Q&A With World Junior Bronze Medalist Luke Winters

By Published On: July 11th, 2018Comments Off on Q&A With World Junior Bronze Medalist Luke Winters

Oregonian Luke Winters was a man on a mission last season. Left off of the national team roster for the 2017-18 season, Winters spent the year as an invitee to the men’s development group, dubbed “The Shiver”, and managed to turn that opportunity into one of the most impressive career jumps we’ve seen in quite some time. A bronze medal in the 2018 World Junior Championship super-G to go along with his maiden wins at the NorAm level saw the 21-year-old catapulted onto the U.S. Ski Team’s B squad for next winter.

An avid outdoorsman, Winters took a break in-between trips to the gym in Park City, Utah, to chat with Ski Racing about his breakthrough year, what he has his sights set on for next season, and why his training environment was so critical to his success.

SRM: You had quite the season last year, making the jump to the B Team and winning a World Junior bronze medal in super-G. What were some of your personal favorite moments?

LW: Winning a bronze medal was definitely one of my favorite moments from this past season. Seeing River (Radamus) get the silver medal made it that much better. Another great moment was giving my coaches a big hug after NorAm finishes in Panorama and Stowe. Although they were just NorAms, it took a lot to make that jump and it was good to share those experiences with coaches that have worked hard for me.

Was there a key to your success?

I can’t point to something I did last season and say that it was the key to my success. Like everything, there is a long process and I tried to do the right things, not get caught up in what I couldn’t control and, and trust that the results will come.

Did you meet all of your goals last season?

After not making the World Junior team the previous year, and not being named to the Ski Team, I made it a goal to get a top 10 at World Juniors and finish in the top 10 in NorAm overall and event standings. After every season, I reach some goals and don’t reach others. I had success last year but there is always more to be had.

You just missed out on a World Cup spot last season, finishing third in the NorAm slalom standings, is that motivation for you going forward?

I can’t say that I was bummed for finishing third in the NorAm slalom rankings. Yes, I missed my own World Cup spot, but it is motivating knowing I can ski right up there with the best. In previous years, I don’t believe I was even close to the top 30 in the slalom rankings so making that jump was a huge milestone for me.

Summer can be a funny time for a ski racer with relaxation and hard work in the gym both becoming a priority. What have you been up to since you last raced?

After the season wrapped up early April in Aspen, I took a trip to Nicaragua to surf with some friends and since then, most of my time has been spent in Park City working out. We just got back from 10 days of summer training in Les Deux Alpes, France. Now we have most of the guys back in Park City for a gym block before we head to New Zealand in August.

Another great summer in Park City! Time to get back to the office⛷ ?: @jimmy_who_

A post shared by Luke Winters (@luke_winterss) on

What is your favorite part about the off season? Least favorite?

My favorite part of the off season is having a little more free time to do things that don’t involve ski racing. Like going home, hanging out with my family, fishing, hunting, boating, surfing. I believe it is important as an athlete to have a life outside of ski racing and be able to do the things you love in the off season. Don’t get me wrong, most of my time is spent in the gym or on the slopes in the summer but I do enjoy what else life has to offer.

Do you have any specific goals for next season?

My plan for next season is to be racing in Europe for a good chunk of the season. Europa Cups and hopefully some World Cups and then shooting back for NorAms occasionally. A goal for me is to crack in to the top 30 in a few World Cup tech races and Europa Cups. Racing in Europe for most of the season is most importantly valuable experience that is needed. Having a new tech and coach will take getting used to but I am excited for what is to come.

Last year’s men’s development group called themselves “The Shiver.” What was that team dynamic like and how did it contribute to your success last season?

The Shiver was what made last year so great. Having athletes from B, C, NTG, and Australian teams made it hard to label ourselves any other way and #TheShiver made us a team. I don’t think I have laughed so much in a ski season. If there is one thing that The Shiver did well, it was have fun! It was an environment that we all could build off of. All I can say about The Shiver is, if you aren’t a part of it, you want to be.

There has been a lot of talk recently about building better team culture at the national team level. How do you see yourself helping build that culture?

The talk about team culture is a step in the right direction. After reading all the articles this spring about issues with the Ski Team, it seems that everybody has something to say. The tricky part is doing something about it. The Ski Team is not perfect, but athletes and staff are working to better the issues. I, as well as many others, are doing our parts to build a better team culture.

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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.