BIOGRAPHY:
Olympian and daughter to Olympic gold medalist Pepi Stielger, Resi (RAY-zee) was born and grew up in prime ski country (Jackson Hole, WY, and Lienz, Austria). She's represented the United States at every level of alpine ski racing - Topolino, Whistler Cup, Junior Worlds, World Cup, World Championships and the Olympics. She’s won Junior Worlds medals and U.S. titles and if not for three injury plagued seasons, would likely be a regular on the World Cup podium.
Welcome back Ms. Stiegler – 2011 proved to be her first injury free season in three years and she made the most of it by dialing in new skis with Rossignol and landing World Cup points and a top 20 at the World Championships – all in slalom.
The plan was to focus entirely on slalom until she gets her strength back to what it was before spending a few years on crutches. It worked and by the close of the season, Stiegler was firing on all cylinders and wishing there was another month to go.
A special capper was sharing the slalom podium at the 2011 Putnam Investments U.S. Alpine Championships with her younger brother Seppi as Team Stiegler finished third in both the men's and women's race.
RESI SAYS:
Wow it's been such a good spring so far. After I got a lot of things checked off on my Spring List I felt like I could really relax into spring. So far it has been awesome. From the best powder days in Jackson to traveling across Colorado and Utah and enjoying amazing sunsets with purple mountains and dark luminous clouds, the wide open spaces of America just crush me. I am so overpowered by the beauty that our land has. The power of the freedom and the way the earth is built just mesmerizes me. It's great to feel good about the season, look at testing results, talk with the trainers, start thinking about our next year's program and get super motivated with Sarah [Schleper] about our summer training plans and how we can improve and become the best. It's going to be a good time just training this year. After a season back I'm ready to pick it up to the next step!
FIRST TRACKS:
She was skiing at 2, racing at 6. In '99, Stiegler was silver medalist in giant slalom and bronze medalist in slalom at the Western J3 Juniors Olympics; a year later, she won gold in both events at JOs. She earned World Cup starts for '03 by finishing second (with one win) in the 2002 Nor Am slalom points, then gave a preview of her 2003 breakout by tearing through European-packed fields (before the Park City World Cups) to finish sixth in the first two Super Series giant slaloms. "I didn't go to World Juniors last year, so I'm gonna make it to the real World Championships this year,” she said. And she made it.
In her first Juniors Worlds in '03, she was bronze medalist in slalom and combined. Stiegler credits not only her parents but another Olympic champion and silver medalist - former Olympic and world champion Diann Roffe, who coached in a U.S. Development program for several winters - with helping sculpt such a promising racer.
OFF THE SNOW:
Stiegler splits her time between Jackson Hole and Hawaii with boyfriend and professional wind surfer Kevin Pritchard. Dad is Pepi Stiegler, Austrian Olympic multi-medalist and former ski school director in Jackson Hole; Mom, Carrie, is an appraiser in Jackson Hole; and Stiegler has a younger brother, Seppi is an NCAA champion skier at Denver University. She's big into art, fashion and especially photography. Her life in photo is best viewed on www.resi-stiegler.com.
