This is what it’s like to be on a D1 ski team

Between changes in the ski racing system and strange weather patterns, the ski team has a big season ahead of them.

We sat down with Carter Robertson, a sophomore skier hailing from York, Maine, to learn a little bit more about one of BC’s smallest and newest D1 teams.

Here is an inside look at their season so far.

How’s the season is going so far?

The season has been really tough, because the US ski team is making our races a lot more competitive. They created a new National University Team which consists of some of the best skiers on the college circuit. Since the U.S. ski team is getting involved in our races, they tend to attract amazing skiers from Canada. On top of that, recently a lot of Norwegians have come to our races.

By having these top skiers participate in our races, it makes the races more competitive than ever.

What are your goals? What are you focusing on individually and as a team?

My top goal is to qualify for NCAA, which is where they take the top 17 guys from the East and the top 17 guys from the West. As a team, we’re hoping to get top five team results in the East.

What’s your favorite part of being on the team?

Boys, boys, boys. Our guys team is really tight-knit and being together for four months straight out of every year makes for a lot of great experiences. The girls are OK too.

What do you love most about skiing?

I can’t answer this because it would be like asking a regular person “what do you love most about breathing?” It’s just something I do; I love it. If I had to choose though, I would say the lifelong friendships I’ve made have been the most rewarding and made it all worth it.

What’s most frustrating about skiing?

All it takes is one tiny mistake for your whole run to be ruined. The fact that you spend eight hours at the mountain for a minute and a half of skiing can be incredibly frustrating as well.

When and how did they start skiing?

I started skiing when I was two years old. My mom hooked me up to one of those kiddie leashes and sent me down the slopes with her, and I basically haven’t stopped since.

What’s your prerace ritual?

It’s basically a life ritual at this point, but from the summer until February I grow out my hair, and then once it gets to the point where I can feel it flapping in the wind (which is absolutely beautiful), I keep for the first three weeks of the season and then I cut it on our first off weekend. Then I cut it again in the summer. Right before the race though, I always say hi to my best friend, Griffin, who skis for University of Vermont.

What motivates you?

Watching Bode Miller or David Chodonsky, and seeing how successful they have been inspires me to push myself and work hard so that I can keep trying to reach that level of skiing and success. Above all though, my main motivation is having fun and enjoying myself. If I wasn’t enjoying myself, I wouldn’t be skiing.

 What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

My old Romanian coach when I was skiing at Stowe (VT) once told me “you need to find joy in every run you take, or else you’ll love your love for the sport.”

Does anyone in your family ski?

My entire family skis. My brother skied at Middlebury, one of my sisters skied at Babson and my other sister skied at UNH. Once my brother got into skiing, we all followed in his footsteps.

Fav opposite sex’s team:

Women’s track for sure. Please hang out with us I swear we’re cool.

What’s your go-to pump-up song?

Tell Me When To Go by E-40.

Which teammate of yours is the most entertaining and why?

Chris Keating because he gives amazing speeches. He does one per weekend after our races. Last week he did the Vince Lombardi one.

What are the craziest weather conditions you’ve ever skied in?

I skied in -15 degrees Fahrenheit with a -40 degree wind chill in Sugarloaf, Maine. It was honestly awful.

Favorite place you’ve ever skied?

Treblecone, New Zealand.

So, track team ladies, hit him up! Good luck to the ski team on the rest of the season, let’s hope these Norwegians don’t steal all their thunder.