The World Cup According to Grande: What I Will Be Looking For In Soelden, Part 1

WOMEN
There are a number of things I am interested to see in Soelden this weekend. Many are about equipment shifts but others are about post-Olympic let down, surging GS skiers, aging skiers and returns to competition.

EQUIPMENT:

I am very interested in everyone skiing on Head. They had some big signings in the off-season and that has, with little doubt, put more pressure on their race room than they have ever had before. To be able to put out skis of the highest quality has always been a challenge; skis with the most grip and the best side-cut and the best materials. Raw material is hard to come-by and there are miss-fires in every factory. Whether it is running out of wood cores (of the WC quality) or side-wall material or even the right glue, I have heard it all. Now Head has a huge stable of the best athletes in the world, all demanding the best skis and service. It will be interesting to watch.

I am also very interested in seeing where Lindsey is with her set up. Now a whole year removed from her switch to Head, she should have things dialed in enough to put down another top 10 in Soelden. If she can get off to a good start and start pounding in some GS results, no one will have a prayer for the overall globe.

Julia on Voelkl is also worth watching. I think Voelkl has always done well with the women’s program and definitely with the men’s slalom program. But Jules is a five event skier and there is question as to whether or not Voelkl can match her needs. But as far as GS is concerned, I think it is a nice match.

McJames on Fischer. Megan switched from Dynastar to Fischer skis, boots and bindings. All of the items are quality products and she is pretty far down the priority list. But that is not bad for her. She can just pick up ski models that Karbon, Hoelzl, Gius and Poutiainen choose with their huge amount of success and experience. Then filter through and take the skis that are best for her. It’s a nice situation for her with a smaller and successful company.

Poutiainen, as mentioned above, has moved from her long-time relationship with Voelkl to a new one with Fischer. Again, nothing but keen interest to see how she adjusts.
 
LET DOWN: Who is going to have a let-down after a big year and medal wins in GS?

Our winner, Viktoria Rebensburg (GER). I am a big Viki fan. I think she is strong, young, vibrant and an excellent GS skier. Therefore I think she is the most likely for the let down. She already had a career on the upswing but launched herself into the big time with this medal. Did she spend too much time doing appearances, signing endorsements and just enjoying herself? Or was she training so she can capitalize on the big win with a huge season and World Championship gold in Garmisch later this season? I am thinking she will do well later in the year and kill it at home in Garmisch. But I think a slow start to the season is entirely possible.

Tina Maze (SLO): Tina will appear in the “aging” category and that is where I think the question will really come to task. She is a pro; she has skied better and better with less and less effort and developed more strength over the past few seasons. But I don’t know if she spent the season on the beach or on the glacier and in the gym?

Lizzy Goergl (AUT): I am almost positive that Lizzy will not let it go to her head if she can avoid it. But with a famous brother and mother, in ski-crazed Steiermark, it might be possible that she was drawn away from her focus in spite of her effort to do it right. It will be a good one to watch.

UP AND COMERS:
FRANCE: Watch for the French girls born in 1988 and 1989 especially. They are young and aggressive and truly ready to make a move. Their history at Soelden is not great but they are good skiers and have a great attitude and focus.

Federica Brignone (ITA):  She has nothing but upside. She was born in 1990 and had a breakout year last year. I just want to see something solid out of her in Soelden and then watch out in Aspen and beyond.

SWEDEN: With a new coach in Rudi Soulard, formerly of our USA Men’s tech squad, I will like to see how they come out of the gate in Soelden. Is morale up? Are they skiing well? They have a very strong and deep team; it will be fun to watch. They did have a successful preparation period with regard to snow conditions and weather. But they were one-dimensional in they did three camps at Saas-Fee, at least.

Eva Marie Brem: This smaller Austrian girl is a great skier. She is someone more to watch in that younger group.

AGING SKIERS:

Probably going to get my butt kicked over all of these comments but why not?

ANJA PAERSSON: I thought she was done last season. She probably should have called it quits after Vancouver. She has had too many injuries over the span of her career. She has been hobbling around for a few years now. She is only 29 but her first win was at 17 years old at Mammoth in December of 1998. A 12 year career on the World Cup can really tax your body. As well, I don’t think she has kept up with technical advancements and has relied on experience and tactics.

TINA MAZE: As much as I love the way she skis, and as much as I like her, I wonder when it’s going to break down. She’s an 83 birth year and was a teen phenom in 1999 racing in her first Europa Cup. She hit the World Cup full-time in 2001 scoring several top 15 results in GS. Her first podium was in Maribor in the 2001-2002 season and I saw her in the historic three-way tie for the win in Soelden in fall 2002 with Andrine Flemmen and breakout star Nikki Hosp who is also a 1983. She has been on the World Cup for 10 years full-time with no break. I just wonder how long she can do it? She is not old but she has had a long career. When will other goals in life take her passion?

DENISE KARBON AND TANJA POUTIAINEN: 30 years old this year. It is a marker that is tough to get by and it gets harder to recover from injury. But by all reports they sound like they are doing well. NICOLE GIUS is also the same age.

SARAH SCHLEPER: If I didn’t know her I would think it was time. But hear me out on this. She is 31 years old but she took her time off to have her baby and get married. Now she is back and she had her break. She KNOWS the joys of motherhood that the other girls can just wonder about. I think it is to Sarah’s advantage in this case because she has embraced much of the mystery of “normal” life that the other girls can only wonder about. ROOAARRR!

COMING BACK FROM INJURY:

“There can be only one!” as the movie “Highlander” so often stated. And that one is LARA GUT. She is young, and she is fast. And she skis like a man. She has embraced the transitions and initiation moves the boys have been making and making it work for her. There are many women who have stayed with their older style and retraction type switches. It will eventually put an end to that generation of female skiers when enough women change their skiing. I watch and I watch and Lara was the first one. Lindsey is definitely trying to get there. And watch out for all the young ones because they are seeing how the guys ski and more importantly, how they transition from turn to turn. Delay this process and you will pay, big time. Lara was the one to do it first on the girls’ side and it made her a 17 year old World Championship medalist. 1991 is the birth year; she’s still a junior and will race World Juniors in her home country in Crans Montana. OUCH!

I cannot wait to see her ski again.

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Greg “Grande” Needell grew up ski racing at Stratton Mountain,
Vermont. After graduating from SMS he skied for NCAA Division 1 St.
Lawrence University in Canton, NY where he was co-captain in 1986. Greg
returned to SMS to coach there for five years serving as the Head
Women’s Coach as well as the Head J2 Men’s Coach. He then moved to
Mission Ridge in Wenatchee, Washington in 1992 to become the Program
Director and Head Coach of the Mission Ridge Ski Club. In 1997, Greg
became the Head Coach at Mammoth Mountain, California.

In 2002 Needell was asked to join the U.S. Ski Team staff as a World
Cup SL and GS coach. From 2002 to 2008 Needell helped lead the U.S. Ski
Team Men to 43 wins, 105 podiums and 264 top ten finishes. Now at the
helm of Alpine Race Consulting, Needell offers his knowledge and
experience to clubs nationwide.

Click here for “The World Cup According to Grande” archive.