Once the season starts for me, there isn't a change in my focus, just a change in my tactics and strategies.

I went through a period at boarding school when my coaches wanted me to switch to snowboarding because they thought I was no good at skiing. I was too skinny. I had terrible technique. They were saying I should be a snowboarder, and luckily, I resisted.

I had to think about ankle torsion, where the screws are on the ski, how that affects the forces going into the ski and how the ski bends, your leverage points. It was a challenge. I was having the greatest time, making the mistakes, crashing.

I still love racing and the challenge of it, but at some point, you get to a place where you're perfectly happy moving on and doing other stuff.

When you back off, it's easier to do mistakes. For me it's better to ski fast.

From 1999 to 2003 was the peak of equipment in ski racing. Since then, it's all gone in the wrong direction.

When I was little, I spent a lot of time by myself. When other kids were in school, I was skiing and thinking about things. I was alone on the mountain.