Tommy Moe & Kvitfjell’s Olympic Downhill Course

American Downhiller Podcast Episode 13:

The American Downhillers are joined by Olympic Champion Tommy Moe to discuss the Kvitfjell OlympicBakken course that will be run this weekend - the same course that Tommy beat Norwegian favorite Kjetil Aamodt on by 4 hundies to win the Gold in 1994! They dig deep and share their keys to the Course as well as what makes it such a classic and fun Downhill.

We start off the podcast by asking all of them to describe the course in three words only. Their answers give you an excellent idea of what’s in store this weekend. It is high-speed. It has super technical turns. It has HUGE air. And has rhythm and feel like no other. Tommy’s description is priceless.

Tommy then describes his memories of his Golden Day from how he woke up just meters from the course, to how he almost missed the final gates to how quiet it was at the finish as every Norwegian there was in shock. He talks about how he made the mental decision in the gate that he was “either going to win or I’m gonna crash”. Twenty-eight years later the memories are still crystal clear and amazing.

AJ, Marco and Daron then describe how Moe’s win set the tone for the next generation of American Downhillers. Kyle Rasmussen won the following year, Daron broke through four years later winning his first two WCs there. And of course Bode carried on that tradition later on. Moe showed the US speed skiers that this was a course they could dominate and ski with confidence!

They then talk about the critical points of the Course so that this weekend fans will know what to look for as they watch. AJ describes that after Moe’s Hop there is a series of five turns that are deceptively tough and hard to ski. Daron explains that on a course like this, you can not make a mistake - especially at the top where it gets flat before the Russi Jump. And don’t forget to get in your Bullet Tuck as soon as possible heading into the final section before the finish. Marco then describes that every year the snow and terrain is different which makes inspection and adaptability critical.

Tommy then shares the secrets of his legendary tuner Willi Wiltz and what he did on that morning to make his skis as fast as possible. There was a special wax, sidewalls craziness and oiling up the edges… Awesome inside info!

The crew then talks about what makes this downhill a place where young and unknown racers break through. Every year there are surprises on this course from relatively unknowns that jump start their careers. The boys have their opinions on the WHY.

This year, like most at Kvitfjell, there is a Double Downhill with the make-up race from Beaver Creek (which was a make-up from Lake Louise). The boys talk about how that effects the psyche. For Daron it was a Double win, but for Marco is was not as great as he crashed both days one year when he was on fire.

The conversation then moves to their thoughts on the Olympics now that they are in the rearview mirror. Lew talks about the fact that the Olympics are more of a mental skill test than a skiing skill test and that maybe the Americans need more sports psych training to prepare them for the big races. Daron talks about how he heard from the reps in China about how grippy and tough the snow was to nail consistently with setup. Tommy and Marco talk about how fun and interesting the terrain and tracks were and how much fun it was to watch.

Lastly the subject changes to what it is like for Tommy, AJ and Daron to be Ski Racing Dads. How they handle that role and how to walk the fine line between Parent and sometimes Coach. They all stress the tenets of Fun, Love of Skiing and Hard work!

If you want to feel the fun and intensity of this course, here are three links to get you in the right frame of mind! Tommy Moe’s Olympic Run, Daron’s sweep of the Double Downhill in...