Going for Gold at the World Masters Criterium

Written by: Lisa Ballard

LOWA Ambassador, Lisa Ballard, has won more world championships and overall titles on the international masters ski racing circuit than any other American in the history of the sport. When she’s not racing down mountains, she hikes up them or runs through them. “The more ways you move in the mountains, the more comfortable you are in them, no matter what you’re doing,” she says.

Last week, I was one of 88 women from a dozen nations, who raced in the World Masters Criterium (masters world alpine ski racing championships) in Val Thorens, France. This year’s races were doubly difficult, not only a strong field but also at a venue that I had never seen before.

Normally, there’s a day to check out the track but that safety-based exercise was canceled to allow the race organizers to prep the slopes. No problem for the giant slalom, the first race for the women, where speeds top out at about 40 miles per hour. The super G was another matter.

On race day, I slipped out of my lucky Lowa Carezza’s and buckled up my ski boots. Full disclosure, I’m the top-ranked masters super G racer in the world. The chance to go for gold excited me, though my lack of experience on this course niggled at my nerves.

Super G is a combination of high-speed turns, undulations in terrain, compressions, and “gliding” (straight) sections in which speeds can surpass 65 miles per hour. Without a chance to ski the hill, there’s no way to tell how the terrain would pull me at speed, and therein lay the challenge of sending it on race day. What’s more, the hill was rough from over 300 men who ran their super G prior to the women’s race.

As my turn neared, I clicked into my bindings. My wax felt slick. I mentally rehearsed the course, then joined the other women in the start area.

"Bonne chance!"
"Mach schnell!"
"In bocca allupo!"

The camaraderie and adrenaline fueled us as one-by-one we each left the starting gate, diving into the unknown.

My turn.

“Dix secondes,” said the starter.

“You’ve got this!” I told myself, then I blasted out of the gate.

I expected a wild ride, and got one. I fought for the fast line, hanging on as my skis bucked and accelerated down the course. Seventy-four seconds later, it was over.

As I gasped for air in the finish, several women who raced ahead of me shouted, “Bravo, Lisa!” Was that for surviving? Or the podium?

“I was scared,” said a German.

“I cried in the finish,” said an Italian.

We all hugged each other for giving it our best shot. Luckily my best was .5 second faster than the next finisher.

As I slipped back into my Lowa’s, waves of relief washed over me as much for making it down the tough track and as to garner the gold in my age group.

But the joy came from doing it with a group of athletic women from all over the world, who are serious competitors but support each other as well.