Welcome back to the Next Level Skiing podcast, brought to you by Wagner Skis. We have quite the treat for you today as our guest is the legendary–the most decorated American, male downhiller ever–Daron Rahlves. Four time Olympian. Twenty-eight world cup podiums. A dozen world cup victories. Seven national titles. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 

Daron is already helping out future generations of skiers with his Ski Tips with Daron Rahlves series on YouTube. Today he brings a few of those tips with him as well as some great advice and fantastic stories. There are so many takeaways from today’s episode, from tips on developing confidence, to technical advice about balance, and big lessons he’s learned from his journey to the top. 

Topics:

[01:00] Daron’s accolades and journey

[02:20] From Ski-Tips to Mortal Tips

[06:55] How do we develop confidence 

[09:43] Technical tip about balance: “From the snow up”

[13:00] The importance of knowing the line

[19:55] Find a mentor and follow the good guys

[22:10] How Daron adjusted his ski style for the film, Chasing the LIne

[30:55] How skiing has developed over the years

[35:00] How Red Bull treats the athletes they sponsor

[41:50] The fastest time at Birds of Prey and other records

[45:40] Advice from Daron’s youth which still resonates with him

[47:50] Tips and warm-ups 

[49:20] Summary of the episode

Resources:

Ski Tips with Daron Rahlves

Wagner Custom Skis