SKI RACING HISTORY
I began bombing down Vermont’s mountains at age three and ski racing at age eight. My mom was a ski instructor at the Middlebury College Snow Bowl, so my siblings and I grew up on the slopes of Vermont. I remember always being the first on the lift and exploring the entire mountain with a huge group of junior racers… jumping, cruising and racing through the woods as fast as we could. I was happiest on the slopes and it was at the Snow Bowl that I came to love the sport of skiing and ski racing. As a young racer, I was uber-competitive. Although I always tried my hardest, I was never the fastest in the gates and that frustrated me, but also kept me motivated and working hard, never missing a practice.
US SKI TEAM
I enrolled at the Green Mountain Valley School Ski Academy in 1978 at Sugarbush. It was there that I would hone my skills and commit to my dream of becoming an Olympian. I won my first major title at the Junior Olympics in 1980. The following year, at age seventeen, I earned a spot on the US Ski Team and raced my first World Cup Downhill in Aspen, CO.
My dream came true in 1984 when I was named to my first Olympic Team and raced the downhill in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. My greatest moment came just a year later at the 1985 World Championships when I won the bronze medal in the downhill. It turned out to be an historic win – the first ever World Championship medal for an American in downhill. I spent almost 8 years on the US Ski Team and collected two U.S. National Downhill Championships (1986 and 1987) and made my second Olympic Team in 1998, competing in Calgary, Canada.
SKI RACING HIGHLIGHTS
Olympics
1984 US Olympic Alpine Team – Sarajevo, Yugoslavia
1988 US Olympic Alpine Team – Calgary, Canada
World Championship Teams
1985 Bormio, Italy – bronze medal in downhill
1987 Crans Montana, Switzerland
US Nationals
1986 & 1987 National Downhill Champion
Pro Circuit
1994 Jeep King of the Mtn Pro Tour Champion
Hall of Fame Inductee
2002 VARA Ski Hall of Fame
2007 US National Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame
2019 Vermont Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame
BROADCAST ANALYST FOR NBC SPORTS & OLYMPICS
After retiring from the World Cup circuit, I jumped into the broadcast booth and have since been an Alpine Ski Racing Analyst for NBC covering the World Cups, World Championships and Olympics. I love sharing my passion for the sport with the crazy ski racing fans who watch every race. In the 2019-2020 season, I will be covering the Killington and Beaver Creek World Cups LIVE onsite, covering the speed races in Bormio on Dec 28/29, and traveling to China to call the World Cup test event races from the site of the 2022 Olympics!
Some of my greatest memories from behind the camera are:
- Calling ELITEAM Alum Mikaela Shiffrin’s first World Cup win in Sweden back in 2012
- Interviewing Bode Miller. Always interesting to hear his take on how he would make split second decisions every run, based on risk and reward.
- Watching Ester Ledecka’s winning Super-G run while interviewing Lindsey Vonn in the finish, and experiencing both Vonn’s and Ledecka’s reactions to this unbelievable outcome.
ELITEAM
In 1991, I partnered with my USST teammate and buddy, Kraig Sourbeer. Together we created ELITEAM, a fitness camp for young athletes. After spending so many years on the US Ski Team, we wanted to “give back” to the next generation of racers and make it a point to pass on our knowledge of world class ski racing and athletics. Although Kraig moved on a few years later, my wife Kelley and I took over the company, and the mission has remained the same for the past 28 years… to inspire and educate young athletes.
Our focus is building “complete athletes” by teaching the concepts of sports physiology, sports psychology and sports nutrition. In a nutshell, ELITEAM is all about learning, pushing limits and having FUN! Over the years we have expanded to offer camps, clinics, training programs and performance journals for young ski racers. To this day, it remains my passion and one of my greatest achievements. There is no better feeling that to help an athlete find their inner strength and confidence.
ELITEAM also offers corporate and group team-building programs.
FUN FACTS, AIRTIME & ADRENALINE
Two things I love? Big air and a big challenges!
Below are some of my most exciting, memorable, scariest and fun moments I’ve had on skis and beyond…
- Skiing over 90mph in Wengen, Switzerland.
- Placing top 5 in the world famous Hannenkahm DH at Kitzbuhel, Austria.
- Being the first ever American to jump the Val Gardena camel bumps, clearing over 200 feet.
- Holding the “World Record” for longest jump in NYC on a 60 foot ski jump built under the Twin Towers in Battery Park.
- Gap-jumping a John Deere tractor on Bragg Hill Rd in the Mad River Valley.
- Skiing the 1992, 1994, and 2002 Olympic Downhill courses with a video camera strapped to my back for TV.
- Skiing through the glades in Killington, VT shooting an Uzi at another stunt-skier for the movie, “Icebreakers”.
- Appearing in four Warren Miller Films.
- Winning the first ever Spartan Death Race in 2007.
- Completing two 100 Mile Ultra trail running races, and now training for number three in 2020!
Corporate & Family Ski Days – Ski With Me!
I love skiing and hitting the slopes with everyone, from beginners to experts! Allow me to be your guide, coach, motivator and inspiration for a day of fun, excitement and learning. I can tailor the day to whatever you desire. If you want to work on technique, I can help take you to the next level. If you like to race, we can hit the gates. If you love the bumps, we’ll mash some moguls. If you like to push your limits, we’ll go hard! Or if you simply want to cruise the mountain and drink hot chocolate, I’m happy to do that too. Either way, I’ll share with you the many stories and experiences I’ve had while traveling on the World Cup circuit, racing in the Olympics and skiing all around the world. Contact me directly to inquire.
“Doug is a World Class ambassador for the sport and our event was over-the-top successful because of his presence. He really knows how to share his passion and experiences with groups.”
“Our kids skied with Doug and what a time they had! From learning how to go faster in the gates, to how to ski the trees, to hearing about his thoughts on Bode Miller, it was a day to remember.”
Contact Doug:
802.793.3078
lewis@madriver.com
