A lot has changed for Dave Ryding in the last year: World Cup race win, two podiums, marriage and he is now a father, yet the hero of British ski racing admits that he "would not commit to angrier year of racing if he did not feel that he could "race at the top level, competing for the top tens, the podiums and the race wins so I am still in the same mindset even though I am now married and have a kid and won a World Cup," he explained.
It is a busy schedule for Ryding and the rest of the three man British World Cup Slalom team. They have just spent two and a half weeks up in Sweden training and also did a race at Kaabdalis, where he finished second with Laurie Taylor inn seventh and Billy Major in tenth. Ryding did not feel that he was on his A game for the race but still took second.
"I still want to prove myself, day in and day day out, I know that I am getting older and I know that I cannot do it forever but I still feel good and am still hitting all the right marks in combi training, the body is still pain free, touch wood, so why not carry on," he explained.
Ryding is 36 now, has 102 World Cup starts to his name and it is his mindset and attitude to training that sets him apart from many other racers. "Maybe my mindset to the work ethic to the consistent effort that I am not sure on race day is my mindset the best, everyone is in their own mindset," he continued.
"I still want to work," he added.
With Laurie Taylor and Billy Major chasing Ryding and pushing him in training and racing, Ryding repeated how had it not been for the two teammates, he doubts whether he would have won in Kitzbuehel. There is definitely a great camaraderie between the three and this is evident in who has to buy the coffees after each race.
The coffee story started in Saas Fee when they were training there in 2021. Ryding explained that the price of a coffee was not cheap and it was decided the coffees would be bought for the slowest for the others. This has carried on to races on the World Cup. "Sometimes it rewards consistency," Ryding smiles.
"Everyday it is game on when that timing wand is out," Ryding grinned. "It is very hard to be the hardest in the session, even harder than it was last year. The boys are in a great shape, they are in the right place with another year on the World Cup and learning all the pistes." This will be the first time Billy Major has raced a slalom in Val d'isere, Ryding pointed out.
Ryding is honest in explaining that the two bring a great vibe to the training and racing, especially when sometimes he struggles to get up for it, he openly admitted. "It keeps a high level in training which is good, it is what we need. I am loving it. Hopefully I am giving them a bit of wisdom along the way!"
"I try and lead by example, do not try and force things on them, they are different to me, We all have our own ways of doing things and I respect that. I know that everybody does not have to do it one way but if they can see my consistent work that should be good for them in the long run," Ryding explains.
Ryding uses the Fantasy Football Leagues to relax but after his top thousand finish n the World last year, the other two have steered clear of his prowess!
Ryding has spent a lot of time working on his Fischer skis this year. He is sticking with the same model that he was racing on last year he explained as "It is what I almost comfortable on."
Consistency is a key element for Ryding and he is honest enough to say that it is not always his fastest set up but he found some of the new skis not to his liking when the pistes were tougher.
Ryding will change pairs of skis through the season as the skis lose their zip after a few races, he will stick, he explained with two models. He will use one model for "80 - 90% of the races and the rest on the other," he explained without giving too much away.
Jai Geyer is again the man tasked with preparing the Fischer skis for Ryding and along with Tristan Glasse Davies and Alain Baxter, they have been joined by Robbie Christiansen who used to help Bode Miller fro six years but joins from the Swedish team. "Thankfully we were able to bring him on as we were on the bear minimum," Ryding explains, Christiansen is doing the skis of Billy Major and this has eased the workload of the team as a whole.
Ryding has tuned his own skis in the past, notably when he won the Europa Cup tour but it is not something he misses, "there is something nostalgic about tuning a pair of skis and doing it well," he explained, "I have tuned the odd pair to reset my mind as I knew what I used to do but I have so much trust in Jai." Geyer is an ex British team racer himself so knows his way around a pair of skis.
Ryding started his journey on the World Cup tour in December 2011 at Alta Badia but the oprvious season he had turned up at Wengen hoping to race as Britain's number two. Not being in the required World Ranking, he had to sit out the race.
In 2010, Alain Baxter was Britain's leading racer and was Ryding's idol. How does it feel now to have his idol as his coach? "I never knew Alain back in the day, he was like a mythical creature and had the body of a God," Ryding smiles adding he has lost a little of that, "but he was this mythical man who was awesome at skiing and now I know him really well and am lucky enough to have him with us.
"I have always said this to everyone, no matter what I achieve in my career and no matter what he achieved, Alain was always my idol and he will always stay as the guy I look up to. I can still remember watching him win his medal and the passion and fire it lit inside of me. I still remember that feeling and that moment. If it was not for that moment then who knows whether I would have the same determination to do what I do now.
"No matter what I do with my career, he will always be my hero, my idol, the guy I look to. Now I know him as a friend more than a mythical God, Ryding explains.
As talk turns to Val d'Isere, a hill described by many British World Cup racers as the closest to a home race and something that Ryding hopes will see more British fans on Sunday in the finish. He jus normally focussing on his skiing as it "is something off a beast of a hill" that he does not see all the British fans.
With England playing France at the football World Cup, Ryding has a plan up his sleeve for the bib draw....
But on race day he just hopes that the British will take over the finish.
If you would like to follow Dave and the rest of the British team racers through the World Cup season then subscribe to Racer Ready for unrivalled coverage by clicking here it costs £20 a year.
Dave is supported by Obergurgl, Quinn Estates, Fischer Skis,Swisspeak Resorts, Fusalp, Zanier Gloves, Leki poles, Snowrental.co.uk. CTEC and Vital Marketing amongst others