Colby Lange captures national titles in 2 sports

By Published On: August 16th, 2015Comments Off on Colby Lange captures national titles in 2 sports

Now 16 years old, Colby Lange always knew he wanted to be a ski racer. Born and raised in Colorado’s Vail Valley,  he was surrounded by some of the best elite athletes in the country from a young age. His dad, Peter (former Team America and current National University Team head coach), has had several athletes in recent years earn World Cup starts as well as spots on the U.S. Ski Team while under his instruction.

On skis at only 18 months, it didn’t take long until Colby caught the racing bug.

“I started ski racing doing NASTAR on Beaver Creek Mountain and was hooked,” said Lange of his formative years as a tenacious seven-year-old on the Vail Ski School DEVO Team.

10155118_10153978772748032_1026956854881860252_nIt was during this time that he also discovered another passion: bicycles. First learning to ride at the age of four, he began biking competitively by the time he was 13. Lange captured the men’s Junior 15-16 Amateur Time Trial National Championship in June, eking out a four-and-a-half second win over the rest of the field.

Add that to his U16 national super G title from this past winter, and there may be some tough athletic decisions in his near future. But if you ask him, he’s not too worried.

“I prefer the sport that I am doing at the time. I spend the majority of the year ski racing and race training, but when it’s cycling season, I put my heart and soul into being as fast as I can on the bike,” he said. “I am extremely passionate about both and love every moment that I get to participate in either sport. I’m excited to see which direction my journey takes me, but for now I have the pleasure of competing in both.”

This winter, Lange will get his first taste of the world of FIS racing in the new U19 category as a member of Ski and Snowboard Club Vail’s (SSCV) NorAm group, a member of Junior Team America, as well as being a part of the NTG invitee group.

As far as bikes go, Lange says he has no attachments to any team, allowing him to race when and where he wants during the season in the Senior Men Cat 3 and Junior Men 15-16 categories.

Lange also feels that his dual sport approach helps him go faster in both arenas.

“Biking is ideal training for skiing,” noted Lange. “Between that and specific core and flexibility workouts Ski and Snowboard Club Vail provides, I am very confident with my conditioning.”

Lange attributes his cycling with giving him the endurance to take as many runs as he can during a winter training block at the highest level of intensity, allowing him to get the maximum out of each run in training.

A58A0659On the other hand, skiing helps cycling, too.

“Cornering on a road bike is very similar to arcing a turn skiing, and the idea of ‘you versus the clock’ and putting everything you have into the race from start to finish is identical to time trial racing,” he explained. Lange also said that the strength required in ski racing gives him an edge on the road when he needs that extra push during a race.

As far as future goals for either sport, for now he’s just focused on doing everything possible in order to perform to his potential.

“As always, this season I will value the experience and the opportunity to compete and not the results,” he said. “I want to love it and be passionate about everything I do and if I don’t love what I am doing, it’s not worth participating in. … I feel very fortunate to be able to live my dreams.”

Colby is currently on-snow training in New Zealand until early September.

Photos courtesy of Colby Lange

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About the Author: Sean Higgins

A Lake Tahoe native and University of Vermont graduate, Higgins was a member of the Catamounts' 2012 NCAA title winning squad and earned first team All-American honors in 2013. Prior to coming to Ski Racing Media, he coached U14s for the Squaw Valley Ski Team.