While the 2017-18 season is just a blip in our memories and the 2018-19 season is already underway with prep period camps in Norway, Squaw, Mammoth, and more behind us, I am in post-season thaw and reflection mode in Maui. So, grab your mimosa – because I’m drinking one of the lilikoi variety right now – and reflect with me as I share seven things I’ve learned from the last four years as an alpine press officer for the U.S. Ski Team on the road.

The Olympics are not what you think they are.
As an Olympic story fanatic/spectator, I was always engrossed by the storytelling that came along with the Games. There was Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan’s storied rivalry heading into the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer. Kerri Strug vaulting with an injured ankle to lead Team USA to gold at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Michael Phelps’ astonishing 28 Olympic medals and 23 gold medals and his return to swimming in 2014 after retirement in 2012. Jonny Moseley – a personal favorite of mine – winning Olympic gold in 1998 at Nagano. And, damn, Hermann “The Herminator” Maier’s insane fall in the 1998 Olympic downhill, only for him to get up unscathed and then win Olympic super-G gold three days later and top it off with another gold in GS. Absolute legend! The 1988 debut of the Jamaican national bobsleigh team in Calgary and the epic movie created as a result. “Feel the Rhythm! Feel the Rhyme! Get on up, it’s bobsled time! Cool Runnings!” There are so, so many more stories that deserve to be shared, but I fear that I’m boring you already. 

You may think actually being in the center of it all makes you more informed holistically, but at the PyeongChang Olympics I honestly didn’t have a clue what was going on outside of alpine ski racing. Ask me anything about alpine events and I could tell you stories for days. What an honor and privilege it was to be sharing the stories of our incredible athletes. Here are a few alpine Olympic memories that stuck out out: Mikaela Shiffrin winning giant slalom gold amid crazy wind and schedule changes, Lindsey Vonn snagging downhill bronze and dedicating it to her late grandfather, the Czech Republic’s Ester Ledecka winning surprise super-G gold on Atomic skis borrowed that day from Mikaela Shiffrin (a made up story, btw) – my favorite Olympic moment, and of course, the heartbreaking fourth place finish by Shiffrin in the slalom, her favored event.

Image credit: GEPA / Matic Klansek

Finally, there were stories that were a little quieter, but no less important: Tommy Biesemeyer’s heartbreaking Achilles injury the day before the downhill, Ryan Cochran-Siegle’s third-fastest second run of giant slalom and 11^thplace finish overall, Alice McKennis’ fifth place downhill finish, Bryce Bennett’s mustache, the women’s speed team’s best collective super-G result all season, Laurenne Ross’ return to competition after just eight months from one of the most gnarly knee injuries I’ve seen, and beyond. 

You know what the media doesn’t talk about? What these athletes are going through and the amount of pressure and expectations weighing on them. All of the heartbreak. To me, the Olympics were like another month on the road, but there was one big difference – everythingwas bigger. Emotions, pressure and expectations were heightened. Media obligations were increased and athletes were on a global stage; they had to be conscious of every word that came out of their mouths and be conscious of their actions after a good race or a bad race, and the stories that were told as a result. These are stories that would matter, because the general public only tunes into our sport every four years. There’s no way I can appropriately convey the anguish an athlete experiences when they not only don’t meet millions of others’ expectations, but more importantly – don’t meet their own. 

Riding in a car with one athlete after they didn’t perform to their expectations, they quietly said, “I want to crawl into a hole and never come out.” You may hear that and think, “Relax, it’s only ski racing.” But, in the same stream of thought you think, “Yeah, you should have done better.” That’s not fair. And, it’s a heck of a lot to deal with mentally when the weight of the world is upon you. Sitting next to an athlete as they shared their heartbreak associated with injury that sidelined them for the Olympics, with tears welling up in their eyes – I witnessed the most moving interview of my career by Biesemeyer. I cried, too. Holding Resi Stiegler’s hand as she realized she had yet another knee injury after her fall in slalom. I felt her pain, too. 

The Olympics were an insane, emotion-filled experience, but things are different when you’re enveloped by them and not watching them on a TV screen. The whole thing is a made-for-TV event and we all play a vital role in the International Olympic Committee’s show.

Getting lost is part of the job. So is driving. And being a water girl…among other things.
Storytelling isn’t my only gig on the White Circus. Add to that, publicist, counselor, advisor, friend, crazy auntie, booger-picker, water girl, professional driver, Sherpa, backpack snack and Sharpie carrier, team adult and child babysitter, mood lightener, on-stage bib draw sub/rollerblader and worm dancer, and beyond. My gig requires a lot of random skills, but driving is definitely one of them. In the winter, I cover about 15,000 kms with my U.S. Ski Team-issued car, which always has a name. This year, it was a Toyota Land Cruiser, affectionately named “The Black Pearl” and “QL” for short (can’t disclose why). She was a badass and crushed the winter roads. Anyone who replaces me in the future – I advise you now to brush up on the aforementioned skills, because I will definitely encourage you to blade in your interview. I hear the PCBladiesare a fun time. (*wink*)

When you drive in Europe, you need to get a vignette.
No one really tells newbies this, so sometimes we find out the hard way. You know why they don’t have tolls in several countries in Europe? Because they have something called a “vignette” that you’ll need to purchase from gas stations. Countries include Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and exclude Italy (beware: insane tolls) and Czech Republic. So yeah, if you plan to attend a World Cup race this winter, make sure to grab yourself a vignette and watch out for the roadside cameras that’ll catch you speeding. I may or may not have amassed six or seven tickets in Europe (note: all while we were sponsored by Audi).

Going to Kitzbuehel when you’re working is not as much fun.
The first time I traveled to the famed Hahnenkamm was 2009. As I was walking to the finish area with 60,000 other fans, tears fell from my eyes. It was a ski racing Mecca and it was the pinnacle of sport for me. To me, the event was beautiful and psychotic at the same time. It was my personal heaven. Now, working in the middle of it, I see it more clearly. There are a cast of characters that make it this way for spectators. That’s the cool thing about it. For spectators, it’s a dream. My KitzNTitz gals will tell you so. But, as an employee of the U.S. Ski Team, it’s chaotic. 

There are donors and senior level executives to please, it’s a media frenzy (I don’t know how my Austrian counterparts do it), and it’s nonstop. From the outside, it may appear that I’m partying every night – but I’m most definitely not. I love my job, but it’s hard work. The days are long and a lot of what I do – the stories I share and write, the conversations I have –  is done behind the scenes. Sometimes, it’s thankless. And that’s OK. Because as staff members, we all realize that it’s not about us, but about the athletes we support. It really is a labor of love, and boy – do we love it. 

You shouldn’t play favorites, but I do.
I confess, I have favorites. On the U.S. Ski Team, I enjoy working with each and every athlete. Honestly. I do. They’re all wildly different and unique with varied personalities, and I love that about our team. So, I’m not going to get myself in trouble and divulge about favorites within our team, though I’m more than happy to share what I love most about each athlete if you asked me. Instead, I will share my international favorites and tell you why. Here goes: 

Men’s Tour:
Kjetil Jansrud – He’s witty as hell. And that makes this Attacking Viking one of my favorites. He, along with his teammate, Aksel Lund-Svindal, are class act athletes and just all around solid dudes. 

Felix Neureuther – Have you ever watched Felix in an interview? Camera loves him. He brings the color and that’s what our sport needs more of. Plus, he’s cute. Added bonus.

Manny Feller– He seriously doesn’t seem Austrian to me. Not that Austrians can’t be fun, but let’s be honest. He’s more renegade and more American-style than he is Austrian. Plus, #datstachedoe. 

Julian Lizeroux – One of the nicest guys on the circuit. Julien grows an incredible beard, and he has an awesome girlfriend named Tessa Worley. 

Dave Ryding – Hailing from Great Britian, he’s kind of an underdog and I like that about him. I mean, he grew up skiing on the mighty dry slopes of Great Britian, for god’s sake. He’s got that British wit, too. I still think if he would have beat an Austrian on home soil in Kitzbuehel it would have been one of the greatest stories in our sport. 

Favorite Team: French Men’s Speed Team– I mean, come on…the Attacking Croissants?! Plus, their unity is beautiful and palpable, especially in the wake of teammate David Poisson’s death.

Image credit: GEPA / Daniel Goetzhaber

Women’s Tour:
Sofia Goggia –She’s super funny, and she’s a rowdy, risk-taking skier. She’s got a bit of Bode-style in her and I like that. Her and Shiffrin’s Killington press conference is still one of my favorites. 

Wendy Holdener – Sweet, down to earth, gritty skier who really is “Holdener” own (had to, sorry) out there every slalom race day against the dominant Shiffrin. That’s not an easy feat, and Holdener does it with class and a smile on her face. 

Tina Weirather – Check out her Instagram. She’s probably my favorite European skier on Insta because she’s funnyand smart to boot. Plus, she hangs with my man Hanzi Hinterseerin when in Kitz, so what’s not to love?!

Tessa Worley– She shreds arcs in giant slalom like most gals can’t, AND she’s the other half of quite possibly the cutest couple on the World Cup circuit. See also: Julien Lizeroux.

Nina Loeseth – She’s just the essence of cool. She rips on the mountain and the dance floor. And she has tattoos. Just an all-around badass Attacking Viking. 

Favorite Team: Italian Women’s GS Team – They’re ALL good. It’s kind of crazy how good they are as a team. And they’re scrappy and fun to watch. 

Also, remember when Ski Racing did that hottest skiers of the circuit article back in the day? I think we should bring that back. I’d have an excellent, internationally representative, list. Just sayin’. Ha.

I work with the best athletes in the world.
At 33, Lindsey Vonn is on the cusp of breaking Ingemar Stenmark’s win record of 86 victories, with her current tally at 82. She’s damn impressive. And, come on – Mikaela Shiffrin with two Olympic golds, two overall titles, five slalom titles, three World Championship golds, 43 career victories across four disciplines at just 23 years old?! That’s a career trajectory that words on a computer screen just can’t do justice. Ted Ligety redefined giant slalom technique and paved the way for the crazy things Marcel Hirscher is doing in the discipline today. Bode Miller had us all on the edge of our seats every time he left the gate. Julia Mancuso’s sheer athletic ability – from the ocean to the mountains – and her mental fortitude at big events made us believe she was a real superhero. Andrew “Warhorse” Weibrecht’s knack for performing on the largest stages of them all had us captivated. But, there’s more. More stories of success and more stories of just good-at-the-core humans. All of these athletes have a story on the mountain and beyond the mountain, and they are human and have feelings and emotions, they experience highs and lows, they’re often lonely, at times shit-your-pants scared, and even the best in the world occasionally feel like they want to crawl into a hole and never come out. 

Thank you for following the adventure, thank you for your love of the sport we center our lives around, and thank you for your support!