Martina Sailer, Greta Sailer Prepare dinner and Erich Sailer in coach’s tower
Setting the Scene at Buck Hill
Simply outdoors Minneapolis sits Buck Hill, a modest slope with solely a 310-foot vertical drop. Regardless of its small measurement, this hill turned one of many nation’s most profitable youth ski racing applications. Legendary Austrian coach Erich Sailer reworked Buck Hill right into a “slalom manufacturing unit,” producing U.S. ski racing stars like Kristina Koznick, Lindsey Vonn, Paula Moltzan and plenty of different Olympians. Sailer’s motto, “Creating champions in ski racing and life,” turned this small hill right into a powerhouse of expertise, resilience and teamwork.
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Erich Sailer’s Imaginative and prescient: A Basis for Success
When Erich Sailer arrived at Buck Hill in 1969, he noticed potential the place others noticed limitations. He knew that the Twin Cities’ massive youth inhabitants held nice promise. “There are hundreds of thousands of individuals right here within the Twin Cities,” stated his daughter, Martina. “He thought, ‘There should be some good ski racers right here.’” From this perception, Sailer constructed the muse of an everlasting legacy in U.S. ski racing.
The legend, who championed the philosophy of simplicity, repetition, and sought to have tempo skiers prepare with the whole group, will flip 99 on Thursday, November seventh.
Kristina Koznick’s Perspective: A Champion’s Tribute
As Buck Hill’s first World Cup race winner, Kristina Koznick, stands out as one of many program’s most profitable athletes. Three core components fueled Koznick’s journey: her coach, the distinctive environment, and Buck Hill’s high-repetition coaching setup.
She first credited Sailer because the driving power behind her achievements. “I’ve stated this my entire profession, and I nonetheless give him all of the credit score. He was a tremendous coach for me,” she stated. Recognized for bringing out every skier’s strengths, Sailer coached with out imposing a inflexible fashion. “He by no means stated, ‘You could ski a particular method similar to this,’” she defined, emphasizing how he enhanced her pure skills. This method formed not simply her profession however her life.
Supporting Koznick’s sentiments, Matt Strand additionally highlighted Sailer’s distinctive means to see and develop every skier’s strengths. “He didn’t attempt to change how youngsters ski,” Strand stated. As a substitute, Sailer centered on “fixing what wanted to be fastened” whereas preserving what made every athlete quick. Strand famous that Sailer’s philosophy fostered confidence and allowed skiers to deliver their particular person strengths to the hill.
Former World Cup podium skier Uroš Pavlovčič, who later served as Sailer’s assistant, admired Sailer’s means to nurture individuality whereas creating world-class expertise. “He noticed every skier for who they had been,” Pavlovčič shared, emphasizing that Sailer’s method was by no means about molding athletes to a particular customary. As a substitute, he celebrated their variations, permitting every to maximise their potential.
By way of Sailer’s affect, Koznick, Moltzan, Strand, and numerous others gained technical expertise, confidence, and resilience that fueled their success. Sailer’s means to deliver out every athlete’s greatest qualities stays central to his legacy at Buck Hill.
A Tradition of Success and Household Assist
Koznick, Paula Moltzan, and Matt Strand every spoke concerning the distinctive environment at Buck Hill. Night coaching classes underneath the lights created a close-knit surroundings the place everybody genuinely needed to be there. “It was a lot enjoyable,” Koznick stated, likening Buck Hill to a “one-room schoolhouse” the place skiers of all ages educated collectively. This setup fostered a familial bond that Koznick cherished: “It was very family-esque.”
Koznick attributed a lot of this household feeling to Buck Hill’s authentic house owners, Nancy and Chuck Stone. “They made Buck Hill tremendous family-friendly,” she recalled, highlighting how the Stones’ heat and dedication created an inviting area for households. Their imaginative and prescient reworked the ski hill into a spot the place each skiers and their households felt welcomed and supported. “It simply lined up completely,” Koznick defined. “All of the ski racing youngsters had a good time, and so did the households who got here to help them.”
Strand shared comparable sentiments, calling Buck Hill’s surroundings a “tradition of success” that handed by means of generations. “It was the Carlsons, the Koznicks, the Vonns, the Moltzans,” he stated. “This program can present you no matter it’s that you really want it to be.” This legacy of success and Sailer’s method inspired Strand, Moltzan, and numerous others to achieve greater.
For Moltzan, Buck Hill provided a basis she felt fortunate to expertise. “I didn’t know there was the rest on the market,” she stated, recalling how Sailer took her “underneath his wing” whereas providing trustworthy suggestions. Moltzan appreciated how his strategies instilled confidence by means of a simple method. “After I click on into my slalom skis, it’s like driving a motorcycle,” she stated, describing the talent repetition that made slalom really feel like second nature.
Buck Hill’s Secret Weapon: The Rope Tow and Repetition
Koznick, Strand, and Moltzan additionally credited Buck Hill’s rope tow for giving them an edge by means of relentless repetition. “We skied so many extra gates; it wasn’t even humorous,” Koznick stated, emphasizing how the fast, high-volume coaching sharpened her expertise.
Strand supported this, describing repetition because the spine of Buck Hill’s coaching technique. “Repetition was the important thing to success,” he stated. “It was about rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat.” He seen Buck Hill’s setup as “an ice rink tipped on its aspect,” the place skiers maximized each evening of coaching by means of sheer quantity.
Moltzan agreed, explaining that the rope tow allowed her to get numerous runs. “It won’t be the mountain,” she mirrored. “It’d simply be the rope tow.” For six years, she logged greater than 20 runs in a single evening, creating the consistency important for aggressive racing.
Former World Cup podium racer Uroš Pavlovčič, who later labored as Sailer’s assistant, marveled on the hill’s effectivity. “It takes 45 seconds to go up and 20 seconds to go down,” he stated, noting how this distinctive setup enabled Buck Hill athletes to construct talent quickly with out lacking faculty.
Accessibility and Sailer’s Relentless Dedication
Buck Hill’s affordability and accessibility had been important for athletes like Moltzan and Strand, who got here from middle-class households. Strand famous how he grew up solely 10 minutes away from Buck Hill, permitting him to coach affordably whereas attending public faculty. “I used to be capable of make snowboarding a ardour with out it being an overbearing monetary burden,” he stated. This system’s low price widened the pool of skiers, permitting a various group to entry top-level coaching.
Sailer’s affect went past technical teaching; he instilled a perception in every skier. “He’s the grasp chef who provides that magic ingredient,” stated Martina, noting his ‘superpower’ of serving to athletes imagine they may very well be the perfect. Pavlovčič recalled how Sailer’s fixed presence impressed dedication in every skier: “He was there each evening.” This dedication fostered a ardour for snowboarding that prolonged far past Buck Hill. Martina additionally credited Erich’s partnership with Pierce Skate & Ski as a essential think about this system’s success.
A Path Past Buck Hill: Camps Out West
Whereas Buck Hill’s setup was ultimate for slalom, its restricted vertical drop offered challenges for big slalom coaching. Sailer organized camps within the western mountains to handle this situation, permitting his skiers to coach on longer and steeper runs. These camps provided younger athletes important expertise, making ready them to compete past Buck Hill’s slopes.
A Legacy That Lives On
Erich Sailer’s work at Buck Hill constructed a legacy of accessible, high-level teaching and a profound perception in his athletes’ potential. For skiers like Kristina Koznick, Paula Moltzan, and Matt Strand, Sailer’s affect formed their careers and ignited a ardour for the game. His daughter, Martina—who skied for the U.S. Ski Workforce—shared a lot of the precious insights into his teaching and management, emphasizing his position in fostering champions on and off the slopes.
Sailer’s legacy lives on by means of the values, achievements, and camaraderie he instilled. His dedication to serving to younger athletes succeed, no matter their background, stays an everlasting testomony to his imaginative and prescient. The inspiration and dedication he fostered continues to impression ski racing, exhibiting that even a modest hill can form champions and construct a group of lifelong believers within the sport.
Click on on Picture to see Rope Tow video
