America’s Brian McLaughlin and Belgium’s Sam Maes have taken two different paths to the World Cup, but both were facilitated by Global Racing, an organization based in Austria that helps support and develop world-class ski racers. In this conversation we speak with Global Racing Coach Paul Epstein, as well as McLaughlin and Maes –both of whom scored multiple World Cup points this season– and learn about advantages and disadvantages of being part of an independent team. With eight different nations represented on the Global Racing Team, Epstein explains the logistics of communicating with each federation in terms of qualification and entry to races. The trio also address the development gap and how Global Racing has created a much-needed platform for talented, motivated athletes who have fallen through the cracks. As always, hosts Martin, Cara and Jeff share their “SWIX Thoughts of the Day”.

It’s always a pleasure to talk to Switzerland’s Michelle Gisin, and we were thrilled to have her back on The Next Turn. Gisin, a rare four-event skier, won back-to-back gold medals in the Alpine Combined event at the last two Olympics, a Bronze medal in Super G at the Beijing Olympics, has won medals at the World Championships, and she has World Cup podiums in every discipline. However this season, Gisin hasn’t yet produced the results we’re used to seeing from her, and she’s very open about her struggles, shedding light on her long and arduous recovery from mononucleosis, her efforts to find motivation, and the impact of negative press. Gisin is thoughtful and honest in this interview which covers a wide range of topics. As always, hosts Martin, Cara and Jeff share their “SWIX Thoughts of the Day”.

The Next Turn is shifting gears somewhat this week, giving the microphone to three insightful women, all of whom are mothers to World Cup athletes. Joanne Gray (mom of Canada’s Cassidy Gray), Barbara Ann Cochran (mom of America’s Ryan Cochran-Siegle), and Karen Monsén (mom of Sweden’s Felix Monsén) speak to us about the role of the parent vs. the role of a coach and illuminate the life lessons that can be learned through ski racing. They discuss how important it is for an athlete to identify as more than just a ski racer, as well as the anxiety that comes along with being the parent of a child involved in a sport with inherent risks and inevitable injuries. As always, hosts Martin, Cara and Jeff share their “SWIX Thoughts of the Day”.

In the two years since we first spoke with him, American World Cup athlete Ryan Cochran-Siegle has added a few accolades to his resume— namely a silver medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. We connected with him and learned about the ups and downs of his recent equipment change, as well as his return to racing after a minor spine fracture sustained in Kitzbuhel. RCS talks through his current focus in training when it comes to technique and fundamentals and he also speaks of the impact of confidence on performance. He looks ahead to the races still to come this season, giving deep insight into his strategies and tactics for both the Wengen and Kitzbuhel courses. His good nature, openness and balanced outlook once again remind us of why it’s so easy to cheer for Ryan on and off the hill. As always, hosts Martin, Cara and Jeff share their “SWIX Thoughts of the Day”.

No stranger to injury and to the comeback, American World Cup athlete Breezy Johnson joins The Next Turn to talk through her ski racing journey to date. In this interview Johnson talks about the difference between skiing with confidence and without it, as well as the harsh reality that hard work doesn’t always guarantee results. Johnson is very candid about her high expectations and frustration with falling short. And while Breezy is a familiar visitor to the podium, she’s still chasing a World Cup win—don’t bet against her. As always, hosts Martin, Cara and Jeff share their “SWIX Thoughts of the Day”.

Two of the world’s best slalom skiers hail from the small ski nation of Croatia: 25 year old Leona Popović, who now is coming into her peak, and reigning World Junior Champion, 18 year old Zrinka Ljutić. The new teammates join The Next Turn to discuss their paths to the World Cup. While these two women are quite different from one another, they work and train together, motivating one another in the process. In this conversation they talk about everything from sharing course reports, to what they admire in each other’s skiing, as well as their hopes for the future. As always, hosts Martin, Cara and Jeff share their “SWIX Thoughts of the Day”.

If you haven’t heard of Lara Colturi, you haven’t been paying attention to alpine racing. Colturi is the young, Italian-born prodigy who has grown up being coached by her parents, former Olympic champion Daniela Ceccarelli and ski coach Alessandro Colturi. Colturi, who skis under the flag of Albania rather than her birthplace of Italy, made her World Cup debut at just 15 years of age and is already scoring World Cup points. In their first in-depth, English interview, Colturi and her mother Daniela join The Next Turn to give insight into Lara’s unique pathway, sharing their thought processes as well as plans for the future. As always, hosts Martin, Cara and Jeff share their “SWIX Thoughts of the Day”.

The Next Turn is thrilled to host Brandon Dyksterhouse, who is Green Mountain Valley School’s High Performance Consultant, and Patrick Biggs, who serves as Executive Director of Alpine Ontario, for an insightful conversation. Lifetime athletes, turned coaches and leaders, Biggs and Dyksterhouse discuss the state of the sport, from entry level through the World Cup, providing enlightening commentary and analysis. They also discuss the impact of data and technology on our work with athletes, in addition to addressing key performance indicators as they see them. You won’t want to miss this fascinating interview with these two talented professionals. As always, hosts Martin, Cara and Jeff share their “SWIX Thoughts of the Day”.

Bulgaria’s Albert Popov joins The Next Turn for a conversation about his career thus far along with his intentions and plans for the next phase as a World Cup contender. A strong junior racer, Popov won Topolino in 2013, transitioning onto the World Cup in 2015. At 5’5” tall, he is one of the shorter athletes on the tour, and he speaks about the advantages and disadvantages of his height as well as the adaptations he’s made to his technique to find success competing against people of much larger stature. Like many racers, Popov has had to overcome his share of challenges, including a very serious car accident at just 18 years old that led to the tragic passing of his coach. He was able to come back from that experience and find success, and he speaks of what he now needs to do to go from top 10 results, to podiums. As always, hosts Martin, Jeff and Cara share their “Thoughts of the Day”.

Tommy Ford joins The Next Turn for an interview that covers the range of highs and lows he’s encountered in his career to date. Ford talks very candidly about the injuries he’s faced and what he’s learned each time he’s pushed through a comeback to racing. He discusses the value of proper mental health, highlighting how he has spent time and effort into understanding how he works and learns best. Ford looks ahead to this season, sharing that he’s feeling good and it shows in his results; he had a strong first race of the season in Söelden with a sixth-place finish and is eagerly looking ahead to racing at home in Beaver Creek. As always, hosts Martin, Cara and Jeff share their “SWIX Thoughts of the Day”.