Year One at SkiRacing.com

By Published On: August 25th, 2016Comments Off on Year One at SkiRacing.com

A little less than two years ago, I had just retired from ski racing and found myself back home in Tahoe coaching at Squaw Valley. Suddenly, I felt compelled to submit articles to SkiRacing.com – for free. As it turns out, that quarter-life crisis impulse decision turned into a full-time job that has taken me to places I had previously only dreamt of someday experiencing.

I’ve been at my current position at Ski Racing for a little over a year now, getting to rub shoulders with some of the sport’s biggest movers and shakers here in the U.S. as well as the greatest stars around the globe. I’ve also managed to learn a few valuable lessons along the way.

Whether it was on a solo drive from Wengen to Kitzbuehel in a pint-sized rental car wondering whether I was in Austria, Switzerland, or, wait… I was in Liechtenstein? Or aimlessly driving around the small town of Kitzbuehel in the dark for three hours in an attempt to find my hotel (you can never fully rely on GPS) and getting lost in the dark alleys that may very well have been sidewalks, there were plenty of learning experiences in my first year. As Rod Stewart sings: “I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger.”

Kitzbuehel
Turns out the Hahnenkamm isn’t the only tricky bit of navigating to be had in Kitzbuehel. GEPA

First and foremost, this job has broadened my horizons and encouraged me view the sport from a multitude of different perspectives.

Growing up ski racing in Lake Tahoe, I was pegged to be on an “elite” track at a fairly young age. Ski racing at the NCAA Div. I or national team level was more or less a foregone conclusion as far as I was concerned. I enjoyed equipment sponsorships from the time I was 14 up to when I retired at 24. To be completely honest, I never had to worry about some of the most basic necessities and resources that so many racers around this country struggle to come up with every season.

The truth of the matter is that my ski racing career was part of the exception, not the rule, when it comes to the majority of young athletes in the U.S. In the time since I’ve let my own World Cup ambitions go, I have become much more aware of the situations that the majority of American athletes and families find themselves in each season.

“I’ve come to realize that everything – whether it’s the politics of ski racing or the politics of the world – is more complicated than it seems on the surface or even as reported by the media.”

I’ve also learned that no decision that is made at the divisional, regional, national, or international level is ever as simple as a lot of people may think.

Balancing the needs of elite ski racers while also taking care not to overlook the mass population of participants who might not race after high school is immensely complicated and something those in positions of power grapple with every time a controversial proposal is considered, most especially when it comes to decisions that apply to the entire country.

As I’ve matured, I’ve come to realize that everything – whether it’s the politics of ski racing or the politics of the world – is more complicated than it seems on the surface or even as reported by the media.

My maiden season covering the World Cup provided a number of firsts for me, some welcome, others not. For instance, I’ll be happy if I don’t ever find myself on another three-hour adventure in the dark in an unfamiliar, snow-covered European mountain town. But some of the takeaways certainly made up for the misadventures.

Perhaps the most striking thing that I observed covering the World Cup is how much successful ski racers have to deal with the media and why some are better at it than others. Watching interview-savvy maestros like Aksel Lund Svindal and Lindsey Vonn take even the most clueless reporter’s questions and deliver smart, informative answers on the spot is beyond impressive. I guess that’s what happens when you spend 10 years at the top of your sport.

Observing these athletes up close and in person also demonstrates that more often than not, savvy on-course tactics decide the day’s winner as opposed to those who only seek pure speed.

Kristoffersen

Master tactician Henrik Kristoffersen in action in Schladming. GEPA

Take Henrik Kristoffersen’s victory at last winter’s Schladming night slalom, for example. Kristoffersen skied a tactically brilliant second run in the warm, soggy conditions, charging where he could and holding back where necessary. Felix Neureuther was mere gates away from stealing the victory out from underneath the young Norwegian. All Neureuther had to do was back off a touch through the last dozen or so turns that had hung up so many racers before him. Instead, the German pressed his luck and heartbreakingly straddled a gate with the finish in sight, giving Kristoffersen his sixth victory in seven slalom races.

As I head into my second year, I hope to use these lessons to continue to grow not just as a journalist, but also as someone who can bring these stories I see to life for our readers. Whether it’s World Cup race coverage, the local U14 championships, or the latest happenings at USSA, I’m looking forward to taking you along for the ride again in 2016-17.

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About the Author: Sean Higgins

A Lake Tahoe native and University of Vermont graduate, Higgins was a member of the Catamounts' 2012 NCAA title winning squad and earned first team All-American honors in 2013. Prior to coming to Ski Racing Media, he coached U14s for the Squaw Valley Ski Team.