the Yukon has it all figured out.

"Expanding the use of the flip-seed format would level the playing field for all our junior racers and discourage point chasing. The bottom line is the USST doesn’t need more kids with low points, they need athletes who can ski fast regardless of the course conditions."

Ski Racing contributor Aldo Radamus returns with a candid assessment of cost in the U.S. versus other nations, as well as an informative list of "what's important and what's not" when it comes to spending money.

"In addition to being a costly piece of the ski racing puzzle, equipment is also a sizable variable in the larger ski racing success equation. ... The ramifications of cutting corners when it comes to equipment can render all other efforts less effective."

"The purpose of my article is not to discourage ski racers from attending a ski academy or major resort program. However, the U.S. development system clearly needs another track for training junior alpine ski racers."

"Ski racing is not just about who can carve their ski the cleanest, hold a more aerodynamic tuck, or get out of the start the quickest. I would argue that THE most important skill to have, especially on race day, is confidence."

When it comes to cost and programming, according to veteran coach Johno McBride, it's a fine line between doing too much and not doing enough.

The cost of racing in the U.S. is five or six times what it is in Italy, according to one contributor. Why is that?

“I am a firm believer that a kid from a small program can make it without breaking the bank,” says USST alum, ski parent and part-time coach Kyle Wieche. “It involves talent and hard work, but most importantly patience and confidence in doing your own program, your own way.”