Mikaela Shiffrin has Raised the Bar for Everyone
Over the last few weeks, I’ve noticed quite a bit of concern expressed in the ski racing community about whether Mikaela Shiffrin, the G.O.A.T. of alpine ski racing, still “has it.” She was beaten in two of the first four World Cup events this year (including an uncharacteristic 6th in the opening GS in Soelden […]
Read MoreRace Like You Train or Train Like You Race?
One of the first questions that I ask racers and coaches I work with is: Should you race like you train or train like you race? By far, the most frequent response is: You should race like you train. This answer seems perfectly reasonable if you think about it. When you train, you’re relaxed, feel […]
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Is Being on the Clock in Training Good for Ski Racers?
Technology is playing an increasingly more important role in the lives of ski racers both on and off the hill. This influence is, no doubt, both helpful and detrimental to their athletic, personal, family, and social lives. This article is the first in a three-part series exploring how technology impacts racers, coaches, and parents, and […]
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Taylor’s Latest Book: The Science of Alpine Ski Racing
I’m excited to announce the publication of my latest book, The Science of Alpine Ski Racing by Taylor & Francis, a leading publisher of professional books and journals. This book was co-edited with Jimmy Pritchard and written with some of the leading sport scientists in the world. It explores every aspect of alpine ski racing performance […]
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You Blew Your First Run..Now What About Your 2nd Run
In my last article, I explored the psychological challenges of having a fast first run and then trying to duplicate it in your second run to have a fast race. In this article, I focus on the inverse, namely, having a poor first run and wanting to salvage the race (even if it’s just a […]
Read MoreAlpine Ski Racing is One Brutal Sport
I’m spending the winter at our cabin near Sugar Bowl while my daughters attend the winter-term program at Sugar Bowl Academy. I’m knee deep (literally and metaphorically) in the ski racing life as my daughters experience the many challenges that our sport presents to them. It has brought back many memories from my own days […]
Read MoreWhat’s Right about U.S. Ski Racing
I’ve been involved in U.S. ski racing for—Yikes!—more than 50 years. I started as a “Chipmunk” at Mad River Glen, then moved on to the Valley Junior Racing Club (at then Glen Ellen, pre-GMVS), Burke Mountain Academy, Middlebury College, the University of Colorado, and even two seasons on the old pro tour. Since then, I’ve […]
Read MoreSupport the USST Athletes
I recently received an email from George Steffey, a USST D team member and Stratton Mountain School alum, who is organizing a fundraising campaign to support rising USST athletes. I met George last fall at Copper and found him to be not only highly committed to his ski racing goals, but also a really good […]
Read MoreLousy First Run, Great Second Run: WHY?!?!
Last week, I introduced a common scenario among ski racers in which, after a great first run, they ski much slower the second run. I explained what caused this sudden drop in performance and how this problem could be solved so you can have as strong a second run as your first run, the outcome […]
Read More5 Things I Hate to See Racers Do in Training
I’ve been in the ski racing world since I was six years old. The first 20 years, I was a racer learning the ups and downs of ski racing the hard way, mostly through trial and error, and sometimes painful failure. That, I can say with 20/20 hindsight and absolute certainty, is no way to […]
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