Mikaela Shiffrin

[Rich Jones]

Ten years ago, an American 17-year-old named Mikaela Shriffrin won her first World Cup ski race. Today, at age 27, she just won race# 87, making her the winningest skier, male or female, of all time.
She has a bucket full of Olympic and World Cup gold metals and has won an astonishing 35% of every race she has entered. If she didn't win a race, she was most likely 2nd or 3rd.
She has also won the all around World Cup Title at least 6 times.
The list goes on and on. She holds just about every record in ski racing in all events. At age 27, she still has years to go and, barring injury, could easily reach 100 World Cup wins.
As a skier, I can really appreciate what she has achieved. It is simply mind-blowing.

On a side note, one of her sponsors is Barilla food company. The Barilla name has been on the front of her helmet and ski hat since she was 17. I wonder how much they have paid her over the years. Must be a mountain of money with the price going up every year.

[Paul Pless]

$3million a year in non olympic years from the pasta company alone; she has an additional 17 long time sponsors

total badass

[Rich Jones]

^ I'm a little dense... what does that lovely ship have to do with it? Sailing away with the prize money?

[Paul Pless]

ship?

[Rich Jones]

^ Good save!

[Rich Jones]

The skill, strength and sheer guts of these skiers is amazing.
With some events speeds can hit over 80mph. The risk of serious injury is far higher than most other sports.
When I ski, I might hit 20-30 mph and it freaks me out.

[Paul Pless]

the downhill has always been my favourite olympic event, winter or summer

[amish rob]

Ski racing is definitely crazy, and super fun to watch. I dig all the disciplines of ski racing probably equally.

I can attest to the fact that getting off a push bike at 50+mph on a ski course in the summer can cause some serious damage, too.

Which, I’ve been to dozens of ski resorts in the US, but only one during the winter.

[Jim Bow]

Shout out to Lindsey Vonn while we're at it.

[George Jung]

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/11/s...up-record.html

Nice story in the NYTimes; sounds like a home-body, loves her mother/coach. Skis 'restrained' (she's only going about 80% of her potential according to mom). Unlike her peers, hasn't been seriously injured. That off year at the Olympics, when she didn't complete any of the races she was favored to win - apparently had some family issues; subsequently returned to form. And.... they report she's modest, not a 'party girl'.

[Rich Jones]

Her father died suddenly a few years ago and that really threw her for a loop for a season.
From the interviews I've seen, she seems like a nice person.
Driven is the term best to describe her.
She also has a hunky looking ski racer boyfriend (Norwegian, I believe).

[sandtown]

Yeah, but what has she done for sailing lately???

Yes, an amazing athlete.

[Breakaway]

She rocks.


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[rbgarr]

At her level the advantages she has over other skiiers are substantial: extensive long-term sponsorship as mentioned, trainers and camps, nutritionists, coaches, technicians, travel budgets worldwide, specialized equipment for every event often replaced and upgraded ASAP, and so on. That doesn't detract from her skill at all and European nations support/subsidize their top flight athletes just as avidly (in almost all major amateur sports) but it's something to be aware of.

[Breakaway]

At her level the advantages she has over other skiiers are substantial: extensive long-term sponsorship as mentioned, trainers and camps, nutritionists, coaches, technicians, travel budgets worldwide, specialized equipment for every event often replaced and upgraded ASAP, and so on. That doesn't detract from her skill at all and European nations support/subsidize their top flight athletes just as avidly (in almost all major amateur sports) but it's something to be aware of.

^ She does not have those advantages over other pro skiiers.

Kevin


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[George Jung]

Actually, she likely does - most don't have the resources/finances that she enjoys. But.... that's the way things go! Regardless, she's taken those advantages, along with her work ethic and talent, and succeeded.

[Rich Jones]

Having reached the pinnacle of ski racing, it's all downhill from here.


sorry... I couldn't help it...

As for advantages, she does have a big head start over a lot of the lesser skilled skiers who can't attract sponsor money like she does. Atomic skis probably custom builds her skis. Going from race to race, I doubt very much that she flies coach. Most likely travels in a private jet at this point which makes travel less stressful.
I kinda feel sorry for the other women on the race circuit. Very little chance of making big names for themselves.

Amongst the top seven women on the World Cup tour this season, six of them earned between 800-1000 points over the course of the season. Shiffrin earned over 2000 points. That is the margin between great skiers and the greatest skier of all time.

[Garret]

When she got into racing (the VT connection is that she went to school here) she had little in the way of sponsorship, but like other skiers, the more races she won, the more sponsorships she got.

Kinda how it works.

Sponsorship aside - an amazing achievement - and it seems she's well liked amongst her competitors & works with younger skiers a lot.

[Breakaway]

Top three earners in 2021, before sponsor money.



Lara Gut-Bahrami: $523,00
( center)


Petra Vlhova: $478,000


Mikaela Shiffren: $444,000
( on the right)

Of course, their individual sponsorships are over and above those winnings.

This points out that at the top echelon, they all have unlimited resources.

Kevin


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[skuthorp]

That picture (#2) perfect position on what looks to be an icy surface. She is a very strong young woman, I wonder what her bone density is.
I remember watching a slo-mo video of the Italian Tomba with his legs bending like warm pasta. Hers will look the same.

[rbgarr]

My exercise 'coach' has a thirteen year old daughter who goes to a ski-racing oriented school. She's on the slopes four hours a day five days a week followed by weight training, balance and flexibility routines. Last week she was clocked (timed) doing sixty plus mph down the downhill course during a race to qualify for the under 14 regional championships. She had a severely bone-bruised leg two weeks before due to a high speed crash. She qualified.

Atomic has provided Mikaela Shiffrin with 60 pairs of skis. https://www.insider.com/mikaela-shif...-goggia-2022-2

[Garret]

Any ski racer who can qualify for even middle level competitions will get free skis, bindings, etc. from ski companies. Obviously, better skiers get more & better stuff.

One does have to learn to hold the skis in just the right position for the cameras though...