NEW (ZEALAND) VIBES: MARCEL HIRSCHER FINDS HAPPINESS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD
Marcel Hirscher's life as an athlete in the isolation of New Zealand's South Island revolves around testing, training, eating, sleeping and not much else.
The Fact Finding Mission may be focused on developing material, his setup and assessing his current level, but it is just as much about finding happiness for him on the other side of the world, as he faces the Herculean task of returning to ski racing. Here’s an update after his first ski sessions.
After getting up at 6 am, and leaving for the Roundhill Ski Area at 7 am, Marcel Hirscher is at the start at 8 am sharp. He is soaking up the winter vibes 18,500 kilometres away from home – and gives an initial assessment of his multitasking mission in New Zealand: "Coming here was a brilliant decision in every respect.” He refers to the motto he has adopted for his beloved project of returning to ski racing as an Austrian skiing for the Netherlands:
“Collecting moments and memories.”
ONE T-BAR LIFT, ONE SLOPE:
RETURNING TO THE SLOPES AT THE ROUNDHILL
There are two T-bar lifts in the Roundhill ski area, and he only uses one, but Hirscher says: "This is exactly what I need at the moment. We test and train on an easy slope, which is ideal for my return to the sport." The return is still physically demanding, after all, with his sporty skiing style, which is why the load is being gradually and carefully increased so that his body can get used to the forces acting upon it again. The training structure needs to be light and carefully proportioned after five years away from ski racing: "I have recorded some best times, but I am also the only starter. So I can't say yet how fast my swings are," says Marcel Hirscher on his current routine.
MISSION MULTITASKING: A TEAM LOOKING FOR PROGRESS
Marcel's multitasking mission is not being done solo, as there is some great teamwork in action. "For us at VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports, this phase is very important, both in terms of material development for our athletes and for our product lines. That's why testing is the top priority here in New Zealand," explains Hirscher. The team of experts who accompany him is made up accordingly of coaches for testing and training on the mountain, as well as equipment specialists from VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports for skis, bindings, plates and boots. "We have only taken so much material with us to New Zealand for us to efficiently find suitable setups for different slope conditions, as everything else happens back home."
THE VASTNESS OF LAKE TEKAPO IS SHEER INSPIRATION FOR MARCEL
"It's exciting! The testing and the training gives the impression of ‘a summer from yesteryear’ from the outside, but here it feels completely different. I learn to let things come to me. Every afternoon I walk from the apartment down to the shore of Lake Tekapo, sit down on a rock and look into this endless expanse. 27 kilometres of turquoise water, in which a white mountain panorama is reflected. I had no time for these kinds of moments in the past, now they are pure inspiration for me," says Marcel Hirscher, describing his happiness on the other side of the world. He wants to maintain the more measured approach, "without pushing myself for the sake of it and also not planning too far into the future."
This also applies to the FIS races that will take place at Coronet Peak at the end of the month. "Nothing has changed in my thoughts on taking part in a race or two, although I have to say, testing and training on the mountain are so good for me at the moment that I would happily skip a race for it.", says Marcel Hirscher. When asked whether he sees himself starting the World Cup opener in Sölden, he answers to the point: "No! Sölden is very far away and is not in my considerations at all right now."
Original story published by Van Deer-Red Bull Sports