River Radamus is a twenty-one-year-old American alpine skier, who focuses on tech disciplines. He was the first skier (or snowboarder) to win three individual gold medals at the 2016 Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer and scored his first World Cup points in 2018 at Alta Badia, Italy, when he finished 24th. Keep reading to find out more about River!
“A
star is born” is also the title of your skiing career. You already
broke a record at the age of 16 with 3 gold medals at the YOG. What did
that mean to you?
The Youth Olympic Games were definitely my
coming out party. It was my first taste of international competition
and big event success. It was the first time where I believed I could
“make it” in ski racing. It was also just a special time in my life. I
had a great time at the Youth Olympics. I made lifelong friends and
memories for a lifetime. I’m excited to follow the games this year and
watch the next generation do great things.
Having so many
successes at this early stage of your career is definitely a really
good point to start from, but it can also be a disadvantage because of
the pressure on your shoulders. Has this been the case for you? How have
you handled that potential pressure?
Honestly, I don’t feel
a great deal of external pressure to perform. I’m sure some have
expectations for me given my previous successes, but I don’t really
think that way. Many have accomplished far more than I at a younger age,
and many have accomplished far less at my age and gone on to have
tremendous careers, so I don’t think past performance does anything to
predict future success. I know the only way for me to get from where I’m
at to where I want to be is continual improvement and drive.
When
you were a kid you grew up watching the best athletes in the world on
tv and collected all the Birds of Prey posters. All of a sudden you were
on the cover of the Birds of Prey poster last year. What did you think
when you found out you’d be the face of the event?
It was
really cool to see myself on the poster. As you said, I collected those
posters back in the day. I had the the posters of guys like Andrew
Weibrecht and Steve Nyman on my wall, and those were the guys I looked
up to. So, seeing myself on the poster, and the possibility that I might
be that guy on someone’s wall inspiring the next generation, is pretty
cool.
Who is the most inspiring athlete to you and why?
As
an American skier, there’s no bigger inspiration than Bode. I think our
team kind of prides itself on doing things a little different from
other nations. We have different advantages and disadvantages than other
national teams so we have to be a bit unorthodox to succeed in this
sport. There was no one more unorthodox than Bode. He always did things
his own way and was completely unapologetic about it. And of course the
results speak for themselves.
Ted Ligety has had an
important influence on your skiing style, and now you have the
opportunity to train with him and discover his secrets. What are the
most important lessons you have learned from him?
Haha if I told you his secrets, then they wouldn’t be secrets…
Seriously though, Ted leads by example. When Ted steps on the hill there’s an aura of professionalism that you can feel. He takes his business dead serious in a way that makes you feel guilty if you take it less so. Him being there raises the game of everyone around.
How important is your team to you?
Team
is crucial to me. My team is the reason I am where I am today. Our crew
is really tight-knit. We push ourselves and each other extremely hard.
We hold each other to a really high standard on and off the hill, and
hold each other accountable when we fall short. I think when our
standard of excellence is really high, it puts all of us in a position
to succeed. We’re working hard right now to cultivate this culture, and
make sure it’s sustainable beyond just our group, so that it lives as an
understood legacy for years to come.
Tech events are your main focus. Do you also aspire to ski downhill and super-g races?
I
definitely want to be a speed skier one day. Racing the big ones like
Kitz and Wengen is a real dream of mine. At the same time, I recognize
how much work it takes to get there. More than any other event, I think
downhill takes time and experience to succeed. I’m going to continue to
focus on establishing myself on the World Cup tech tour, and in the
meantime continue to gain experience on the speed side at events that
make sense.
Last year was your first World Cup year. What do/don’t you like most about being far away from home and constantly travelling?
It’s
definitely tough being on the road for so long. Because of the nature
of our sport, I’ve spent less than 30 days at home in the past year.
With that being said though, I think I’m very lucky to do what I do. I
have my dream job and get to travel to amazing places because of it. The
beauty of places like Val d’Isere can get lost on us occasionally with
the job at hand, but being able to see places like that while I’m young
is easily one of my favorite parts of what I get to do.
Which is your favourite slope and why?
For
me, it doesn’t get any better than Alta Badia. If you designed a GS
hill in a lab, you couldn’t make one any better. The hill has all the
variables you could ask for – from steeps to rolls, 180° trail turns and
even a jump. It’s just perfect in every way. Sure, you’d probably think
I only say that because I scored my first World Cup points at Alta
Badia, but the best day of skiing I had last season was the hill free
ski the day before the race there. Two of the best runs I’ve had in my
life.
You grew up in a sporty family with a big focus on
alpine skiing. How important is it to have such an understanding family
around you? What are the most important values they instilled in you?
I
do come from a family of skiers. My mom and dad both raced and
currently coach. They both obviously have a great deal of passion for
skiing, so I was very lucky to be exposed to the sport at a very young
age. My parents passed along their passion for skiing but never forced
me into it. They have been nothing but supportive of me as I pursue this
dream. They’ve helped me to stay grounded and remember that at the end
of the day this is just a game. Because of them, I make sure to enjoy
the ride wherever it takes me.
What does your life look like? What kind of passions do you have and how do you like spending your free time?
Of
course skiing dominates my life at the moment. I’m on snow or strength
training 9-11 months out of the year. When I do get some time off
though, you can typically find me surfing in Central America. As soon as
the season ends, I like to head down there to unload and relax for
about a month before preparation for the next season begins.