Mikaela Shiffrin

[4ster]

Spoiler: 43?

 

[Karen_skier2.0]

She inspires me to want to train some gates!

 

[Muleski]

Great day. Really crushed it. I'm going to watch the GS, in the AM. Will post on her WCF's later on.
I had hoped that she would finish very strongly in these two races. She surely did today in the SL.
All good! Best of luck to her in the GS. She certainly looks like a bit of rest, and training has "filled up the tank."

 

[4ster]

She certainly looks like a bit of rest, and training has "filled up the tank."

Yeah, I was gonna say she must have had a real good nap .

 

[checkracer]

Well, Mikaela & Co. managed her season and she´s breaking records, media tell me.

Today´s SL must have been frustrating to the three girls chasing her. I haven´t seen the 2nd run (the f...ing biathlon ruling everywhere in this part of the world) but she´s Nr. 1 even if she doesn´t ski her best. Wendy improved her SL a lot but she stil doesn´t fully master the uncompromising line, narrower stance and less round turns. She also improved in GS and raced well even in SGs/combineds but to beat Mikaela she´d probably need a lot of specialized SL training.

Frida is the working girl patiently waiting for her chance. She utilized two: 2016 when Mikaela was injured and 2018 Olympics. That´s more she could dream of in the years when she was collecting good points but no wins. Now if she doesn´t do more than appear the the 2019 Worlds to say goodbye to her fans in Sweden her career has been a success.

Petra Vlhova won´t be happy with the season that started much better than it finished. Magoni must have been quite expensive and she had expected more, I´m sure. The main issue I see are her X-legs with her „retro-technique of the 80s“. They evidently worked on her technique, it´s better than last season but still not OK to my eye. A boot/plate issue? Shouldn´t they consult HSS?

The Austrians most probably don´t expect “little Schild“ to become her sister´s heir anymore in SL but they can/should/must be happy with Gallhuber and Liensberger. They both started the season with bibs 30/40+ and worked their way up perfectly. (I noticed them as girls sharing starting positions with our Czech losers.)

As to the records.

OK, Mikaela won 12 races and may win the 13th this Sunday. Hut ab, as we German speakers say. A true champion, definitely. Do celebrate her, our fascinating sport needs such heroes and moments.

Well, Vreni Schneider won 14 races in the 1988/89 season. There were only 28 WC races. Seven real SLs, no PSLs or CEs making 12 SL-like races/season. She won all 7 SLs, 6 GSs from 7 staged, and one combined race. (Was also 9th and 12th in SG.)

No stone age of alpine skiing. You can look up the results on FIS pages. The 1980s with the dominating Swiss women, good Americans, some Austrians a German girls, were not the time only few girls could ski.

If you´re not deeply involved, enjoy the following Cinderella story.

There was a Mr. Schneider, a Swiss shoemaker in a mountain village. No Zermatt or Davos, few tourists and skiers, hard living. To make life even worse, his wife died and there were three children left. Vreni, the oldest, who was 13 or 14 then, had to take care of the kids and the household. Not sufficient time left to ski training. Still, she managed somehow to ski in the afternoon, often just privately, and she was probably so good that the Swiss federation hadn´t given her up and had helped her somehow.

She could appear in the WC and she had some good results. It wasn´t easy to get a spot in the Swiss team of the 80s – probably the strongest alpine ski team ever, cf. the medals, globes and wins in the statistics – but she did.

She was 24 when she started her 1988/89 season. There was no Dr. Shiffrin & his wife producing a future ski champion in almost a scientific way.

Mikaela´s great, Vreni was great. Different times. Let´s greet new champions but not forget those from the past.

 

[Swede]

There has been quite some discission on the broadcasts over here (lots of time to kill with the delays and cancellations) about the differences in resources available to the athletes. Mikaela, Marcel and perhaps Vonn in a completely different legue. Not that it would suit every individual, there are a lot to gain using a team oriented approach, but a guy like Kristofersen propably could benefit from a Hirscheresque type of layout ...

 

[4ster]

An anti climatic finish to the season but Shiffrin really made a statement in her final two runs on Saturday. Maybe better for her to finish that way even though it would’ve been interesting to end with the scheduled GS where there is a larger pool of potential winners.
I saw a clip of Marcel & Mikaela getting their cups in the howling wind as Hirschers prop ski blew over. It seemed like no one was there, kind of a sad celebration.

Thanks to all those who participated in the WC threads here on Pugski. Made the whole season more fun & entertaining!

 

[Bolder]

There has been quite some discission on the broadcasts over here (lots of time to kill with the delays and cancellations) about the differences in resources available to the athletes. Mikaela, Marcel and perhaps Vonn in a completely different legue. Not that it would suit every individual, there are a lot to gain using a team oriented approach, but a guy like Kristofersen propably could benefit from a Hirscheresque type of layout ...

Success begets resources...it's a virtuous and vicious circle, depending if you are in or out of it...

 

[Karen_skier2.0]

Crystal is a girl's best friend!

 

[SkiSpeed]

A Shriffin Sighting!

I was skiing this AM at Jiminy Peak when we had a visitor. MS was out free skiing for a good chunk of the day. along w/her mom and Aunt (they posted a pic that Ski Racing has on their website). I was able to see her do a few drills and carve some beautiful turns on a piece of pitch. Her skis were interesting. She was on the detuned SL ski (S9) not an FIS race ski. She is visiting family and did not have boards. One of the local shops that stocks Atomics was able to help.

 

[4ster]

One of the local shops that stocks Atomics was able to help

I hope she had her own boots.

 

[hbear]

A Shriffin Sighting!

I was skiing this AM at Jiminy Peak when we had a visitor. MS was out free skiing for a good chunk of the day. along w/her mom and Aunt (they posted a pic that Ski Racing has on their website). I was able to see her do a few drills and carve some beautiful turns on a piece of pitch. Her skis were interesting. She was on the detuned SL ski (S9) not an FIS race ski. She is visiting family and did not have boards. One of the local shops that stocks Atomics was able to help.

Haha, I thought you might have got a pic of her actually free skiing on all mountain boards. That would be really something. Don’t think I’ve seen a video/pic of her on all mountain skis, or bump skiing or powder skiing. e.g. like we have plenty with Mancuso and even a few times for LV as well.

Cool sighting, no surprise mom was around.

 

[Muleski]

Pretty sure that she flew back to the US, to the airport in Albany, NY, probably to visit her Nana. No chance of her skiing bumps, and likely no powder. I've seen LV "pass" on skis 8" of fresh snow with kids in Vail until they groomed part of Gold Peak for her. However fun video that she posted of her free skiing with her sister in Vail the other day on soft snow.....on a pair of Monster 98's.

How about Eileen S at Jiminy Peak in her USST kit! Hope we'll be seeing less of that, BTW.

 

[Uncle-A]

A Shriffin Sighting!

I was skiing this AM at Jiminy Peak when we had a visitor. MS was out free skiing for a good chunk of the day. along w/her mom and Aunt (they posted a pic that Ski Racing has on their website). I was able to see her do a few drills and carve some beautiful turns on a piece of pitch. Her skis were interesting. She was on the detuned SL ski (S9) not an FIS race ski. She is visiting family and did not have boards. One of the local shops that stocks Atomics was able to help.

OK so you work in a ski shop and it sells Atomics. Who walks in but MS and you have to help her. First of all if you are not Star Struck and you can speak. How does that conversation go? "Take what ever you want off the rack". OR "We have these demos you can use". "Do you have your boot with you or do you need a pair to use"? "Sorry but our demo bindings do not go to a 16 DIN". "Let me sharpen these and put a fresh coat of wax on them". "Would you like a 1 - 3 edge on them"?

OK fellow PUGSKI people what would say???

 

[James]

Neat. What shops are there around Jimminy Peak?

 

[4ster]

OK fellow PUGSKI people what would say???

Will you please sign these?
Did the value of these skis just increase?

 

[Muleski]

I suspect that it went like this.

MS flew to Albany when she came back to the US. Let's assume that it was to see her Nana, who she's close to, and who's not getting any younger. Obviously, MS and Eileen were planning on skiing {if the snow was decent}, as she had her USST kit of clothes, and everything but skis {and maybe poles}. I would bet that all of her skis and poles flew back with her tech. Now, Eileen's skis? Dunno. Probably a dozen spare LEKI poles in the basement at Nana's.

So, I'd assume that MS, or Mom, got in touch with M's agent and he contacted Atomic, and eventually it gets to Atomic Race, US. "Mikaela and her mom are going to be with family in Western MA, and they want to ski on X dates. Can you ship some skis to Y shop so that they can be ready for them to ski. Get back to me with details."

Skis get delivered to the shop, ready to go, M gives the shop a nice photo op and whatever else, and she, mom and her aunt are good to ski. Or, maybe they did have something on the rack, along with bindings, and took the time to to grind them, prep them, etc. And Atomic is backfilling that stock, or bought them back, etc. Whatever.

Point is that I bet this was done by Killi and Atomic, pickup facilitated at the shop. Don't think she walked in and asked "whatcha got?" I'd bet that she has a couple of recent pairs in the basement as well, but Atomic wants her seen on something current, if out with the public.

If they hadn't planned to ski, none of that stuff would have flown into Albany, IMO. The amount of luggage that she and her peers travel with is "more than the average skier", so to speak. Particularly at the end of the season.

Great PR for Jiminy, and I assume a fun day for the "girls."

BTW, first time, I think, that MS has skipped US Nationals. That event is not what it once was. Even tougher with the injuries this year.

 

[James]

Makes sense. I can't imagine Mikaela using a random shop tuned ski for a public event. It's a lose lose situation. If she gets on it and it's horrible, like a pair of mine last week, she's a complainer and a whiner. The story could go on for years. Then the shop gets bad press too.

 

[newfydog]

I have two stories of Jean Claude Killy doing just that. He signed a contract to do some pro races on K2's, and decided he wanted to race the next day. They sent him to a shop to pick out any ski he liked, until they could get him the custom jobs. He didn't like any of them, then spotted a used pair from the year before. The first K2 comp was a red white and blue job which was a superb ski but the tops tended to delaminate. The next year they fixed the top, but the ski was not as good. Killy knew that, took out the old delaminates, and won. K2 got him some new skis that week, and the next race he was only second.

Another time he was coming out for a promo event. A friend of mine at a shop was told to get some skis ready for him. He tuned them perfectly, and presented them to His Killyness. J-C looked at the edges and asked for a two by four. He worked the 2x4 up and down the whole ski for awhile, and went out to ski.

 

[Black Dog]

Actually I think she borrowed a pair from Ledecka