Vermonter Mikaela Shiffrin Wins World Cup in Vermont!
During life’s good moments, we want our family members there to help celebrate. That’s exactly what happened at the end of last month when 21-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin won her 22nd World Cup race in Killington, Vermont.
Joining the skiing phenom were dozens of family and friends, including her 95-year-old grandmother, Pauline Condron, who had never seen Mikaela ski in a World Cup race before. The event also served another important purpose: it marked a return to the East Coast for the World Cup series which was last in the region in 1991.
Clearly, grandma picked a great time to watch Mikaela’s first race. Those familiar with the sport know she is a budding superstar who arrived on the scene three years ago, becoming the youngest slalom champion in Olympic history, garnering a gold medal in Sochi, Russia, just three weeks shy of her 19th birthday.
Born in Colorado, Mikaela’s youth was split between that Rocky Mountain State and New Hampshire. She also spent several years in Vermont where she honed her talents as a skier. She made her World Cup debut in the spring of 2011, becoming the youngest American ski racer to win the U.S. National Championship at the age of 16.
She has garnered two world championships and 22 wins on the World Cup circuit, dominating the sport at a young age. Despite her success, she remains humble, all while maintaining an exuberant passion that has endeared her to fans.
In a recent Denver Post story, former World Cup star Alexandra Meissnitzer had high praise for Mikaela: “What I especially like is the way she skis. The technique is totally perfect. It’s so precise. And now, it’s cool that she is doing the speed events, too. You in the U.S., you have Lindsey [Vonn] and now you get Mika, who can also break record after record.”
At X-Wear, we view Mikaela as the perfect ambassador for skiing, serving as the heir apparent for Lindsey Vonn. We are excited to see what the future has in store for her, not only this season, but in 2018 at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
As we celebrate Mikaela’s accomplishments, we urge you to follow her lead. The Killington race signaled the essential start to the skiing season. While our stores in Cape Cod, Boston and Newport have been spared of snow, the nearby mountains in New Hampshire, Vermont and Central and Western Massachusetts have not. And they are calling you.
Ski and Snowboard New England and Beyond
Whether you’re on the East Coast, West Coast or in between, we have all your ski and snowboard needs covered. Click here to find our snow gear which includes the top brands in ski goggles, including this pair from Wiley X and this more colorful pair from Smith.
Add to the fun with a GoPro camera. Click here for our full lineup of GoPro gear which includes a variety of accessories including head and chest mounts that allow you to get one-of-a-kind perspectives of your downhill rides. Before you make your purchase, make sure to read our two GoPro blogs, one on the best settings for your GoPro and the other detailing the best accessories for your camera.
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