Finding the Balance

Marcel Hirscher retired in 2019, at the relatively young age of 30, it caused quite a stir in the sporting world. Not only was he one of few superstars in alpine ski racing, but he was also closing in on the legendary Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 86 World Cup victories in men’s competitions. With wins in four different disciplines, and plenty of years of top performance left in the tank, Hirscher seemed to be perfectly posed to conquer a record that many had deemed unbeatable. However, with his tally of 67 World Cup victories and 9 championship gold medals, Hirscher decided that enough was enough and hung up his racing boots.

His decision shocked the alpine racing world, especially as Hirscher was only 30 years old at the time, and presumably had at least four or five years at the highest level in him. He was the dominating force in men’s alpine racing, having won eight straight overall World Cup titles, including the 2019 season – not to mention his two gold medals at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang in 2018. He not only quit while he was at his peak, he quit at a moment when the rest of the pack was still desperately trying to catch up with him.

Physically, he was in perfect shape, but mentally, he was done.

“Back then, I had fifteen winters behind me, eight of which had been extremely demanding. In 2019, I simply didn’t have enough time to recharge my batteries over the summer. Retiring felt 100 percent right to me at the time,” says Hirscher.

Being a highly driven individual, who was used to constantly pushing himself forward and onward, Hirscher didn’t exactly lay on his couch after quitting racing. He shifted to entrepreneurship, and founded two companies, one of which is The Mountain Studio, played with his young children, walked his dogs, hung out with friends, and tried other sports like motocross and skiing powder. He kept himself busy, to put it mildly.

Then, one week after his 35th birthday in March 2024, the idea of getting back into ski racing again suddenly popped up in his mind. The other company he had founded was a ski brand, Van Deer, and being an absolute gear geek, Hirscher couldn’t resist the urge to race on his own gear. During his active career he was known to be a tinkerer, who was constantly pushing his equipment sponsors to build new stuff and modify the gear he already had. Now, he has the opportunity to race and tinker under his own flag, skiing on Van Deer skis and wearing clothes labelled with The Mountain Studio.

As an added twist, he’ll be racing for his mother’s country of birth, the Netherlands. This change of nationality is a nod to his mother’s ancestry, but it’s also a way to avoid taking a spot on the Austrian team from a young, talented athlete.

When he announced his comeback, the alpine world reacted with excitement and confusion. Excited for one of the biggest names in ski history to once again grace the slopes. Confused to why he’s doing this, and, why he would endanger his impeccable legacy as one of the greatest athletes and winners the ski world has ever seen. It’s not as though competitive skiing has stood still since he last wore a racing bib – his opponents, inspired by his achievements, have grown stronger, faster, and more savvy about their equipment than ever, while he has grown five years older. Also, while he’s certainly kept himself active, his training has been nothing like what it was while he competed.

“In sporting terms, my return is a mission impossible, that’s for sure. But for me, it’s no longer about results, but experiences. We’re not collecting points, we’re collecting memories.”

He’s quick to point out that this isn’t to be viewed as a comeback in the conventional sense. To him, it is a new adventure.

“For me, a comeback is when you get injured and want to return to where you left off. My career has been over for the last five years, and I’m not looking to pick up where I left off. I just want to enjoy myself, and participate from time to time.”

This is, rather, a chance to re-immerse himself in the life of an athlete and get back to a world that was his entire life for so many years.

He talks about missing the inner sensation of being fully dedicated to something, a craving that all topclass athletes share.

Hirscher says that he’s doing this for the love of skiing, and out of passion for the project itself. However, since he’s plummeted down the rankings, just making his way back to the World Cup will be a daunting task. But Hirscher refuses to talk along those lines – his ambitions are completely different this time around.

“Somehow, everyone seems to be assuming that I’ll be back racing the World Cup. That would be nice of course, but it’s by no means a given. The appeal of this experiment, there’s no other way to describe it, is that I’m no longer driven by results. I’ve already achieved a great deal, and the athlete in me is satisfied with those achievements. I’m taking this project seriously, but having fun is very much the priority now. This is a project that’s close to my heart.”

Now, it’s not as though Hirscher hasn’t skied at all since he retired from the racing world. He’s been seen tearing up fresh corduroy from time to time, he’s skied a fair bit of powder, and he’s even been seen testing his skills on the competition face of one of the stops on the Freeride World Tour. The man can still ski, far better than most human beings. Racing at the highest level is a whole other story though, which requires a whole different level of strength and fitness.

After making his decision, Hirscher went straight to work to build himself back up again. As he now must do his best to balance his training with family life, the snow conditions, and his business commitments, his new life is a far cry from the one he led when he was a fulltime racer.

“I’m nowhere near the athlete I used to be, but I’m already pretty pleased with my physical fitness. As far as the skiing is concerned, I still have a long way to go before I’ll be able to ski at a race pace again. After all, I’m already 35 years old. We’ll have to see where I stand after being away from the scene for five years.”

Hirscher’s also quick to point out that he sees this as a project for a limited time frame – he’s not in it for the long haul this time. This is more like icing on the cake, an encore to his long and illustrious career. He will be doing the same thing he did before, but with much less pressure.

“My life, working with my companies, spending time with my family, and pursuing my hobbies – all of that will continue as usual. These days, ski racing is going to have to fit into my life, and not the other way round, like before.”

Marcel Hirscher might be something of an anomaly in the highly competitive world of alpine ski racing. His decision to retire in the first place was as surprising as it was impressive on a personal level. It’s not easy to walk away from something that you excel at, let alone being the absolute best in the world at something, However, being honest and open about not having the same drive as before and following your heart takes a great deal of strength and conviction. On the other hand, actually having the drive to become one of the greatest of all time in any sport in the first place requires something out of the ordinary, both physically and mentally. While he may have come across as bit of a machine in his heyday, now, we’re getting to see and meet another side of Marcel Hirscher. He’s showing us a softer, more elaborate side than that of the lethal predator who terrorised his competition on rocksolid, icy slopes. Instead of results, he’s talking about passion and inner drive. These are things most of us can relate to, whether we’re the best in the world at what we do or weekend warriors who enjoy making a few turns in the company of good friends. All the same, Marcel Hirscher was never your average skier, and won’t ever be.

“I think that finding our own personal passions might be the strongest inner drive in life. It could be people, family, children, or relationships, but there are also things and tasks that can help us grow as people. For me, that passion was, is, and always will be skiing. Racing slopes or hitting up the backcountry – it doesn’t matter too much what I do, the main thing is that I’m skiing.”