I feel very confident in my skiing. I know I have a good chance to win any race I start.
I realize how fortunate I am to have been able to make a life and career out of skiing.
I don't do ski racing to be famous.
If I hadn't come East as a kid, I might still be a World Cup racer today, but I wouldn't be the same World Cup racer.
I'm not trying to race the whole men's tour; I just want to race one time. If you know me, which most people on the World Cup do, they know that this is a legitimate goal of mine and not a publicity stunt.
When I first moved to Vail, it was like I was a little celebrity. You know, everyone knew my accomplishments. I was a young, fast teenager and making waves in the ski world. And it was really cool.
I have a strong lead so far, and I would be proud to win it because it remains the summit for a skier. I also aim to collect several smaller crystal trophies at Are, especially the GS Cup.
If you want to be among the greatest skiers, you have to win in Kitzbuehel at least once.
There's so many guys skiing so fast right now that you really have to be willing to take a lot of risks if you want to give yourself a chance to win. I'm prepared to do it; it's just a matter of if I can make it work.
But there was no question in my mind that I was gonna still go for it. I was still going for the win. I wasn't skiing for second or third place today, and in the end I think that's probably what got me there.
Winning the overall is a dream I've had since being a young skier. It's everyone's dream.
