In 1993, Daron Rahlves had a dilemma: he’d just made the U.S. Ski Team, and he’d also won the Expert class of the World Jet Ski Championships. He had the potential to reach the top level in either sport – if he concentrated on one exclusively. The California teenager chose the snow.

What a great decision. Now the winningest American man in the history of World Cup downhill, Rahlves has taken the European-dominated realm of Alpine skiing by storm.

Weekend warrior, World Cup champion

Growing up in northern California, where he was born in 1973, Rahlves spent every free minute out-of-doors. “We’d waterski and wakeboard all summer,” he recalls, “and in the winter we were weekend warriors, driving to Tahoe.” By the time he was 12, Rahlves was so into his skiing that he moved to Tahoe, and high school enrollment at Vermont’s Green Mountain Valley School allowed him to intensify his training even further.

Simultaneously, he raced jet skis for three years, taking a career-best third on the National Tour in addition to the Expert class World Championship. He recounts, “The next step would have been the Pro class, but that same year – 1993 – I made the U.S. Ski Team. There was no way I could train for both sports at an elite level. I went with skiing because it was harder for me.”

The 19-year-old launched into the intimidating World Cup landscape, working his way up the standings. Finally, in 2000, he stunned the World Cup field by winning two downhill races in Norway within 24 hours. When he subsequently captured the Super G World Championship in 2001, a star was born.

Olympic veteran, Olympic hopeful

“Skiing is taken to a whole different level in Europe,” Rahlves says. “The athletes are at the top, and the fan base is strong. Every race is broadcast live.”

In countries like Austria, where ski racers are treated like rock stars and tend to protect their privacy as a result, Rahlves and teammates like Bode Miller have captured the public imagination. “I guess we seem personable because we’ll hang out at restaurants and bars instead of keeping ourselves isolated. We definitely get noticed, and most people are pretty cool,” he comments. The Norwegian press has labeled Rahlves as a laid-back, California “surfer boy,” but the athlete’s intensity on the slopes refutes that stereotype.

During the 2003–04 season, Rahlves added two more World Cup super G wins to his collection, finishing with world rankings of second in downhill, second in super G, and fifth overall. What made him happiest was his victory in the final downhill race of the season. It was in Sestriere, Italy, the skiing venue for the 2006 Winter Olympics.

“I’m definitely focused on the downhill race at Sestriere,” says Rahlves, a veteran of the Nagano and Salt Lake City Games. “When the Olympics come around, I will be the last guy to have won a major race on that mountain. I know the hill and feel good there. And usually, if I know a spot, I do well.”

In 2005, Rahlves built more momentum with a silver in downhill and a bronze in giant slalom at the World Championships, plus the U.S. National Championship in the super G event. Now, although gold in downhill is his primary objective, the American is also aiming for Olympic medals in the super G and giant slalom contests. “I think I have a good chance of being on the podium in all three events,” he states matter-of-factly. “I know what to do – it’s just a matter of making it happen.”

In preparation, Rahlves spent the off-season with his usual training regimen – which is anything but usual in the eyes of traditionalists.

Rahlves is a believer in cross-training, and in Sugar Bowl, California, where he lives with his wife Michelle (and a Siberian husky named Chevy), he spends a couple of months every year wakeboarding, waterskiing, and preparing for his favorite amateur event: motocross. “A lot of similar things play into both skiing and motocross: tactics, line, and the fact that it’s do-or-die. You can’t hold back,” he explains. “When I do well – in any sport – I get fueled. You need to have as many experiences as you can to get the most out of life, and out of yourself.” He adds simply, “It’s my lifestyle. It’s who I am.”

Someday, when he retires from Alpine competition, Rahlves expects that freeskiing will be another sport to fuel him. But for the time being, he’s got a full season of World Cup competition, as well as the Olympics, ahead. “I want to bring home some hardware,” he declares as he anticipates Torino. “I just have to get in the gate and go.”