Why Ski Racers Train Fast—but Struggle on Race Day (And How Coaches Can Help)
Ski racers often ski fast in training but struggle on race day. Here’s why—and how coaches can build environments that translate speed into results.
How Coaches Can Use Fitness Testing Effectively in Alpine Ski Racing
Fitness testing in alpine ski racing can improve training decisions, track adaptation, and support athlete development when coaches use data with context. This article explains how Skills Quest-Fitness helps programs apply standardized testing effectively without overinterpreting results.
Second Runs Are a Different Sport: How to Reset, Refocus, and Attack
Second runs demand a different mindset than first runs. Dr. Jim Taylor explains how racers can reset emotionally, simplify focus, and attack with confidence under pressure.
Be Your Ski-Racing Child’s Wings, Not Their Weight Vest
Parents play a powerful role in a young ski racer’s mental game. Dr. Jim Taylor explains how subtle pressure — even when unintended — can increase anxiety and hurt performance, and how parents can instead create emotional safety that helps racers thrive.
Olympic Gold Medalist Benita Fitzgerald Mosley named Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Center for SafeSport
Olympic gold medalist Benita Fitzgerald Mosley has been named Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, stepping into the role on February 1, 2026. A former elite athlete and seasoned sport executive, Fitzgerald Mosley brings decades of leadership experience across nonprofit, Olympic, and community-based sport as the Center enters its next chapter focused on athlete safety, accountability, and trust.
Why Early Races Don’t Define Your Ski Racing Season
Early races bring emotion, pressure, and fast judgments. But the best ski racers know early results don’t define a season—responses do.
What Every Parent Should Know About Ski Racing
Ski racing brings excitement, pressure, and emotion for families at every level. This article outlines what parents need to know to support racers in a healthy, productive way—on good days and bad.
How Off-Season Strength Training Builds Better Skiers
Off-season training builds more than strength. It develops the balance, rhythm, and force control that young ski racers rely on when skis hit snow. Learn how movement, play, and strength work together to create better skiing.
Skiing Fast Is an Acquired Skill / How Racers Learn to Handle Speed
Every racer can learn to ski faster. Here’s how athletes train the ability to handle more speed with confidence and commitment across all alpine disciplines.
VO₂ Priming for Peak Alpine Performance
VO₂ priming helps ski racers unlock faster oxygen uptake and stronger endurance during high-intensity runs. By performing a brief, high-effort warm-up before competition, athletes enhance blood flow, improve oxygen delivery, and sustain power through longer, more demanding courses—gaining a critical performance edge when it matters most.
Strength vs. Endurance in Ski Racing
Strength alone doesn’t win ski races—endurance does too. Alpine racers face intense forces every turn, but without the aerobic capacity to fuel their muscles from start to finish, strength breaks down. Building both endurance and power through volume, skill work, and targeted training is critical to reaching the podium.
The Off-Season: Where Champions Are Made (or Burned Out)
The importance of the off-season and how it isn’t just a break but an opportunity to get better at the things that don’t show up on a start list: mindset, movement quality, and self-awareness. What can athletes and coaches do better to embrace these crucial aspects during off-season? Learn more.
Approaching a Winter Olympic Year: A Physio’s Insight to Navigating Pre-Season and Peak Season
Behind every elite athlete is a strong support team and physiotherapists are key. Martina Plunger Beech, who now works for Red Bull, shares insight on preparation and in-season tips for an Olympic Year.
6 Keys to Elevating Mental Training in Ski Racing
Mental training is often overlooked in ski racing, despite being just as important as physical conditioning and technical work. This article breaks down six key principles—used in every successful training plan—that can transform your mental preparation into a consistent, structured, and effective part of your performance.
Dr. Jim Taylor Breaks Down the Mental Side of Alpine Ski Racing on the Skiing is Believing Podcast
In a very special episode of the Skiing is Believing Podcast summer series, Matt Garcka and Alan Rigg welcomed renowned sports psychologist, Dr. Jim Taylor to express the importance of mentality and psychology across sport, and particularly ski racing. Tune in!
Champions Advantage: Developing Strong Mental Skills – The Missing Piece of the Puzzle
Olympians Doug Lewis and Shannon Bahrke created Champions Advantage, a first-of-its-kind mental skills curriculum for athletes aged U13–U19. Whether the goal is Olympic gold or making the high school varsity team, this program gives athletes the tools to train and perform at their very best. Learn more.
Rewire, Don’t Reinforce: Coaching with Video That Works
Video can transform athletic performance—but only when used correctly. In this article, Ron Kipp explains how the brain processes video, why watching the wrong movements reinforces bad habits, and how coaches can leverage neuroscience to create lasting improvement.
Fostering Mental Strength in Athletes: A Referral Approach for Athletes
Dr. Luna Ugrenović studied mental health referral experiences in collegiate, elite sport. Emphasizing how early, intentional engagement can shape athletes’ willingness to seek mental health help and their overall well-being. Learn more about her research and the advice she gives to alpine skiing organizations to assist with this process for their athletes.
Burnout Isn’t Weakness—It’s Data
Burnout isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s data. Instead of seeing burnout as failure, we can treat it as valuable feedback and an opportunity. Learn more.
Stifel U.S. Ski Team Coaches and Athletes Share Insights in Lively Forum
Go inside two days of open, honest conversation between U.S. Ski Team staff, Rocky Mountain Division coaches, and top American athletes. From tactical GS insights to personal reflections on career challenges, the May 18–19 forum delivered rare and valuable perspectives on athlete development, coaching, and community. Watch the full sessions now, including athlete roundtables starting at 2:12:40 (Saturday) and 2:20:50 (Sunday).
Bringing It All Together: Connecting FWDI’s 9 Key Concepts for Seamless Stance, Transition & Turn
A great ski run seamlessly combines the nine FWDI Key Concepts into three essential elements: Stance, Transition, and Turn.
Balance Against the Outside Ski: Key Technique from FWDI’s Young Skier’s Guide
The Young Skier’s Guide: Fundamentals of Ski Racing ninth and final key concept covers “Balance Against the Outside Ski."
Edge Angle: A Crucial Concept for Fast Ski Racing
The concept covered in this article is “Edge Angle,” the eighth in the The Young Skier’s Guide: Fundamentals of Ski Racing series.
Mastering Pressure in the Fall-Line: Key Ski Racing Technique Explained
i Racing Media is pleased to publish nine articles highlighting the book’s key concepts. The concept covered in this article is “Pressure in the Fall-Line,” the seventh in the series.
