My Page: Keely Kelleher

Skiing the World with Keely Kelleher

Flying into Bozeman I expect spring skiing weather, corn snow and deck beers after a sun filled day at Big Sky. Although I am entirely ready for flip-flop weather, I am pleasantly surprised stepping off the plane into a flurry of white.  “Another foot awaits me on the tram,” I gleefully think to myself. I can surrender my bone-spurred, beaten up, frostbitten feet for a few more weeks of winter.  I am never going to be a foot model; however, I could model my ski feet portraying how feet shouldn’t look. Oh, the sacrifices I’ve made for my addiction to skiing! 

"Save the drama for your mama"

After two weeks of coaching and skiing in Big Sky it was time to get going again. Last week I competed in Aspen, Colorado. All the athletes of the U.S. Women’s Olympic team and alpine team were there, minus Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso. They are busy on their well-deserved media tour of the United States. Monday night Julia appeared on Larry King Live and Lindsey on Jay Leno. 

Witnessing my friends and teammates achieve their goals in Vancouver was thrilling. My highlight, watching Bode make it down the slalom run during the combined to win his first gold medal. Bode has been surrounded by controversy throughout his career; however, one thing has remained in his skiing, passion. Bode races for the love of the sport and I find that admirable in a ski world where coaches’ opinions and outside influences are ever prevalent.  Bode will always be Bode. Plus no one can doubt that the man is exciting to watch. I hold my breath every time he steps into the start.

Perspective gained on a missed Olympic Games

Since the morning of January 27th I have felt an immense amount of disappointment.  As many of you may know I recently became an alternate for the speed events at the Olympics in Vancouver. I have never in my life felt so crushed and defeated. For an entire week I dreaded coming home to Big Sky feeling like I let down the community that has stuck with me through injuries, success and failure.

I thought tirelessly about what I would say to my fellow Montanans, my family and my friends. How would they react to my failure? I sat in my room for four days feeling sorry for myself, sleeping, eating and crying. I felt too ashamed to show my face in public. It’s a hard bit of information to swallow; however, I tell you this because honestly it is what I did and how I felt. I’ve got nothing to hide. I felt distraught and hopeless. I wanted nothing to do with the sport that has always been my passion. As you can clearly see, I had zero perspective on the situation.

Skiing the World with Keely Kelleher

This weekend I had a pitcher of beer dumped on my head…in the middle of the day. Okay, let’s take a step back. Why would that happen do you ask? And where in the world could I have been? I am assuming you are wondering what kind of activity, an athlete such as myself, would be engaging in to have this happen.

Let me set the scene for you: 70,000 screaming, stumbling, for the most part drunk Austrian ski fans. The Hahnenkamm in Kitzbühel brings ski fans far and wide to watch the premier ski racing event in of the season. I’d say that if you wanted to experience true Austrian ski spirit go to the Hahnenkamm.  The streets are crammed with people blowing air horns, ringing cowbells, and cheering for the racers as they careen themselves down the craziest downhill in the world.  It is a spectacle of madness. Women don’t race the Hahnenkamm and for good reason. Speeds of ninety mph, dauntingly big air off jumps mixed with an icy, bumpy track. No thanks. I would cry if someone told me I had to ski that course.

Skiing the World with Keely Kelleher

I spent New Year’s Eve on the United 902 flight bound for Munich, Germany. The flight attendant gave me a tiara sparkling with Happy New Year letters and I passed out on my neck pillow.
As you read, before Christmas I crashed racing in France. Unfortunately, that meant I did not get to ski Big Sky during my ten day Christmas break. I mostly hung out with my physical therapist, doing deep knee bends and ankle exercises.  “Patience young grasshopper,” kept ringing through my head over and over again.  Nevertheless, my therapy paid off and my ankle and knee are now ready to rock. I resolute to stay that way!

Skiing the World with Keely Kelleher

I escaped Val d’Isere luckier than most. The racing in France can be described no better than tough.  Four racers this week went home with either torn ACL’s or some form of injury.  I semi-injured myself after crashing into the nets, walking away with a sprained ankle and knee. Dear Santa: All I want for Christmas is a healthy body!

I am continually surprised by this sport, one day you are on top feeling unstoppable and the next day you’re crashing into the netting.  The most frequently asked question I get, “Hey Keely, so what’s going through your mind when you are crashing?” My response is always the same, “I try to cover my head, close my eyes and pray to the ski gods that I’ll make it out of the crash with my limbs intact. ”

Skiing the World with Keely Kelleher

The tedious eleven-hour drive from Kaprun, Austria to Val-d’Isère, France was well worth the wait. This morning, tearing open the blinds in my quaint Hotel La Becca room, above me the majesty of the Rhône-Alpes. I am fortunate this week to race in Val-d’Isère, the resorts’ self-titled, “Most Beautiful Ski Area in the World.”

Being a first-timer to this region of France my initial thoughts were to experience the food and drink of the Rhône-Alpes. Already my first night in La Becca, the dinner consisted of a cheese squash soup and baked tomato-basil on flat bread smothered in mozzarella-like foam and topped with syrupy balsamic vinaigrette. For dessert, a traditional French crêpe topped with apricot sorbet and smothered in melted butter, creamy caramel and honey.

SKIING THE WORLD WITH KEELY KELLEHER

This week I find myself nestled deep in the Canadian Rockies.  Lake Louise, Alberta kicks off the Women’s World Cup tour, boasting the fastest and coldest course on the World Cup circuit. The Lake Louise course is challenging and unforgiving. Today I broke the speed limit ripping down the course at 80mph.  That is faster than I usually drive…yet during my fast paced week of racing I always remember to go to my favorite spots. Having raced here every December for the past decade I have to let you in on the best things about Lake Louise. First, eating fig bars and drinking hot chocolate at Laggan’s Bakery. After a cold, long, and intense day of competition I love indulging myself in a little treat or two. Since I am in a gravity sport the more I eat the faster I will get down the mountain, at least that’s my excuse. The locals I’ve met in the Laggan Bakery are always friendly and excited to talk about ski racing or skiing in Lake Louise.
My second hot spot is ice-skating the Lake Louise. The Chateau Lake Louise sits on the lake and its frozen piece of paradise has to be explored. Every year I’m here I skate around the ice or join a pick up hockey game.  Often a dogsled can be seen ripping around the paths that surround the lake.

SKIING THE WORLD WITH KEELY KELLEHER

I strap my ski boots; breathe deeply filling my lungs with icy air and click into my bindings. I glance out through my rose colored lenses into darkness. It’s 5a.m. at Copper Mountain, I’m tired, my body feels as though it’s been bucked off a bull from yesterdays’ training and the two cups of coffee aren’t kicking in.  Looking out past the chairlift I see a glint of pink rising over the Colorado Rockies. Riding the chairlift alone I look around, birds are singing their songs, trees silently rocking in the wind, and hearing the all too familiar hum of the lift, I start to get excited about my first run. I sit back in the chair and enjoy the scenery. 

Skiing the world with Keely Kelleher

Welcome to my Snow Blog! First off I’d like to give you a quick intro on my skiing background. I grew up in the Gallatin Canyon fifteen miles from the Big Sky Ski Resort. Being raised in Big Sky, outdoor sports became my way of life. There weren’t many places to get into trouble as a youngster in Big Sky, yet I managed to find ways on the mountain. I would bomb down runs in Big Sky like Ambush or Snake Pit with ski patrollers close on my tail yelling, “slow down!”

Big Sky was so small twenty years ago there wasn’t even a daycare for my parents to be rid of me for a few hours. As a result Lone Peak became my babysitter. Instead of going to the mall, movies or prom with friends I went to the ski hill. I fell deeply in love with skiing, whether it be floating through powder, slicing through ice and corduroy or straight running steep pitches...it didn’t matter as long as I was skiing I was happy. I would throw fits if I had to leave Big Sky early. One Christmas when I was nine I cuddled all night with my brand new neon pink Atomic skis Santa had brought me. My obsession for skiing soon turned into ski racing. I wanted to go faster than anyone and being timed while skiing seemed like the perfect fit.