This sounds like the beginning of the end of Mikaela's racing days.

[old goat]

Boo Hoo. She is a born and bread skier. Getterdone or GTFO.

Easy for you to say, but have you tried to buy yeast lately?

it's people like you with this shitty attitude that is a major problem in this world, telling people how to live their lives from behind their keyboard on meth or whatever at 1:00am .

Bourbon, obviously.

[AdironRider]

Isn't she like 25 or 26 now? Tact is your friend but the overzealous Mom could probably take a back seat on things at this point. Girl clearly has the drive and gumption on her own.

[skibrd]

Free ride world tour and nude backflips! It’s the logical progression

She doesn’t like skiing Pow oh wait the FWT is skied on hard pack so she would do fine


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[altasnob]

She doesn’t like skiing Pow

Ski racers, particularly the technical event ones (Slalom, GS) claim skiing pow messes up their feel for icy hard pack. This seems to be somewhat true. Racers who excel at technical events tend to come from places with low snowfall (NE of the US, Minnesota, CO, lower snowfall areas of the Alps and Scandinavia). Conversely, speed event skiers seem to come from places with more, heavier, snowfall (CA, PNW, AK). There are exceptions. I grew up racing in the PNW and feel the elite racers from this region are better all mountain skiers than in say, CO. They also have less of a stick up their ass. In CO, the racers tend to have extremely wealthy parents. That trend is occurring in the PNW as well but at one point, it was much more of a common-man sport in the PNW. Shiffrin is an amazing racer, maybe the best ever. But she perfectly epitomizes the stereotypical Vail, CO ski racer.

[AdironRider]

I have a hard time believing ski racing is a common man sport anywhere.

But I definitely see the pow thing throwing off your hardpack skill. I don't miss my capability to ski bulletproof but I sure was better at it when I was putting in 80 days a year at Whiteface.

[schindlerpiste]

She doesn’t like skiing Pow oh wait the FWT is skied on hard pack so she would do fine


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She will learn to love it. Once her racing career is over, she will all about pow. ...I hope so, at least.

I really like her professional persona. To me, she is much hotter than other recent female champions, and it seems that much more wholesome. Although, I love the woman Italian racers, I am hoping that Mikeala will stick around to kick their ass(es). Also, with the retirement of so many very good female racers this year, she had a real shot of winning just about every globe.

[XXX-er]

Its also different N.A. vs Yurpean a Euro coach told me " I came up in the euro system where if you fucked up you are out and there are a whole bunch of others waiting to eat your breakfast, here you fuck up and they let you back in "

[altasnob]

Hermann Maier was a brick layer. US ski team member Tom Rothrock is from small agricultural town of Cashmere, Washington and used to drive to races in his small, 2 door, 2wd hatch back with his skis sticking out the window and crush everyone, including me. Current US Ski Team member Jacqueline Wiles is from rural Oregon, has a military veteran father and relies on the Lindsey Vonn scholarship to stay on the team. She was a dark horse medal contender at last olympics before thrashing her knee in a fall. Former US ski teamer Scott McCartney's parents were public school teachers who also were volunteer ski patrollers at Crystal. I don't think Tommy Moe was from a wealthy family. The late and great Oregonian Bill Johnson was a juvenile delinquent. Bode Miller grew up in a cabin without plumbing and electricity. Eric Pollard grew up ski racing with me at Hood and does not come from family money.

Ski racing is a public high school sport in Oregon. Same costs as playing soccer or football and you get a super cheap season pass if you join the team and free bus rides up to the mountain for training. The elite racers forgo the high school races in favor of FIS, but pretty awesome that Oregon gives a path for lower income people to ski race. Had lots of friends on my high school racing team in Oregon who were not wealthy.

I briefly coached high school racing in CO (Nederland/Boulder High). Dramatic difference in wealth and attitude from Oregon. At the time, Boulder High was only front range public school with ski racing. All the other teams were from Vail, Breck, Aspen, ect. In Oregon, there are schools up and down the Willamette Valley with teams. Baker City in Eastern OR has a team. Southern Oregon in Ashland and Medford have teams. Much less of an elitist sport there.

[AdironRider]

Skiers from 30 years ago sure, but today? No way.

I'm pretty sure Wiles' Dad is a lawyer, but does serve through the National Guard. Stand up guy for sure from what I can tell. Bode's parents owned and ran a premier tennis camp for the Northeast, just the real estate alone is worth a couple mill (I think they sold it recently). The "off the grid" backstory is just that, a story.

My point is it is a stretch to call skiing in general a common man sport, let alone racing. Its a minimum 10k a year sport as a racer and that is just competing regionally. I don't think this is a good thing but it is the current situation.

[comish]

She is largely on the Bode program already. Has her own coaches, does what she wants. She wasn't in Yurp training when most of the US women were. If it works for her to train with the Team she does. If she has a different agenda she follows that.

The mom / Miki relationship is an interesting one. Not something I can relate to, but I do actually believe she wants her mom around. She has talked in the past about how the only time she was ever injured was the one race her mom missed.

She has an intensity and focus that is next level. She was training at Mammoth one spring, I believe the same one as Rahlves bbq as she spent time at both Squaw and Mammoth that year. We were just hanging out scoping the US Team training all day. Mikaela was so super focused. Once they were done with SG training, Mikaela then went and ran another bunch of runs on a GS course by herself right above Main Lodge. There was no way you were getting an autograph or anything during her training. Once she was done, she was then open for a few minutes to taking pictures. This was a contrast to the rest of the US girls who were definitely a bit more casual in approach, hangin, telling jokes, having fun.

I think this year has definitely rocked the world of many people, then add in the death of her dad. Tough to relate to. I really hope she finds the mojo to continue. We all need to find our mojo in life and it's hard to know how or where one finds that mojo. She was definitely well on her way to being the most successful in the history of the sport.

Here is Mini Comish on the far right w/ her a couple years ago.

[Canada1]

Bode and Vonn broke from the Team, Right? Ligety broke from them and lived in Europe to train at the high time of his GS success, right? I have not followed all of this closely, but maybe it not the athletes that have the issue. Maybe there is a reason our most successful racers are electing to depart the US team structure and do it another way?

[schindlerpiste]

As a Parkite, that borders on blasphemy.

[Bronic]

Racers who excel at technical events tend to come from places with low snowfall (NE of the US, Minnesota, CO, lower snowfall areas of the Alps and Scandinavia). Conversely, speed event skiers seem to come from places with more, heavier, snowfall (CA, PNW, AK). There are exceptions.

I think this has more to do with a function of available terrain... Last time I checked it was a lot easier to be a good tech skier at a Buck Hill, cause well, that's the only option.

I grew up racing in the PNW and feel the elite racers from this region are better all mountain skiers than in say, CO.

Take a lap...

They also have less of a stick up their ass.

No argument here...

[plugboots]

It just ain't easy to be an American and compete in a primarily European sport, (skiing, cycling). As a young person, pack up your shit and move to Europe for 8 months. Part of why someone becomes great at something is the focus. That means that person is not out farting around, traveling the world, etc. Now put them into a Euro tour of races. Different hotel every few days, different languages, food, etc. etc. etc. Fun.
I'm actually surprised any Americans are good at it at all.

[Bobcat Sig]

Ski racers, particularly the technical event ones (Slalom, GS) claim skiing pow messes up their feel for icy hard pack. This seems to be somewhat true. Racers who excel at technical events tend to come from places with low snowfall (NE of the US, Minnesota, CO, lower snowfall areas of the Alps and Scandinavia). Conversely, speed event skiers seem to come from places with more, heavier, snowfall (CA, PNW, AK). There are exceptions. I grew up racing in the PNW and feel the elite racers from this region are better all mountain skiers than in say, CO. They also have less of a stick up their ass. In CO, the racers tend to have extremely wealthy parents. That trend is occurring in the PNW as well but at one point, it was much more of a common-man sport in the PNW. Shiffrin is an amazing racer, maybe the best ever. But she perfectly epitomizes the stereotypical Vail, CO ski racer.

Ski racing has not been a common-man sport for over twenty years. When I raced in high school, I scraped by in order to race. I skied in a used padded shirt, only one pair of skis, and a beat helmet. At the time, many of my teammates had both GS and Slalom skis. Some even had both race and practice skis. I had one pair. One.

And most of the kids were able to afford multiple summer and in-season race camps. They were all wealthy.

I have a hard time believing ski racing is a common man sport anywhere.

Agreed

Hermann Maier was a brick layer. US ski team member Tom Rothrock is from small agricultural town of Cashmere, Washington and used to drive to races in his small, 2 door, 2wd hatch back with his skis sticking out the window and crush everyone, including me. Current US Ski Team member Jacqueline Wiles is from rural Oregon, has a military veteran father and relies on the Lindsey Vonn scholarship to stay on the team. She was a dark horse medal contender at last olympics before thrashing her knee in a fall. Former US ski teamer Scott McCartney's parents were public school teachers who also were volunteer ski patrollers at Crystal. I don't think Tommy Moe was from a wealthy family. The late and great Oregonian Bill Johnson was a juvenile delinquent. Bode Miller grew up in a cabin without plumbing and electricity. Eric Pollard grew up ski racing with me at Hood and does not come from family money.

Ski racing is a public high school sport in Oregon. Same costs as playing soccer or football and you get a super cheap season pass if you join the team and free bus rides up to the mountain for training. The elite racers forgo the high school races in favor of FIS, but pretty awesome that Oregon gives a path for lower income people to ski race. Had lots of friends on my high school racing team in Oregon who were not wealthy.

I briefly coached high school racing in CO (Nederland/Boulder High). Dramatic difference in wealth and attitude from Oregon. At the time, Boulder High was only front range public school with ski racing. All the other teams were from Vail, Breck, Aspen, ect. In Oregon, there are schools up and down the Willamette Valley with teams. Baker City in Eastern OR has a team. Southern Oregon in Ashland and Medford have teams. Much less of an elitist sport there.

Just because it's a high school sport, does not mean it's a every-man sport. Teams are not given cheap passes. When we trained at night up a Meadows, we were offered a mildly discounted night pass. Or you forked over your own cash for a season pass. Same for race days; tickets were slightly discounted, but not by much. Then there were the athletics fees, the coach's fees, the bus fees, etc...

If you wanted to ski race, you better damn well bring money. And a lot of it.

My point is it is a stretch to call skiing, in general, a common man sport, let alone racing. Its a minimum 10k a year sport as a racer and that is just competing regionally. I don't think this is a good thing but it is the current situation.

This

[TahoeJ]

The US Ski Team definitely has some issues, so it's a fair point wanting to split off on your own.

[plugboots]

The US Ski Team definitely has some issues, so it's a fair point wanting to split off on your own.

Do they still use Alpe Cimbra, Trentino as a European home base?

[skibrd]

Ski racers, particularly the technical event ones (Slalom, GS) claim skiing pow messes up their feel for icy hard pack. This seems to be somewhat true. Racers who excel at technical events tend to come from places with low snowfall (NE of the US, Minnesota, CO, lower snowfall areas of the Alps and Scandinavia). Conversely, speed event skiers seem to come from places with more, heavier, snowfall (CA, PNW, AK). There are exceptions. I grew up racing in the PNW and feel the elite racers from this region are better all mountain skiers than in say, CO. They also have less of a stick up their ass. In CO, the racers tend to have extremely wealthy parents. That trend is occurring in the PNW as well but at one point, it was much more of a common-man sport in the PNW. Shiffrin is an amazing racer, maybe the best ever. But she perfectly epitomizes the stereotypical Vail, CO ski racer.

Or you could go with east coast / mid west skiers only have the chance to ski short hard pack runs and west coast skiers can actually train seed events?

She will figure pow out eventually


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[wstdeep]

She should pull a Jordan and take a year off.


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Jordan HAD to take a year off...just sayin

[waxman]

She should pull a Jordan and take a year off.


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didn't all the skiers just do that?
seriously at this level with no serious injuries she still scores more points than the entire Canadian ski team combined, suck it up and ski, you're getting paid to do a sport that most people have to pay for...

[schindlerpiste]

.....or just do like Kaylin Richardson, et. al. and get paid to be a mountain ambassador for a prestigious ski resort anywhere in the world.
....or be like Lindsey and take advantage of opportunities from the likes of Red Bull, Barilla, Milka, Range Rover, red carpets everywhere and the like. ....Just don't marry a pro golpher or hockey player...Haha

[RootSkier]

Last time I checked it was a lot easier to be a good tech skier at a Buck Hill, cause well, that's the only option.

Lies. If you get off the quad and duck some ropes there is like 60' of GNAR.

[billyk]

I don’t think the mom is the issue. From everything I’ve seen her write, she seems to appreciate having her mom’s help. It think the issue is she just hasn’t trained and practiced at anywhere near the level she did in years past, and obviously she has a big hole in her heart.

She’ll work her way back into it. Or maybe not. Either way, she’s had a hell of a career to this point, and we have to be thankful for giving us that.

Thanks, Mikaela, and good luck.

[old goat]

She has an intensity and focus that is next level. She was training at Mammoth one spring, I believe the same one as Rahlves bbq as she spent time at both Squaw and Mammoth that year. We were just hanging out scoping the US Team training all day. Mikaela was so super focused. Once they were done with SG training, Mikaela then went and ran another bunch of runs on a GS course by herself right above Main Lodge. There was no way you were getting an autograph or anything during her training. Once she was done, she was then open for a few minutes to taking pictures. This was a contrast to the rest of the US girls who were definitely a bit more casual in approach, hangin, telling jokes, having fun.

A big part of the difference between the elite and the rest in highly competitive pursuits like sports and music is practice. Superstars don't just practice and train harder and longer than the rest, they are compelled to do it, they love to practice, they feel anxious and uncomfortable if they miss practice. Practice isn't work for them like it is for most of us. It isn't boring for them like it is for the rest of us. In his 80's the classical pianist Vladimir Horowitz still practiced 3 hours a day. It's a story you hear all the time, how so and so was practicing after everyone had gone home. (They used to say that a lot about Tiger Woods, until he turned that same intensity and focus into shtupping cocktail waiteresses.) The need and drive to practice like that is much rarer than the physical gifts to be excellent at something.

[TahoeJ]

Bad analogy. Tiger was absolutely dominating the tour when he was off doing his extracurricular activities. 7 wins in 2007, 4 in 2008 and had to quit early for knee surgery after winning the US Open, then 6 more in 2009 before his life blew up.