Schleper calls time on her world cup career
When the time comes to call time on what you love doing, there are ways of doing your final run and Sarah Schleper did it with style. Schleper wore a brown dress with a Go-Pro camera on and then her piece de resistance was stopping to pick up her son Lasse half way down the slope and skied the rest of the course with him. Many racers have quit wearing tuxedo’s yet taking her son down the course- this was something the aficionados of skiing, the Austrian public appreciated.
Two years ago I spent a good hour with the veteran of the US tech team as she went through her post race bike work. She spoke candidly about racing, motherhood and how much she was enjoying life. Injury had deprived her of two seasons yet this had also given her the opportunity to have her son and this was another challenge she was relishing. Ever the hippy chick, Schleper was great to talk to all the time. One of the things I clearly remember from the interview was how proud she was of her team mates as they cooed and ah’ed as she took Lasse on tour with the team; Lasse became an important member of the Girls team!
Old father time has caught up with Sarah Schleper and her racing career yet the Vail resident was there in the finish to cheer on her fellow Vail resident and the new star of the US Ski Team. No not Lindsey Vonn but Mikaela Shiffrin. Schleper was there congratulating the 16 year old as she celebrated her first podium. Schleper had started out on her World Cup odyssey as a sixteen year old. Her one win on the World Cup came at the end of season Finals in Slalom in Lenzerheide in 2005 though she did have 4 World Cup podiums as well.
At the end of her run, the race was held up as
a montage of greats said their piece about her career. While some TV
stations cut and went to adverts, those in the finish were treated
to some of the finest current skiers congratulating Sarah on her
career. The stats will
record that the girl from Vail made
15 seasons of World Cup racing, five World Championships, four
Olympic Games and 186 World Cup starts. For this final run in the
finish she won in more ways that can be written. Her husband
Federico, Lindsey Vonn, Julia Mancuso, Patrick Riml, the World Cup
family who loves her so much were all there with hugs, flowers and a
video tribute on the big screen.
Schleper has always had her signature roar out of the start and many racers said that is something they will miss. It is unique. For the last race her wild blond curls flowed out from under her POC helmet as she attacked the top of the course dressed in her brown dress. The stop to pick up Lasse and then she skied down to great applause down the course. Approaching the final three gates, there was no spin round but instead she cross blocked the second last and then used her free hand to give that last gate a resounding punch to end one career and move off in to pastures new.
Talking earlier in the summer with Pam Thorburn of the GB Ski Cross team, we were discussing how glad Thorburn was in not having to wear a race suit again. I asked her what she had done with all her old suits and whether she had kept any? Thorburn reminisced about having swapped a suit with Schleper a few years ago at an end of season race in America. Schleper liked the GB suit and was keen to get her hands on it so swapped her American suit for the GB suit. There were no airs and graces from her, she was one of the girls and ski racing is her passion.
Thanks for the memories Sarah!
Watch her final run by clicking here (courtesy of Universal sports and US Ski Team)
