Ski Industry News

Racer Turned Big-Mountain Skier

by Brandon Quinn | September 9, 2010


(Photo courtesy of Jon Wick)

Julia Mancuso won two silver medals at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler and a gold medal in the giant slalom at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino. As if that wasn’t enough, her name appeared on the start list for a big-mountain and freestyle skiing competition in New Zealand called the World Heli Challenge. She didn’t actually compete in this event, but you can certainly expect her presence in the big-mountain scene going forward.

It’s certainly not unheard of for a ski racer to transition into the big-mountain world. In fact, former Olympian Daron Rhalves won 12 World Cups in ski racing. He’s now featured in Teton Gravity Research films. What is startling is how quickly Mancuso has risen to the top of the big-mountain game.

Check her out in action below.

Build Your Own Ski Vacation Quote

More from the Blog

Making the Most of the End of the Year

Saving the best days for last? Well folks, it has been a phenomenal ski year out West (sorry East coast skiers, maybe next year!), and with that comes the most heart-wrenching time of year, when we must say goodbye to our beloved mountains and let the beauty of summer...

Purgatory – The Prettiest Resort in the Southwest?

About 7 hours south of Denver, striated cliff bands welcome you as you make your way up through the town of Durango to Purgatory Mountain Resort. The name of the resort is certainly a misnomer – Purgatory appears to be anything but! Protected by its remote location,...

Staying safe in DEEP pow

Let’s talk about the snowpack. It’s not just your imagination, 2022-23 has been an excellent snow year so far. The West in general is still dry as ever, but it is nice to at least take a moment to enjoy the snow we do have. In California, reeling from a couple years...