River Radamus: Artistry in Alpine Racing

Our guest today is one of the most creative and passionate skiers of the World Cup Tour from his colorful hair to his fearless racing. He's the new face of a generation that dares to dream big. This is River Radhams. Welcome back to Alpine Pulse Unplugged, the podcast where we go beyond the results and meet the athletes who redefine what it means to compete at the highest level of the Audi Fist ski World Cup. Today's guest is one of the most exciting names in American ski, a mix of talent, expression and determination. I'm trying to compete with the best in the world, trying to chase them down, I'm trying to win on Sundays. I take pieces from all these guys and I try to blend it into my own skiing and think outside the box and find ways that I can sort of supersede what they're doing in my own creative way. The creativity is the 10% that makes all the difference. It's the oldest advice in sport, you know, hard work beats talent every time and if you don't pair all the talent with all the commitment and hard work that you can, you're not going to be able to make it to the elite levels that you're seeking. But beyond the medals, he's an athlete who is not afraid to stand out, to take risks and to speak his truth. This is the story of River Radhams where passion meets purpose. River, it's an absolute pleasure to finally find some quality time to chat with you, to meet you in person as somebody that I've followed for many, many years as a young rising star. And now to see you here on Alpine Pulse is a real pleasure. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you, Nick. It's a pleasure to be here and to meet the voice by Alpansky Racing. That's very kind. Now you're from Edwards in Colorado, born into a ski family and both your parents, coaches, deep in it. What are your first memories on skis? And how did growing up in that kind of environment shape your relationship with our sport? So both my parents long time ski coaches, my dad ran the ski club that I grew up skiing at. The story that my parents will always tell is we're constantly traveling when I was a baby and I was a pretty heavy baby. My mom's a very slate woman. So she put me on skis before I could walk. So you could say that it's in the blood, you know, it's sort of a destined thing to be in this line of work. But you know, it's it's the greatest passion of my life. Yeah, I'm just glad that they've passed it on to me. And when you were a youngster, did you get that passion, that feeling for ski racing early on? Or was it, I gotta keep my mom and dad happy here, mom and dad are involved, mom and dad go to work? Or was it something that was as natural to you as it was to them? Well, I think that my parents would be lying if they said that they didn't want me to enjoy skiing at the very least because ski racing in some regard. But they almost tried to push me away from it. You know, they never wanted their passion to become my passion for it. They wanted me to find it naturally. So they gave me every opportunity in the world to be on skis. But they also let me pursue any any sport, any interest that I had. You know, I played soccer lacrosse hockey. I was a competitive log roller. You know, they they wanted me to be in any sort of sport that I fancied and then, you know, naturally, I was drawn more and more to ski racing because it's hard not to be. They've helped foster the passion for it, but they've never pushed me in the direction of wanting to do it for them. I've always wondered if your mum and dad had coaches successful skiers themselves and then all of a sudden their son starts to to really make a major play-art on the world stage. What do you talk about when you're at the Sunday lunch table or Thanksgiving dinner or whatever it may be? Do you purposely avoid talking ski racing with mum and dad or is it something that's as joyful and as as interesting as it has been since you were a youngster? Right the way through to the present day. We try to avoid talking about ski racing as much as possible. They they never coached me when I was growing up even though I respect them to the utmost as coaches, you know, but it was just it was healthy to have that separation, you know, I didn't really know how to deal with with being coached by you know, someone that close to me. They're always caring, they're always supporting, they're always lending an ear if I need it, but they're also giving me the space to pursue this on my own terms. My mum through the through the winter, oftentimes like she she gets so nervous, she doesn't watch the races. Sometimes she doesn't even know that I'm racing all together, you know, she'll be told by someone, "Oh River had a good race today, he had a bad race, you know, but she's just glad that I make it to the finish." That's wonderful. That is so professional as well from everybody involved. I have to say, are you a name to the US ski team in 2016 and immediately made you mark those youth Olympic gold medals. I remember first time I commentated on you was at the World Junior Championships where you absolutely smashed it. Looking back now, how did that early success influence the athlete you've become? You know, I think it's it's always been a blessing and a curse. Like I said, you know, both my parents were ski coaches and so when I was a kid, I skied a lot and I got to pursue it to my heart's desire and I had a lot of time to explore and and challenge myself and push my limits. And so early on in my career, I had a lot of success through the junior levels, you know, in the local, the regional, and the national competitions. I had a lot of immediate success because of that. I think I was able to to skip steps, you know, and I wasn't as diligent on the conditioning part or the mental part or, you know, those other those other pieces that you need later down the line. And I was able to do that because, you know, I had the talent part which was good. You know, it's it's a key part for sure. And then I made it to the national team and I was a youth Olympic champion which was the first time that I sort of had the realization that maybe that this can be a career for me. This is something that I can pursue full time and that opened a whole new world for me, but it also reinforced those ideas that, you know, I'm successful here. I'm able to compete and maybe I don't need to put the time in that other people are putting in, you know, and then I reached the world cup level, which was, you know, a dream for me throughout my life. And then I'd realized, wow, okay, everybody here is as talented as I am at the very least. But then also everybody here is stronger than me has put in more work than me is more mentally stronger than me. And there are so many skills that I realized that I needed to pick up real quick or else I was never going to be able to compete on this level. And then that's a fascinating answer, Riverb. What you're basically saying is we've kind of been hoodwinked, haven't we? You became a world junior champion. O.D. took all of the medals that were up for grabs at the world juniors. And you're telling me though, or you're telling the young braces listening in that that's just the very early stepping stone. You haven't cracked it if you're the world junior champion. You've still got a hell of a way to go. Yeah. Absolutely. I think there's been a lot of athletes that through my career at one point or another was were far more successful than me that aren't around anymore. And there are tons of athletes who have far less success at the junior levels who are able to make incredible careers. That's what I'm always trying to tell young guys that are looking for advice, looking for mentorship is it's the oldest advice in sport, hard work beats talent every time. And if you don't pair all the talent with all the commitment and hard work that you can, you're not going to be able to make it to the elite levels that you're seeking. You've also spoken, River, about your created side, something that we've really enjoyed following your career from your bold hair colors, but also to your mindset on the hill that I've really enjoyed following as a commentator. Where does that need for expression come from? And how does it connect your skiing, particularly on the World Cup tour? Yeah, I mean, I think ski racing by nature is it's a sport, it's a science, you know, and there's there is a very clear cut, you're fast or you're not, you know, it's there is no gray area. But I think combined with that science, there is so much art to it, you know, and that's what's always drawn me to ski racing and to skiing is exploring my imagination, my creativity and finding new ways to do things, you know, I started my passion, you know, when I was a kid, as long as I can remember, was I'd wake up on Sundays and I'd watch Ted Ligady ski GS, you know, and then I'd go out on the hill and I'd try to ski just like him, you know, and the way that he skied the the extremes that he put his material to, just, you know, sparked so much creativity, so much imagination in me, you know, and in general, right, I'm trying to compete with the best in the world and trying to chase them down and I'm trying to win on Sundays. a realization that I had is, you know, we're always looking at who's the fastest guy, how can we emulate them? But the reality is I'm never going to be able to ski like the fastest guy on any given day faster than they're able to ski that way, you know? And so I take pieces from all of these guys and I try to blend it into my own skiing and think outside the box and find ways that I can, I can sort of supersede what they're doing, you know, in my own creative way. You know, that's where it all comes down to for me is, is the art of, of what we do and, and the creativity is, is the 10% that makes all the difference. And does that creativity take the pressure off a little bit? I mean, I feel myself saying, "Oh, what colors is river coming with his hair today?" But then a lot of the journalists in commentators say, "Is that something so that we are with you taking the pressure off?" We're all saying fantastic hair color, fantastic style, does this expression, this artistry that you're describing? But does it actually help you go faster because it takes a little bit of the pressure off? I think it recenters the whole sport for me from a me first experience, you know, which can be very selfish, it can feel very, it feels like I'm not doing anything for the broader sense, you know, when I tie my skiing more so as a performance and the crowd are a part of that performance and I'm blessed to go out on Sundays and perform for them and try to give them something to cheer for or something to stand on the edge of their seats for and hopefully something that they enjoy watching, you know, and so that's the connection that I want to feel and and the root of why I do this is I'm going to go out and try to venture and dare greatly to do something great for the crowd, for the spectators at home so that, you know, we share in a beautiful moment, right? And so the hair is sort of my expression of a commitment to creativity and to, you know, not showmanship because it's at the core of it, the skiing is the most important thing. I don't want to get too tied into the the aesthetics of it, you know, but it's it's a commitment to showing my personality and and laying myself bare so that they will accept me. That's wonderful. And let's talk about when it all comes together. It was not this season just gone, but the season before your first World Cup podium performance in Palisade's Tahoe and you whipped the crowd up into a frenzy. And it was more like a Rolling Stones concert than a World Cup ski race. It was brilliant and all the things that you're describing to us, particularly that entertainment factor seem to come flowing out. The crowd went crazy. Third position, your first World Cup podium with the cool hair, but with some magical skiing. Tell us a little bit about your thoughts, feelings and emotions on that day because when I was commentating it on the TV, wow, that really was a rock and roll performance. Yeah, I mean, I think the thing that all high performing athletes are constantly looking for is that flow state, you know, the moment where you can sort of take away all of your inhibitions and and let your absolute best performance show and be fearless in that moment, you know, and I think that that's something I'm constantly trying to find inspiration for and and fuel in the direction of, you know, and the easiest way to get in that flow state for me is competing on home soil and having the crowd really engaged with you, right? Like as American ski racers, we don't get a ton of those opportunities for so much of the winter. It feels so removed from what we're doing, you know, it's hard to to feel your friends and your family and all the American supporters when you're, you know, thousands of miles away in the middle of Europe. And so when we get those opportunities, I feel like it's first and foremost my responsibility, but also my pleasure to to get to perform for that crowd, you know, and so in in palisades, I was sitting at the start first trying to, you could just hear the whole crowd, you know, all the way down cheering for you before you've even gone out of the start, you know, and so I just feel so energized by that and so responsible to try to do it justice, you know, and so that whole day I was just fueling off of that energy that the crowd was giving me to try to reach something deeper out. I think I could have had a performance like that at that point and in where I was skiing without that feeling of the crowd fueling me, you know, that's that's what we all all live for in this sport and just came together in a great way. All right, it was sensational. And this season just passed. So what we would call the 2025 tour whilst the podiums and the victories that many of us thought were now ready to come and flow together were sort of overtaken by consistency. So for me, you scored points in every World Cup giant slalom last season. You were in the top 10 more consistently than ever before. But by the end, I got the feeling you were getting a little frustrated that that top three, that that win wasn't there. How would you describe the 25 season and was it pleasing to find the consistency yet frustrating not to match that Palisade's podium? Yeah, I mean, I think it's is a difficult sport, you know, because it is so clear cut and every time you have a new best result, every following result gets compared to it, you know, and so that's always it's always a battle, you know, I remember for years when I was starting my World Cup journey, I just wanted to be in the top 30 over and over again. And I got in the top 31s and then, you know, the next race, I would miss it and it would feel completely devastating or I'd match it and it would feel not as satisfying, right? And so you're constantly leveling up and chasing new levels, which is great, you know, but oftentimes looking at the results too much as a negative effect on your judgment of yourself and your performance and the work you put in. So that's constantly a balance I'm trying to find in a battle, I'm trying to fight. But yeah, I would say overall, last year felt disappointing to me and it wasn't, it was certainly to some degree because of the results, but also just because I didn't feel like the skiing was where I wanted it to be, you know, there was always something missing. I was always sort of playing whack-a-mole when, you know, something would come up and I'd try to put all my energy into fixing it and then something else would come up and nothing, nothing ever felt natural to me. You know, I think that's something I've always felt like I do really well is when I'm skiing my best, it feels like I'm free skiing the course and the gates just get in the way. And last year it felt like every turn I was going through a mental checklist on how do I start ski through the apex and complete the turn, you know, and so it was never natural, nothing ever was coming easy for me. And so that's been something I've been trying to fix all summer and right now I feel as natural and as fast as I've ever skied, but just in a very broad sense, I think, from a mindset standpoint, I'm in a much better place where, you know, you think about what we do and the amount of time that we spend doing it, it's a it's a full year year round job between skiing, probably 200 plus days a year, conditioning, at least 100 days off snow, but you know, it's a whole year round thing, you know, I'm spending the better part of my entire year pursuing this dream, right? And then I believe that Otomat and I were the most starts on the men's side in the World Cup last year, we both had 33 or something like that, you know, which is it's a lot of races, but you think about, okay, 33 races, in GS's, it's like, you know, two one minute runs, supergies and downhills and, you know, a lot of slums, I didn't get second runs on, you know, those are one runs and you added all up and it's like, okay, well, I spent, you know, 300, 320 days a year pursuing this dream last year for an hour of work really, you know, and when you think about it like that, it's like it's so black and white, and when you're skiing great, then all the time feels great. When you're skiing bad, then, you know, one minute can ruin your week. And so the mindset that I have right now, and you know, it's easy to say here in this hotel room, it's a lot harder to say after the race is over, I'm sitting in the finish, but I really try to approach it as the 300 some odd days, that's the work, the Saturdays and Sundays that I race, that's like the celebration for the work. And so I do everything I possibly can in the in the weight room on the training hill, you know, how I recover, how I prepare, how I sleep, all that, I try to execute as best I possibly can there and feel like I'm the most prepared, I can possibly be so that when I'm standing in the start gate on Saturday and Sunday, I can just let the skiing happen, let the cards follow where they may and be proud of myself for the preparation and that tends to bring out the best results for me. You said it yourself, you and Odie, Marco Odie might I'm referring to, of course, set yourself a busy schedule, Super G giant Slalom and Slalom, Marco Odie Matt, world number one, downhill, Super G and giant Slalom. So many of the Slalom races, are specialists. They'll just do slalom, maybe tinker with a little bit of giant slalom. Which way do you see your career going? Because we love to watch River Adam's ski. You're such a beautiful natural skier and you've explained where and why that is the case. But where do you take your career now? Do you think you can be competitive with the shortest skis on and the longest skis? I see here, top 10 in World Cup Super G. And now you're an established top 15 world rank giant Slalom skier. And I can ask any of the guys on the mountain over the next week, if River's got a chance of winning and they'll all say, yes, he definitely has. How do you take the decisions with these disciplines? And when and where do you decide I'm gonna have to drop one to actually maximize the other two maybe? - Yeah. I think first and foremost, it's every race I'm entering, I have to feel in my absolute core that I have a chance for winning at any given day, you know? If you don't, then there's no point in starting. And so whether it's a Slalom, a GS or a Super G, no matter how long the odds may seem, like I feel completely convicted in my heart that if I can ski the way that I know I can ski, I can compete with anybody out there, right? I don't have a long-term plan of, you know, what races I wanna do or a timeline on narrowing the scope, you know? For me, I do this because I love this and I love every part of this. I love GS, Super G, Slalom down to hell, I love it all. Maybe I'm a bit of a masochist, I love struggling and fighting and trying to improve and competing against the odds, you know? I like doing all the events because I think everything presents a unique challenge and a unique joy to me, you know, my Slalom feels like a completely different sport, not just a different discipline from what Super G does. And I think that it's compelling and interesting, it keeps everything fresh. If I was a GS ski or only, I think that I'd lose my mind, skin, you know, months on end hoping to get one to two tenths faster. Slalom, I don't get to train as much and so it feels like every time I train, I figure something out, I make a big leap, you know? And that's a much more satisfying feeling sometimes. But I think that all of it helps each other, you know? And so whether I'm racing or not, I think my Slalom helps my Super G helps my GS and everything circles around and makes me a more well-rounded, balanced skier. So we'll see what the year brings. I think I've established myself well in GS and Super G. I've surprised some people in the past and Slalom. The races that you see me start are the ones that I have a strong belief that I can compete and if not, then I'm working to get there. So what's the key? What is River Radamus working on to evolve the giant Slalom? We saw a model of consistency. Look at this, it's a beautiful set of results. You know, just once out of the top 15, every other eight from nine races you're in there. We can see a trend. You always are able to raise your game on home snow and the fans love that. But you know and I know that those top 10 podium performances need to come in Alta Badia for many the Holy Grail, for Adel Bowden, the one that everybody wants to win. What's the game plan now, River, because all I looked very carefully, if you just took a half a second off every one of these results, you'd have been on the podium in all nine. That hurts to hear. It was a conscious goal of mine last year to improve my consistency and be able to compete on any given day, right? I am proud of having scored in every World Cup last year. That's a good stepping stone. But I think that focusing on that or keeping that somewhere deep in the back of my mind subconsciously lowers the top end. You know, if I'm shooting for consistent performances, I think that narrows away some of the exceptional rare performances, right? So I've shown myself I can do that. And in training, I've shown myself that I can push my limits and not increase my DNF, my go-out rate too significantly. And so the mindset this year is giving myself a chance, right? And swinging for the upside much more often and seeing where the cards lay, that's going to open me up for a lot more downside for sure. But I need to compete to win instead of somewhere in the back recesses in my mind, competing to finish. But something that I really admire about those top guys, like you look at a Marco Otermott, you know? And in my personal opinion, you know, I think there are other guys that compete with him, you know, on their best days. And I like to think that I'm among them, you know, on my best day I can compete with Otermott. But the thing that he's shown over the last few years is even on his bad day, he's competing with everybody else, you know? On my bad day, I'm much further down on the rankings or DNF, you know? And so you really admire the kind of high-level consistency that he has, especially in a sport with so much variable, so much adversity. That's where I, and I think everybody else is trying to get to right now. Let's move on to our second category, Rivered. [MUSIC PLAYING] OK, so here we go with icy slope river. Friend of yours, he's going to ask a couple of questions. You'll know who he is as soon as you hear his voice, never mind Z his face. OK. But give us the best answer that you possibly can. Are you ready? Here we go, 3, 2, 1. Hey, guys. The first question I want to ask River is based on his silo skiing and how, I think, fluid and angulated he gets. So what in your eyes, River, is the best turn you've ever made in a race in your life? Hmm. Ooh. That is a tricky one. It's a typical World Cup race question, isn't it? Yeah. I think I could-- I could easier-- this is Ryan Cochran's Eagle, obviously. I think I could easier name the best turns that he's ever made. He's made a lot of really special ones. And I've been able to watch a lot of them. I would probably say on his Bormio winning run, he had a couple of very, very special ones, fully committed skiing. Yes. But gosh, for me, I have a terrible memory. I think, actually, my very, very first World Cup in Beaver Creek many years ago. It's 2017 coming over after the pump house section. There's a break over that I just was so late overhead, my armpit basically on the snow. I was just skiing, when you're so naive, you don't know to be scared. I was just skiing on an absolute limit. I remember seeing afterwards, because that was famously that was the exact same turn where Ted, I think, had his most famous turn in 2015 at the World Championships. And some would post a photo of my turn and his turn right on top of each other, and they were so identical. And that was the best feeling for me, because he was the guy that I was always trying to emulate, and the old saying, shake the pillars of heaven, just for that deck, just split second, and taste what that's like was special. Do you know what, the best turns I really enjoyed last season for me when you were doing the Super G in Beaver Creek? And I think somebody said in my commentary, what did you just say about River Radamus? And I said, look at these turns. He's looking like a downhill race. And then all of a sudden, there was this flurry of emails of saying, he's River going to be a downhill racer. When do we ever see him doing the downhill? Let's get question to see what Ryan has to say for you here. You can tell you're both technical skiers and you love the technique. Let's see if he goes technical again. - The second question I want to ask is, I think I know River as the ski racer, but then I also know River personally. And I think they are very, at times, we can be quite different. I think River carries a lot of intensity when he's racing, trying to get in that right mentality. But I'm curious because I feel like a lot of people actually don't know the very humble kind, a little bit more reserved, River personally. So the question is honestly, what to your fans out there? What's one thing you wish people knew about you, River the person, and not necessarily just you, River the skier? - That's very kind of him, as my mom would say, fooled another one. (laughs) It's all an act of the humbleness, of course, I'm very self-assured. No, that's funny. Ryan, I would say many of the same things for, actually, he just turns into a different animal when he's on the course. And then afterwards, he's so laid back, so quiet, but the way that he skis, you have to have so much intensity and so much focus for. I don't know. I don't think that there's much of me that I hide away necessarily. I think, yeah, I am beyond grateful for this opportunity, this short window that I have to be able to compete with the best and to pursue being the best in the world at what I do. This is such a short window for me, and I really relish it, and I really relish the opportunity to share that experience and pursue that experience so many of my peers, you know, they're my competitors. of course, and I want to destroy them as much as I can, but really it feels like a brotherhood, you know, I've made friends from all around the world and there'll be brothers to me for a lifetime. And so I think that's something that the average fan probably doesn't see as much, you know, like there is so much competition and everybody's out there to win and have success, you know, we're all pursuing the same dream at the same time and it's just a real pleasure to be with these guys and and have them raise at my level and and me try to raise theirs. That's a beautiful answer. Let's move on to part two. And I want to dig deeper into some of the points that you've just said there, River. If we took away the helmet, if we took away the race skis, what kind of person is River Adamus outside of ski racing? What do you like? What inspires you? Because it's been such an integral part of your life skiing full stop since you can remember to this very day today. But what are the things that turn you on outside of ski racing? Yeah, I do. I just like it probably goes without saying, but I really do. I wake up every morning loving what I do and just overwhelmingly grateful to have turned my deepest passion into some semblance of a job, you know, for this short window. And so it never feels like a chore for me and and no part of it ever feels tedious, I guess. So like number one with a bullet is skiing, you know, that's that's the biggest passion in my life, for sure. But like I think in general as as a person, my biggest driving force is betterment and and trying to improve, trying to to realize my potential in whatever fast it interests me. You know, like I mentioned earlier, I love the feeling of of sucking at something, it's struggling at something. And so I'm constantly picking up new hobbies because I think that that feeling of of trying something, you know, struggling mightily and then finding success, finding leaps of improvement is so gratifying for me. So my summer is very busy with odd hobbies that I, you know, that I pick up and and try to pursue. I play hockey in the summer, I surf, I'm working on my pilot's license, I'm constantly looking for new things to to push myself into and and see what I'm capable of in new facets. But yeah, I think I think that's not to get philosophical, but like if if I think about what I'm put on this earth to do, it's to to realize the absolute best version of myself and to to live as full life as I possibly can. So I'm constantly if I find an interest in something I don't just think about it, I try to go out and pursue it. That's wonderful words again. I've heard you say before that nature is your way to reset. What do you find there? Freedom, silence, perspective, the environment itself. Is that something very close to your heart? Yeah, I think one of the greatest parts of what we get to do is the places that I get to go and visit and experience while I'm young, you know, France, Italy, Germany, you know, Japan, everywhere around the world that I've gotten to race that I probably would never have gotten to see if not for this job. And so I think the gratitude that comes from that and the opportunity that I've presented is something that energizes me so much. And I think when I'm standing in the start gate and I'm trying to get myself into the the zone of focus, one of my favorite things to do is just look at the horizon, you know, the insane dolomites or mountain tops that we're skiing in and just think about how lucky I am to be here in this moment, right? And so I'm constantly trying to connect with that piece of it, not just the nature but the culture and the food and all these new places that I get to go. I think that that energizes me and refocuses the broader, if not purpose, benefit at least of what I get to do. And if you don't mind me intruding, your girlfriend, Storm, ski racer and somebody who's coming back from injuries, we're all very interested to hear a little bit there. But does that help? Your sort of private life is also skiing. Your partner is a ski racer. You can sit and talk them and we see so many successful ski racing partnerships of male and female skis. Is that something that you find is healthy, positive? Or it was just my chance that you bumped into Storm and now you're a wonderful couple. I think it certainly helps because the difficulties that come with this job, the amount of time that I have to spend on the road, are much easier when they're shared by both of us. You know, we both sort of understand the situation and the demands that this job puts on us, right? But yeah, I think, you know, general relationship advice always says that you have to find a common ground, right? You know, religion or finances or career path, you know, and our common ground, of course, in the center of it all, is that our greatest passion is the same. And I'm really grateful to find someone like that and who supports my pursuit as much as she does. And like you mentioned, she's come back from injury right now. She's fought harder than anybody else that I've ever seen in the sport. You know, there's in a sport full of injuries. She's had 10 plus knee surgeries now. She had a brain aneurysm that was operated on last year. She's broken ankles. She's had hernias and everything else like there has been no one that I've seen that's had to come back and fight back from as much as she has, you know, and so I've been super lucky for the most part on the injury side and seeing how resilient she is, how determined she is to pursue her dreams, makes me also feel grateful for the opportunities that I get. And you know, I think that something that always happens through all of her adversity is she comes back skiing even faster than she did before, right? I think that the time off gives her time to reflect and remember how much it all means to her and gives her so much gratitude when she gets to do it. And that just fuels me. So yeah, I'm our biggest supporter and I'm hoping she's going to kick butt this year as I hope that I will as well. Yeah, no, you're a very cool couple. Have to say, let's talk a little bit about Arco, your new foundation, helping fund young and up and coming ski races. What inspired you to start that? And what do you really hope to achieve with it? I can give you the quick pitch on it, which is I'm trying to do whatever I can to contribute back to the health of American ski racing for the next generation. You know what I'm trying to ensure that athletes that don't have the resources but have a lot of passion and talent are able to pursue it to the highest level so that we have a stronger talent pool coming up and then hoping to push the sport as much as I can to be affordable for all all backgrounds so that more socioeconomic athletes, you know, are able to pursue the sport in the first place and feel welcomed in the sport, right? It sort of came about from a feeling of one great gratitude for what I get to do and a feeling of responsibility, you know, when I when I have this short window of time that I get to pursue my dream and and represent the US as best I can, I have the platform, I have the resources, I have the opportunity to give back to the sport that's given me so much, right? It's sort of a driving force for me and it helps me feel like I'm doing more more good with this opportunity which otherwise as I mentioned before can feel a bit selfish, can feel a bit self-serving and like it's not providing a broader good. So yeah, this is the third year now of the foundation in collaboration with the World Cup Dreams Foundation. We've given out 60 plus grants at this point for more than a hundred thousand dollars. I'm running camps in the spring that are completely free to all athletes, sending athletes to international competitions that they might not have otherwise been able to to be part of and and hopefully inspiring my peers and and the other people who've gotten so much from the sport to give back and and support the next generation because I think that the reality is at least in my view in the US, the sport doesn't run unless everybody that gains from it also gives back and and helps you know bring up the next generation. River, how can our listeners, our viewers contribute to ARCO? Is there a website, a donation, hashtag, how can people help? Because that sounds bloody brilliant to be honest. Well, there's an Instagram account, ARCO Foundation on Instagram. That will give you a lot of the information. World Cup Dreams has a website and and through that portal, you can donate to the ARCO grants. You know, I always encourage people to to get engaged with me, you know, because I think that I have a pretty narrow view, you know, as an athlete and I have a bit of a wider view because my parents were coaches and they give me some insight, you know, but I'm constantly looking for ways to and to better support the athletes and meet them where they are and broaden the effect and the impact of what I'm trying to do. - I don't wait to interview an alko athlete. - Yeah, we have the first arco athlete 'cause we support you 16s, right? And we have the first athlete that's graduated from the arco team and made the U.S. key team this year. Her name's Logan Grostidier, so look for big things from her. - Logan, we are absolutely thrilled - Absolutely thrilled. We've got to go there, River. You want to go there. I want to see you win there. It's the 25th Winter Olympic Games this coming season in Milan, Cortina. Huge American squad has been announced over the past few weeks, but you are one of those guys that American hopes are firmly, firmly pinned on. They really want you to do the magic there. Is it something that you're looking forward to? Is it a challenge that you are relishing or is it a little bit daunting especially when commentators like I never stop bloody talking about it? That Olympic season, the races before and then getting to Italy itself, are you ready to rumble? - Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of expectation. There's a lot of pressure. You can feel it on your shoulders, you know, but the Billie Jean King quote, you know, pressure is a privilege, right? I root all of my preparation and the understanding that at my very best, if I have a very long career, maybe I get four opportunities at this, right? In my life and it's every kid's dream that enters into an Olympic sport that, you know, they wanna see themselves on that podium. And so I'm in the prime of my career right now. I'm skiing the best I've ever skied. I feel healthy and I know that I need to give everything I possibly can to this dream, right? 'Cause there's a long, long time after sport. And I think I'll be proud of myself regardless. If I go into it knowing that I've given everything I possibly can and skit as fearlessly as I possibly can and let the cars fall where they may, but if I feel like I could have done anything more to get to that level and earn a medal, that's gonna haunt me for the rest of my life. You know, that's the mindset that I go into the entire prep season feeling and you know, it still weighs on my shoulders now. For the last four years, I've had the screensaver for my phone has been a photo from the sidelines of the podium in China. You know, it was fourth place there and probably beyond most people's expectations, but also so close to a lifelong dream that you never know if it's gonna come again. And so I've had it on my mind all this time and motivated by it constantly and I'm doing everything I can to pursue it and then we'll see what happens in February. - I had this conversation with Pull 'em all send earlier today. Does that fourth place in the Beijing Winter Olympic Games of 2022 slightly piss you off? Yeah, I mean, it's piss you off as one word for it, you know, it's whatever it was, two tenths, one tenth from a podium. It's like it makes you sick to your stomach thinking about it too much. - Yeah, you know. - But I'll say this, this is a story that I constantly have to remind myself of. I was at the Olympics and I certainly wasn't a favorite, right, to podium. But I knew that I had a chance and I knew that I could compete with the best and I had two really good runs and came up just short, you know, and it was one of those feelings. Like maybe this never happens again and it's just like I was so close to everything changing. And then the next day I was in the buffet, right, in the team hospitality and someone who had earned a medal in those Olympics was complaining about the Salad Bar. And I was just so confounded by that. I was like, you want an Olympic medal and you're complaining about the Salad Bar? Like the Salad Bar, you know, like your whole life's different. And so that was a moment for me to step back and like I was annoyed by it at the time. And then I realized like there will never ever be a single result that's going to change my life. That's going to be a permanent boost, you know. Great results come and go, great feelings come and go. And you know, I'll relish all the feelings of the great results I've had and I'm continuing to chase great results in the future. And I've put all of my energy in to hopefully securing an Olympic medal. But I need to be happy and satisfied in the way that I go through my life regardless of what the outcome is. You know, one of my favorite movies when I was a kid was Cool Runnings. - Yeah. - Jamaican Bob Sled Team. - What a great film. - I think the quote in that is, if you're not enough without it, you'll never be enough with it. You know, and I feel like I'm enough without it now. But I sure would love to feel what it's like to be with it. - Yeah, I think it'll happen. For four years ago, why not go one better? If you're gonna go one better, then go all in. - That's why. - And give Mr. Odomat a real run for his title. - Thank you, River. Let's go into our final category, Rapid Fire. (upbeat music) Whatever comes into your mind, keep me with that answer. If it's a little bit cheeky, we don't mind. Here we go. Vail or Palisade's Tahoe. - Vail. - Shladming or Kitspil? - Kitspil. - Adel Bowden or Gran Riza? - Gran Riza. - Powder Day or GS Training? - Oh. - GS Training. - It's gonna get tougher, I tell you. Olympic medal or crystal globe? - Crystal Globe. - Surfing or motocross? - Oh, both. - Uh-uh. - Okay, we'll let you off for only once, can you say both. Morning gym or sunset surf? - Sunset, sir. - Besky buddy on tour? - Hartley. - Wow, that's a great answer. - A night out with the boys or on the couch with your girlfriend? - On the couch with the girlfriend. - You have to say that 'cause you're the best thing. - That's a very smart answer, not just the right answer. One song that always gets you pumped before the start. - In Adel Bowden, we finish the last break over and they always play born in the USA. - Yeah. - Born in the USA. - Yeah, you can't fail this brings to you. - Body Miller or Ted Liggity? - Oh, no. - Oh, yes. - Ted, but both. - Yeah, we love you both, Bodie and Ted, but Rivervote's Ted. Favorite color you've ever dyed your hair? - Well, pattern, cheetah print. - Yeah, I love that one too, as well, it made me smart. Who's the funniest on the US team? - The funniest, brace bandit. - What color next season? - Who knows? - Okay, yeah. - Hit my deans. - Most stressful, Olympic start or press conference. - You make it easy. (laughs) - Describe yourself in just three words, please. - Smart, handsome, humble. - I love all three. - Favorite race on the calendar? - Granriza. - If skiing didn't exist, what would you be doing right now? - Probably a non-estreet corner. - Best post-race meal? - Schnitzel. - Who gives you the best advice on the team? - Isaiah Nelson. - Who would play you in a Netflix biopic? - I don't know, I don't know, that's a tough one. I guess Tom Holland plays everybody. (laughs) - And finally, what does success mean to River Radamus? - Feeling satisfied in myself and my own efforts. - That's a very honest answer. - River, thank you for being with us for your honesty, your creativity and your passion. You remind us that skiing is not just about speed and precision, it is all about imagination, courage, and the joy of expressing yourself through every turn. And to all of our listeners, thank you for joining us. Don't forget to subscribe to Alpine Pulse Unplugged on Spotify. Apple Podcast, YouTube, Fist TV and all of the major platforms are possibly one of your top fans myself. Thank you for your time. - Thank you for having me up to give you something to commentate very excitedly this winter. - I will scream and shout, I promise, thank you. - Terrific. Alpine Pulse is an official podcast of the FIS. Produced by maniac studios. (upbeat music)