What FIS Coaches Want Younger Ski Racers to Know

So, kid… Do you dream of moving up to the big leagues of ski racing? FIS-sanctioned races are the next step after USSA races, and moving into FIS marks a big change in a ski racer’s career. Although FIS can sound exciting and daunting at the same time, the basics for success are simple. Read on to learn what FIS coaches want younger ski racers to know to best prepare for FIS ski racing. 

 

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Stop Worrying About Making Regionals

…or whatever championship event with a qualification process you’re worried about. The energy many youth ski racers spend worrying whether they’ll qualify for regionals is time and energy wasted. Having championship event accolades on your ski racing resume won’t matter when you reach FIS age. Everyone, from the regionals champion to the brand-new ski racer, starts as a 990, with no FIS status and a bad position on the start list. 

Spend that energy developing solid ski skills, techniques, and tactics, and trust that in the long run, your focus on becoming a better ski racer, regardless of results, will provide the results you dream about. Consider your junior years to be training for FIS and ditch your worries about the championships along the way—that’s just part of the process. 

 

Go Freeskiing

The best ski racers are phenomenal all-around skiers. The more athletic you are as a skier, the more athletic you will be as a ski racer. Challenge your balance, get comfortable in the air, play with turn shape, and ski all types of terrain. You might work on fore/aft movement in the moguls, hone reaction time in the trees, or develop some style while skiing powder. You can go out to freeski with a focus in mind, or just to play on the mountain with your buddies. Either way, don’t go inside when the training course has been pulled–keep skiing. 

 

Don’t go free skiing without the 5050s!

It’s a Long Road

This is the green light to pace yourself. Just like how you should stop worrying about making regionals… don’t worry about losing a race, a missed championship series, or a botched training day. Use every mistake as an opportunity to learn, but remember to keep the big picture in focus, not the little gaffs. 

If you want to dive into this aspect more, check out our guide to Ski Racing Psychology. 

 

Friendships Will Outlast All the Results

When ski racing is all over, whether you retire after 50 World Cup wins or at the end of high school, what you’ll have left are the friends you made along the way (and your freeskiing skills). Your shared experiences will forge a deep connection, and those friendships can easily last a lifetime. So, be a good teammate, ride the chairlift with someone new, and learn and laugh with each other. 

Get matching gear with your friends.

 

See you in the big leagues!