Libby Ludlow

Question:
Katie Hensien, age 7, from CMAC, asked:
“Why do you love ski racing so much?”

Libby answers:
My love for ski racing comes from my true love for SKIING in general. I am a skier before I am a ski racer, so my real passion for the sport stems from my love for freeskiing and being in the mountains. I think I have stuck with ski racing for so long because I have always loved going fast and facing athletic challenges. Skiing is such a fun lifestyle, and my success in ski racing has given me the opportunity to enjoy it as a career for more than ten years… how cool is that?!

Question:
Eilish Reynolds, age 13, asked:
“I am injured right now and was wondering what to do to stay active?”

Libby answers:
Your level of activity depends on the type of injury you have. Of course it is most important to follow the advice of your doctor and/or physical therapist because they know which activities won’t interfere with your healing. Healing, after all, is the priority when you are rehabbing an injury. If you are anything like me though, being told to NOT do certain things is enough to drive you crazy! The way I get through rehab is by doing anything and everything my doctor says I can do… In early stages (if you are on crutches, for instance) low-impact activities like swimming and pilates are really good ways to maintain fitness and core strength. Progressing to cycling and low-resistance strength training tends to be a good progression once you get clearance for more activity. The key is to introduce new loads and activities incrementally so that you don’t stress the injury too soon.

Question:
Annika Brauer, age 13, from CMAC, asked:
“What is your best advice for a productive training season?”

Libby answers:
The two things that will help get the best results when it comes to physical conditioning are hard-work and dedication. If you give 100% effort for every one of your workouts, and never skip a workout, there’s really nothing else you can do to increase productivity! When it comes to on-snow training, I can’t stress how important it is to FOCUS. If you calculate how much time you actually spend training in gates, it’s not very much at all. For instance, if you have a three-hour GS training session and you take about ten runs, you are probably actually skiing for about TWELVE minutes. In order to get the most out of your training sessions, you have to be focused on your goals every single run. Never take a run to just take a run… Always be thinking about what you are working on with your skiing and tactics. If you are truly focused, you will take much better advantage of your limited time.

Question:
Kathryn Bowen, age 13, asked:
“Who was your favorite World Cup skier when you first started racing?”

Libby answers:
To be honest, I really didn’t follow World Cup ski racing much when I was younger. I do remember really liking Anita Wachter, an Austrian skier who raced World Cup when I was just starting to take my skiing more seriously. I thought she was cool because she was really small (like me!) but was still really successful. To me, she proved that smaller girls CAN compete with the bigger girls in ski racing. After all, “its not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog,” right?!

Question:
Ala Johnston, age 8, asked:
“Who are the people you most enjoy skiing with?”

Libby Answers:
My family is my favorite group of people to ski with! I rarely get the opportunity to ski with them anymore since I spend almost the entire winter in Europe, but I love to ski with my Mom, Dad, and two older brothers when I am home. I remember when I was younger, I used to love skiing with the older CMAC girls. I chased Ingrid Backstrom and Tatum Skoglund all over Crystal Mountain. Years later, Tatum and I both skied together on the U.S. Ski Team, and now Ingrid Backstrom is one of the best female freeskiers in the world!

Question:
Karina Schwartznau, age 10, from CMAC, asked:
“Did you ever go to the Buddy Warner Championships? If so, how did you do?”

Libby Answers:
The first year I went to Buddy Werner Championships, I was eight years old. I was so young, but I thought that traveling with all of the older kids was the coolest thing. I didn’t win at Buddies until I was a second year J-4 though, when I was twelve. I remember that I won the slalom, and I think I was second in the GS. I’m pretty sure that I won the overall that year and that CMAC won the team award.

Question:
Ala Johnston, age 8, asked:
“Before a race, do you do anything special?”

Libby Answers:
On race day, I stick to my usual pre-race routine to prepare for a good performance. I start the morning with a short session of yoga to wake up and loosen my muscles. Once I get to the mountain, I take as many freeruns as I can before the race. Freeskiing a lot helps me get a good feeling on my skis, plus, it’s fun! When I am at the start just before my race run, I do a series of warm-up movements and stretches, as well as a few wind-sprints in my boots to get my heart rate up a bit before I go. I use a lot of visualization to help prepare my mind for the race. Having a perfect race run starts with visualizing a perfect race run!

Question:
Noelle Mathews, age 14, asked:
“Can you tell me more about the Europa Cup?”

Libby Answers:
The Europa Cup circuit is the most rugged, challenging race circuit of them all. The field is always extremely competitive, so even top American racers can find themselves starting in the 50’s or 60’s. Unlike the posh World Cup circuit where women’s courses are manicured perfectly, Europa Cup course conditions are usually tough and rough, especially starting in the back. Like NorAm races, in order to qualify for second run in a Europa Cup, you must be in the top sixty after first run. And at the end of the race, only the first thirty racers are awarded Europa Cup points which count toward overall Cup standings.

Although the Europa Cup circuit was often frustrating and difficult, the time I spent “paying my dues” at that level helped prepare me for the World Cup circuit. I quickly learned that anything less than an all-out aggressive run wouldn’t get me anywhere in Europe. Because racing is so competitive in Europe, holding anything back during a race run will leave you feeling very disappointed at the finish line. Because of that, I learned how to be a better competitor, and how to always “lay it on the line” on race day.

I battled through the Europa Cup circuit for five solid years. My first year on the EC circuit I was barely getting second runs…by the time I finally made the jump to the World Cup circuit, I was getting podiums!

Question:
Hannah Stump, age 13, asked:
“Who motivated you to become a ski racer?”

Libby Answers:
I consider myself lucky that my parents never pressured me to become a ski racer. I was also pretty oblivious to the whole ski racing world as I was growing up… I never had any ski racing idols or anything, aside from the older kids in my own ski club at Crystal Mountain. I guess the closest thing I had to role models would be my two older brothers. Whether they knew it or not, they motivated me simply by leading by example. They were athletic and active, and I HAD to do everything that they did! Although my brothers helped me realize myself as an athlete, my own self-motivation took me from there!

Question:
Noelle Mathews, age 14, asked:
“How often do you train?”

Libby Answers:
During the off-season (April-November) I have an on-snow training camp almost every month. Each camp is usually 2-3 weeks long. During the competition season there isn’t a lot of time to train, but we try to squeeze it in whenever we can. If there’s a break in the World Cup circuit, we usually train a few days and take a couple of days off (rest is just as important as training!) During speed races, because we’re doing downhill training runs all week and then racing on the weekend, we will usually train GS in the afternoon a day or two... Of course, conditioning training is year-round, six days a week, 2-5 hours a day!

Question:
Miranda Ness, age 12, from CMAC asked,
“Do you get nervous before races?”

Libby answers:
Even though I have been doing this for a really long time, yes, I still get nervous sometimes! The nervousness usually comes from pressure that I put on myself to perform, but for me, nerves aren’t necessarily a bad thing. I’ve learned that if I channel the nervousness into positive energy, it can actually help me to “step it up” in races. I feel more nervous before the BIG races, but I remain calm and focused by thinking about the great days of training I’ve had leading into the race, and remembering all of the successful competitions I’ve had in the past. Then, of course, the instant I go out of the start gate, all nervousness disappears—once I’m racing, there’s only room to think about skiing fast and enjoying myself!

Question:
Hannah Stumpp, age 13, asked,
“What is your favorite event?”

Libby answers:
I LOVE challenges. Maybe that is why my favorite event is Super G, because it combines so many elements of ski racing. Super G balances high-speeds, variable terrain, and technical turns. It feels FAST, athletic, and always keeps me on my toes. The best part about Super G is the mental challenge of having only run. My inspection and tactics have to be smart, and then I have to “nail it” on my very first try. The only way to win in Super G is to be completely “on the edge” the entire way, which feels uncomfortable and exhilarating at the same time. Although it’s rare for tactics, total fearlessness, and technical execution, to all come together in one Super G race…it feels soooo good when they do!

Question:
Patrick Fesler, age 13, from CMAC asked,
“How do you get on the U.S. Ski Team?”

Libby answers:
The U.S. Ski Team bases their selections mainly on FIS points, results, and World rankings. The USSA adheres to preset criteria every April in selecting the upcoming year’s National Team. For instance, to make the Women’s A Team for this year, I had to have at least one top-25 World ranking at the end of last season (the Women’s B Team is one top-40, two top 80’s, or three top 100’s, etc.) When I was younger, I got noticed by the U.S. Ski Team simply by getting good results at major races such as the Junior Olympics, Whistler Cup, and later on, in Norams and at Nationals. In the end, there really isn’t any fancy or easy way to get named to the U.S. Ski Team or to get invited to their training camps—if you ski fast, they notice! You can see USST criteria at: http://www.ussa.org/PublishingFolder/209_5197.htm

Question:
Liliane Eriksen, age 11, from CMAC asked,
“Did you win a lot of races when you were a mitey-mite?”

Libby answers:
Honestly, Liliane, I barely remember! And that’s not because I have a bad memory, it’s more because there are so many other, more important, things I remember about being a mitey-mite. I do remember winning the slalom at Buddy Werner’s one year, and I probably won a few other races too… but for me, skiing at your age was much more about tearing up Crystal with my buddies, finding jumps, and having fun, than it was about winning races. Don’t get my wrong though, winning is fun too! ;o)

Question:
Marissa Chandler, age 12, from CMAC asked,
“What made you a good skier?”

Libby answers:
I guess I have to answer something you’ve probably already heard a million times: HARD WORK! There is no way I would be the skier I am today if I hadn’t worked hard at it… Some other things that helped me a lot came right from my home program at Crystal Mountain: The talented coaches at CMAC taught me good technical skills and pushed me to improve. Plus, by just freeskiing the challenging runs on a killer mountain like Crystal day after day, I had no choice but to fall in love with skiing AND get better at it!