The season’s first World Cup slaloms were like the proverbial shot across the bow. The two gunners responsible for pulling the trigger? Bode Miller and Lindsay Vonn. The defending overall champions from a year ago put the rest of their respective challengers on notice. Forget about a crystal globe hangover effect. They have jumped out of bed with their goggles on and boots strapped. It’s game time.
On the tricky slopes of Levi, what Bode and Lindsay accomplished should transcend the context of a singular race. Given that the slalom discipline has not been kind to Miller the last few seasons and has always been one of the weaker components of Vonn’s game, consider their finishes in Lapland: second and first. Bode notching his first slalom win in four years while Lindsay secures her first ever World Cup slalom win. That’s demoralizing…for the rest of the field. It’s a sign that both Miller and Vonn are not taking a victory lap. They are not going down the same road to glory. They have decided to shore up the trouble spots and commit to comprehensive alpine success across all disciplines.
Last season they each grabbed their overall globes largely on the strength of their results in the speed events. So to see them come out and make such demonstrative statements in their first slalom races of the season is eye-popping. It says they are focused on not just winning the overall again, but doing it in true, overall fashion. They want to excel as legitimate five event skiers. In an era of so much specialization, when young skiers are brought along with a narrow focus in either tech or speed in many countries, watching Miller and Vonn take aim across the board is extremely enjoyable. Given the premium on training time and the energy it takes to sustain success in so many disciplines during a long season, it will be fascinating to see if they can keep the pace.
What is clear is that we are witnessing two of the greatest of all time, competing at the same time. It is not often that you get a man and woman from the same country who are at the very top of their sport at the concurrently like this, specially in a sport that the U.S. does not claim as its own like we would for basketball, football and many others. These are good times and this is a terrific start to what could be another magical season.
