World Cup Behind the Scene-Womens Ski Racing
Right now the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships are in full swing. I thought you would like to see what the thrill of victory looks like and the preparation it takes to get there. I was lucky enough to follow the women’s World Cup here in Aspen, and I got a unique view into the preparation these world-class athletes go through and a fascinating peek behind the scenes of womens ski racing.
It all begins at the gate, during the pre-runs the racers take to think through their plan of attack:
After the starting gate, it is time to visualize the course and gather some advice from your coaches:
Once they have slipped the course, the ladies gather to discuss strategies and tactics about how to best attack the course when it is race time. Then Julia Mancuso leads the way to the lift for another pre-run.
Then it is race time, when each racer lays all her cards on the table. These women ski really fast, and at the bottom of the run there is no need to ask how the run went. The finish line tells it all.
If you have had a successful run, you get to stand in front of a TV camera so they can record your every emotion as the following racers come down the mountain. It is actually quite entertaining to watch the raw emotion on display and see the true sportsmanship shine through.
When it is all said and done Mikaela Shiffrin, goes out and tries to inspire the next generation of fast women in Aspen.
After all that, Mikaela shows us all how to handle the press like a pro.
Photographing the World Cup was quite a challenge–trying to be in all the right places with everything moving so fast. I enjoyed the challenge and difficulties gathering photographs that could tell the story for the USA Ski Team. I hope to be there again for the next ski race that does come to town!
Mike
