On Sunday the World Championships in Alpine Skiing ended in Vail and Beaver Creek / Colorado and possibly also with it the career of Bode Miller – the coolest of the cool among the Alpine ski racers.
After a long pause due to injury, Bode Miller decided to compete once again at the super-G of the World Cup and, as always, drove faster and riskier than all others. His aggressive run gave him an early lead, with reporters already projecting that “this could be the greatest comeback of all time!” Then about three-fourths down the course, Bode hooked his left shoulder on a gate, causing him to crash on his back. As he slid for several hundred feet, his skis came off and an edge of one of his skis sliced through his suit, resulting in a deep cut in his right calf. Bode had to undergo surgery at the same day. Competing at the downhill race was now no longer possible.
Bode Miller was born on 12 October 1977 in Easton / New Hampshire and attended the Carabassett Valley Academy, a high school in Maine with an extensive winter sports development program. In 1997 he celebrated his giant slalom World Cup premiere in Park City. Whilst he initially only excelled at the technical disciplines (slalom, giant slalom), he also quickly became a speed specialist. He is one of only five ski racers, who triumphed in all five disciplines. Bode is an Olympic champion, a world champion, has won the World Cup twice, as well as countless races and medals.
Bode winning Olympic gold in super combined in Vancouver 2010
No athlete has ever been racing with so much risk involved and very few are blessed with that range of talent. His fans love him for his crazy racing style – when he reaches the finish line, then often as the fastest: cash or crash. If he had not arrived at the finish line after just two minutes, you could often find him in safety fence. Many races ended in a most spectacular fashion, just like in Kitzbühel in 2008.
YouTube link to the downhill race in Kitzbühel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae61LGEhWRw
As a bad boy he knew no bounds and was always at the limit. His principle has always been not to sacrifice your life for the sake of sport, but to make sport compatible with your life. He is bold and uncompromising, he likes to party and is successful while lacking discipline.
The spectacular crash in Vail last week remains most likely the last picture of Bode Miller as a ski racer. He leaves his career end open.
If he should he end it, he would certainly leave a big gap in the world of skiing, because Bode’s the man!
If you want to learn more about him, I can recommend his book: “Bode: Go Fast, Be Good, Have Fun.“