Skiing
Many dream of going pro – but how does it work and how much does it cost?
Always wanted to travel the world and make a living ski racing? Things look more glamorous from the outside than they are...
To get to the top in ski racing, there are not many options. Unlike in free skiing and snowboarding, the International Ski Federation (FIS) governs international competition in alpine skiing. You need to be a member of a ski club to compete in recognised races, the club must belong to a national ski association (NSA) and only the NSAs can enter racers to FIS events.
Becoming an athlete at the highest – the World Cup – level does not happen overnight and most racers get there only after years of travelling the world trying to improve their ranking points through racing at Citizen, Junior, FIS and Continental Cup levels.
And it starts even earlier. Most athletes cut their teeth at the points races as soon as they “graduate” from the FIS Children’s races, meant for developing youngsters aged 12-15 and extremely competitive at that.
Even racers in the Under-18 category spend some 30 days travelling to European glaciers or to southern hemisphere to train in winter-like conditions in the summer. From November to March, they train several days a week and most weekends.
The annual cost of ski passes, club & piste fees and equipment can rise to thousands of Euros.
So ski racing is only for rich kids?
No, because that’s where the different national structures come in. When the cost of camps, coaching and service is added, it is obvious why the major ski nations with well-developed educational and training systems have the higher ground. Athletes that make the cut for national team support are typically those that already entered the system in young age – so it literally pays off to start early.
The higher the level the greater the requirements: More and more days are devoted to training, testing and racing.
A top racer is on the road anywhere between 180-250 days a year.
Typically they only enjoy time with the family and friends or have holidays in May and June.
But being on a national team does not necessarily mean that all costs are paid for. Many World Cup racers are forced to raise money or work odd jobs in the off-season to cover their costs that can range from €30,000 for those only paying to join the team camps, to more than €100,000 for those without a team structure and having to pay for a coach or/and a ski man.
“Most of the Top 50 World Cup racers are professionals,” says Ana Jelusic, FIS Alpine Media Coordinator and former top tech racer.
Those who aim high in ski racing cannot really afford having another job due to the crazy amount of days on the road.
The top 10-12 male and female World Cup racers earn an average of €100,000 in annual prize money, before taxes. Add to that any support from sponsors and equipment providers and their income does make for a comfortable living. However, only the selected few, the absolute super stars, make it to the seven-figures… Still want to give it a try?
To find out more about the challenges of being a ski racer, check out this interview with Alexis Pinturault, one of the rising stars of the scene.
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