Ski Racing - September 19, 2011

Name: Ted Ligety Age: 27 Hometown: Park City Circuit: World Cup

Fifty Pairs of Skis

For training in New Zealand we bring 40 or so pairs of skis down just for tech. During the season it narrows down; I probably travel with 12 pairs of GS skis and 10 pairs of slalom skis, speed is about the same, so I’m probably traveling around with maybe 50 pairs of skis. I have a pair of powder skis with me at all times in Europe, but I don’t travel with my powder skiing boots, just because it’s too much stuff. Head skis are very stable and responsive at the same time, which makes them more forgiving than most of the skis I’ve skied on before.

Fine Tuning

I came up with my base and side bevels years and years ago, which is how I like it. Every technician I’ve had does it a little bit differently, but they have always stayed within the same parameters. In GS I have about a half-degree base and for slalom I am almost flat. My side bevel is about a four or five; luckily I don’t have to do my own skis so I don’t need to know the in and outs of that. Speed stuff is just however it makes it there because we’re switching skis amongst a bunch of different racers.

Boot Camp

I travel with two pairs of GS boots, two pairs of slalom boots and a pair of speed boots. I set up my boots differently for slalom, GS and downhill. My downhill boots are definitely the softest of them and a little less aggressive. My slalom boots are very stiff, they have extra rivets and everything. My GS boots are on the softer side for most guys boots but they are still somewhat aggressive.

Game Time

Gloves, goggles, a helmet and all the obvious stuff are in the bag on race day. Normally I’ll bring a rain jacket with me just to have another layer. Water and a snack are the main things, along with some extra Booster Straps. In my finish bag I always have a pair of Shred glasses, Ugg boots and an extra jacket.

Snack Pack

I’ll usually pack myself a sandwich after breakfast to have something to eat besides energy bars all the time for something that is a little more normal to eat.

Moonlighting

Shred is still a fun distraction; I am working a fair amount on it. I obviously don’t do a lot of the day-to-day things, but it’s good. We are working on all new helmets for next year, that is something we’ve been working on over the last year.

The High Road

I don’t listen to my iPod on the snow, but definitely in the car ride up to the mountain. The type of music depends on the day; sometimes I’ll listen to Dr. Dre — that’s a good pre-race one to get pumped up. I listen to a lot of Broken Bells, Tribe Called Quest, just kind of a random eclectic mix. I read a couple books every year. I read a lot of business books, which is why I don’t read a ton, because after going through a business book you are kind of over reading for a little while. I read Wired magazine religiously front to back. I get into novels and biographies sometimes, too.