Sölden is tomorrow, and even just one valley over where we’re training in Pitztal right now, the anticipation is palpable. Zermatt is being sued for running a race over the limits of the glacier, Lucas just retired at 23 years old, everything seems to be unpredictable at the moment. But that’s all part of the fun in being at this point in the season. Everyone has put so much work in over the summer to get to this point, both in the gym and on the hill, but now you’re stuck wondering how it’s all gonna play out when it really counts. Because that’s the beautiful part about racing; it doesn’t really matter how fast you are in training, only what you can do under pressure on race day. So no matter if you’ve been winning everything during the prep period or getting smoked, it’s all up in the air and you’ll just have to see what comes out of the wash on the first race day. So there’s this kind of constant, nervous energy around the Sölden valley, but it always helps me to remember that nothing will change now. The work has been put in all summer, the preparations have been made, so now it’s only up to you to trust in yourself and your preparation alongside all the people who support you. In a sense it’s relaxing knowing that it’s all on you now.

We’ve been super lucky this summer to get consistent high-quality training in Ushuaia, Zermatt, and Pitztal, so our team is in a good place to do some damage this year. There’s a fresh energy within the whole group, with an almost completely new coaching staff going into this season. We’re being led by two Austrians, one Spaniard, and one American, so nobody was quite sure how this shift to a more European approach would go initially, but new perspectives are always helpful and it’s been working out very well. The group itself is a fun mix of hungry young guys and veterans who know what it takes to get the the top, both pushing each other to be our best. So with this setup, we should be ready to roll this season. No excuses to be had about why we didn’t have the opportunities we should’ve or blame to be put on others, but hopefully a lot of credit to be given to others after a successful season. So the hay is in the barn over here, it’s all on us now so time to get this season rolling and see how it all shakes out!