If you haven’t seen this article from the Sierra Sun then head over their now. It’s a Q & A with tahoe native and top US olypmic downhill racer Marco Sullivan.

Here are some highlights from the article: 

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SS: Was there any certain point that you decided you wanted to ski for a living?

Marco: “It was kind of a natural progression, ever since I was little, like kindergarten little, I wanted to do nothing but ski. Racing just came naturally. It has provided me with an income and Olympic experience, but I still see myself expanding into many other areas of the sport.”

SS: What single person has taught you the most about skiing?

Marco: “KT-22, not really a person, but still my main mentor.”

SS: Any mentors or people who have inspired you to do what it is you do?

Marco: “Recently I really started to respect guys who win a lot of World Cup Downhill races. Every race is a like a complicated game of chicken with the mountain and the course, and to come out on top of that battle week after week is quite impressive to me.”
SS: After your most recent injury you worked grooming slopes at Homewood and as a ski technician at the Starthaus in Truckee. Did you plan on returning to the U.S. Ski Team at that point, or were you ready to call it a career?

Marco: “I always knew that I would be back racing. There were times when it seemed really far away but never out of reach. Just look at my choice of jobs! I can never get too far from the hill!”

SS: If you were planning on getting away from racing, what motivated you to return?

Marco: “After my surgery I was non weight bearing for 10 weeks. The day that I took my first unassisted steps I heard that Daron (Rahlves of Truckee) had won Kitzbuhel. It was a day of high emotion and from then on I attacked my comeback with new zest. It seems like a long time ago now!”

 SS: What has been the low point in your ski racing career?

Marco: “When I was 12 I used to get beat all the time by Jonna Mendes. She used to beat all the guys and there was nothing we could do about it! Ever since I started beating all the girls it has been pretty good.”

SS: What has been the high point in your ski racing career?

Marco: “2002 Olympics I finished 9th starting from way in the back and a ton of my friends and family had driven out from Tahoe. To see how proud they were and how hard we partied afterwards I realized how the Olympic spirit really transcends any personal achievement and that was cool.”

SS: What are your goals from here? How many more Olympics are you shooting for?

Marco: “I will probably stick around ‘till Vancouver (2010), but I am not going to measure my career timeline to coincide with the Olympics. I am looking forward to skiing in some form for many more years. Right now I am obsessed with racing World Cup Downhill. It is gnarly and very addicting.”

SS: Were you a crazy kid as far as being a daredevil?

Marco: “I was never really a daredevil. I took a lot of risks, but most were calculated. I have learned the same lesson racing DH. My first year on the World Cup I ended up in the fences five times. I was really fast but rarely pulled it off. Now I treat Downhills more like a puzzle. I can study the course and see the places where you have to go balls to the wall and the places where it does not pay off to risk everything. When I link all the different sections together correctly, that is when I am fastest.”
SS: Anything else you’d like to say to the hometown folks who’ll be reading this?

Marco: “If you could tell them that I write a blog weekly on WCSN.com. I would love to hear feedback from the folks at home and I am always looking for ideas on stuff to write about. Can’t wait to be back skiing Squaw this spring.”

Read the full article By Sylas Wright:  Q&A with Marco Sullivan

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Great article Marco, we’ll be sure to check out your blog.

-Tim

For more on Marco check out these links:

Read Marco’s Blog: From the Slopes

Marco’s US Ski Team Bio: US Ski Team Bio - Marco Sullivan

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