US athletes back on snow with Team Global Racing

Brain McLaughlin, Patrick Kenney, Tim Gavett and George Steffey give us insights into their first on-snow training camp of the season and their life with Team Global Racing.

Daily operations in Saas Fee

Last week, Team Global Racing completed its first on-snow training camp of the season in Saas-Fee. Despite warm temperatures, training conditions were good and the season kick-off was a successful one. Although the slope didn’t freeze enough to open for two days, the Global team enjoyed five days of beneficial training. Five out of seven is a ratio any athlete is satisfied with considering the effects of climate change.

The four US Team Global athletes, George Steffey, Brain McLaughlin, Patrick Kenney and Tim Gavett, flew over to Europe at the end of July to join the team for training. “We had some good first sessions up on the glacier. For the first three days, we focused on technical free skiing and started with GS training at the end of the camp,” Steffey states.

The alarm is set at four o’clock in the morning. The first gondola departs shortly after five. Around noon everyone is back in the hotel for lunch. “Sometimes we were the first ones up on the glacier and the last ones back to the hotel. We wanted to make the most out of every minute on snow,” McLaughlin says. The afternoons are densely packed with physical conditioning, recuperation, video analysis and visits to the tuning room. The latter can be kept relatively short as the boys have help from two servicemen. Steffey and Kenney recruited Nick Orfanakis from Utah as their ski technician and Simone Sperindé takes care of McLaughlin’s skis.

Close collaboration with Völkl

Interesting fact: All four Americans on the team race on Marker–Dalbello–Völkl and are very happy with the equipment and the support. Kenney: “The setup is awesome and both the Völkl team in the US and in Europe take very good care of us. They are super supportive and also involve us in the development of the giant slalom setup.” McLaughlin adds: “The guys at Völkl are big believers in Team Global Racing. Having people like them on our side, even though we’re not on a national team, gives us a strong backing.”

Fighting for the World Cup start spots

While Gavett is taking his time with his return from injury and currently focusing on technical free skiing, the other guys are preparing  for the first World Cup of the season. The US team will have four spots at the giant slalom in Sölden. Most likely Ford, Radamus and Cochran-Siegle are a lock, and the fourth spot will be fiercely contested. “In the best case, one of us three will race, qualify for the second run and score World Cup points. That would create an additional national spot for the next races.  This will then create an opportunity for another one of us to race in Val d’Isère potentially,” McLaughlin explains.

The guys’ goals for the upcoming season are similar but differ slightly. Steffey aims to finish in the Top 30 of the giant slalom standing and score points in slalom. McLaughlin wants to qualify for the World Champs and the World Cup Finals, while Kenney is focused on a European Cup podium and a Top 45 world ranking in GS.

Life with Team Global Racing

Mclaughlin, Steffey and Kenney are all former US Ski Team members. However, now, without the support of the US ski Team, they continue to require an elite, entirely professional program. They all decided to join Team Global Racing and are already participating in the third (McLaughlin), respectively second (Kenney & Steffey) season with head coach Paul Epstein.

“When I got kicked off the national team, I still felt like I had a lot of potential. I was looking for opportunities and found Global to be the best and most professional option out there,” Steffey recalls. For Kenney, Global was the best path to continue ski racing after college. He sums up what attracted him: “The coaches are not only good at coaching skiing but also have great social competence. The training set-up is very professional and the overall level on the team is equivalent to a successful national team.” McLaughlin enjoys the atmosphere on the team and values the attitude of head coach Epstein: “His engagement and enthusiasm are exemplary. He really pushes us and puts in his best effort.”

Making Europe home

Global is based in Austria, which involves linked circumstances. Over the past three months, the guys spent a lot of time in the US getting physically ready for the season. McLaughlin trained at home in Massachusetts, Kenney at Burke Mountain Academy, and Steffey took advantage of gyms all around the country while visiting friends and family. Since the end of July, they have moved their base to Innsbruck, Austria.

“The apartment we had last year is unfortunately not available anymore. But we are confident that we’ll find a new one within the next few weeks,” McLaughlin explains. Almost all Global athletes have temporarily moved to Innsbruck for a similar reason. Steffey puts it in a nutshell: “Europe, and especially Austria, is the hub for ski racing, the place to be. It’s sometimes hard to be away from family and friends for such a long time. But when it comes to ski racing, it’s the best option.” Kenney also says he’d be lying if he claimed he never feels homesick: “But at the end of the day, with all the friends around us, it feels like a second home.”

During August, the team is commuting back and forth between Innsbruck and Saas-Fee – one week on snow, one week off snow while doing physical training. Before the season really kicks off, the guys might have another week to fly back home in September. After that, it’s time to drop the hammer. Sölden is calling.