What do you get when you take the face of a supermodel and put it on the statuesque, athletic body of one of the world’s top female athletes? That’s right, you get Lindsey Vonn, America’s most recognizable Alpine ski racer and arguably the best female downhill racer ever to strap on a pair of skis.
But wait! What happens when you take her best friend – German superstar Maria Riesch – who also happens to be her biggest professional rival, and mix them both up in a spectacular, season-long duel to decide who gets to call herself the best all-around skier of the year?
You get last year’s FIS World Cup Alpine skiing season. It was a real nail-biter because it came down to the very last race (or not, depending on who you ask) in a season full of competition and controversy. It was the very best of what sport is all about.
The Season Is Upon Us
And we get to do it all over again this season. Starting in a few short weeks, the Alpine skiing season starts again. And it promises to bring us all the speed and spectacle we’ve grown accustomed to. Whether it’s the European Alps, the American Rockies, or elsewhere, nothing pins back your ears like a 90 mph plunge down an ice-coated mountainside. And along with the rest of the world’s best skiers, these two ladies do it every week, testing their nerve, their conditioning, their technical abilities, and their will to be the best there’s ever been.
Though not widely followed in the United States, FIS World Cup Alpine skiing is massively popular in Europe during the winter months. Among USA sports fans, there’s just no other winter sport that generates the same level of excitement that European fans feel during World Cup ski races. However, a small but loyal contingent of North American ski fans eagerly awaits the start of each season, especially since the USA and Canada each host one of the World Cup events.
Controversy
Last year, the battle for supremacy between Vonn and Riesch was a brutal affair full of frustrations and strained friendships. When the dust had cleared, Maria Riesch had barely squeaked out an unsatisfying and unconvincing win over an opponent who wasn’t willing to concede defeat. With the last race of the season canceled because of bad weather, the finale was unfulfilling. Sports fans were left holding their collective breaths.
But that’s OK. It only makes the promise of this year’s Alpine skiing season that much sweeter.
The New Reisch
Reisch seems to have overcome her reputation as a choke artist who couldn’t keep it together when the pressure was on. There is no longer any sign of the obvious fear of speed and danger which plagued her in the past.
And she also learned to handle the longer, stiffer skis which gave Vonn such a decisive advantage in seasons past. Coupled with the way she still confidently handles the technical events like slalom, her upcoming season should be very successful.
Her flawless technique, her new-found courage, and her consistency make her a favorite to win this year.
Questions About Vonn
Vonn, on the other hand, is an enigma.
While she’s obviously possessed of massive talent, we don’t know what this season will bring.
Last season’s stated goal of maintaining her downhill dominance while also improving her technical skiing seems to have gone unmet. All the offseason training to increase her reaction time and footspeed didn’t result in good slalom results. Instead, she ended up with DNFs and poor showings in many tech events.
But one thing you can’t deny about Vonn is that she’s a sportswoman first and foremost. She wants to win. And she wants to advance the state of the sport. For Lindsey Vonn, it’s not good enough simply to be a performer, she wants to do things no women has ever done in a downhill ski race. She won’t let a seasons-end disappointment derail her focus.
With last season’s questionable strength and conditioning program proven to be less than ideal, odds are Lindsey will be back to her old training methods this year. And that might just be enough to give Maria Riesch more than she can handle.