Amid the crisp Laurentian air and the buzz of anticipation at Mont-Tremblant Ski Resort, two alpine skiing icons – American superstar Mikaela Shiffrin and Canadian hometown hero Valérie Grenier – brought infectious energy to the inaugural press conference for the PwC Tremblant World Cup. All smiles and quick with the laughs, the duo stole the show Friday afternoon, charming a room full of reporters and a gaggle of wide-eyed young skiers as they geared up for a weekend of giant slalom battles on the iconic Flying Mile course.
The event, marking the return of World Cup racing to this historic Quebec venue after more than two decades, felt like a homecoming for Grenier, the 29-year-old from nearby St-Isidore, Ontario, who cut her teeth on these slopes as a kid. “It’s a dream come true,” Grenier beamed, her eyes sparkling with the kind of joy that only racing on home snow can ignite. Seated shoulder-to-shoulder with Shiffrin, she playfully dismissed any notion of rivalry between the two. “I don’t think I’d ever call this a rivalry,” she joked, drawing chuckles from the crowd. “It’s great to have the chance to ski in the same era as Mikaela – I get inspired by her every time.”
Shiffrin, the 30-year-old from Edwards, Colorado, and the most decorated skier in World Cup history with 100 victories under her belt, couldn’t have been more gracious. Fresh off a flawless slalom win in her home state last weekend – her fourth straight in the discipline this Olympic season – she turned the tables on the youthful audience in the back of the room. “Who here feels confident before a race start? Raise your hand,” she called out, her voice laced with that trademark mix of wisdom and whimsy. Nearly every hand shot up. “Wow, you guys are a confident bunch! That’s fantastic. I wish I had that – showing up at the gate thinking, ‘I’ve got this.’ Most days, it’s not quite like that.” The room erupted in laughter, a reminder that even legends like Shiffrin grapple with the mental tightrope of elite competition.
The lighthearted vibe masked deeper undercurrents of resilience for both athletes. Shiffrin, who narrowly escaped serious injury in a harrowing crash at Killington exactly a year prior, has clawed her way back to form this season, blending technical precision with renewed fire. “I’m just a big fan of amazing skiing,” she said of Grenier, nodding to the Canadian’s breakout gold in Kranjska Gora earlier this year. “Val’s got that spark – it’s exciting to watch.”
Grenier, meanwhile, has endured her own gauntlet of setbacks, including a quadruple leg fracture in 2019 and a string of nagging injuries that sidelined her for nearly two years. Yet, on the eve of the races, she radiated optimism. “This course knows me – and I know it,” she said, her grin widening. “I’m ready to let it rip.”
Their camaraderie set the tone for what turned out to be a thrilling opener on Saturday, where Mother Nature threw everything from heavy snow to thickening fog at the field. New Zealand’s Alice Robinson dominated to claim her second straight giant slalom victory, clocking a combined 2:16.18. Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutić took silver, 0.94 seconds back, while Grenier stormed to bronze – her first podium in nearly two years – finishing at 2:17.18 amid emotional hugs from her teammates.
“It was a big reaction, big tears in my eyes,” Grenier said post-race, still pinching herself. “To do this at home? Such a dream. I can’t get over it – I have no words.” Shiffrin, who sat third after the morning run just 0.49 seconds off the pace, pushed aggressively in the second but faltered in the fading light, dropping to sixth with a 2:17.83. “I felt super dark out there, and I maybe wasn’t as clean as I could’ve been,” she reflected. “That’s for tomorrow.”
Switzerland’s Camille Rast and France’s Clara Direz rounded out the top five in fourth and fifth, respectively, navigating the tricky conditions with poise. As the second giant slalom looms Sunday, the stakes couldn’t be higher: points toward the Olympic crystal globe, momentum for the Beijing Winter Games, and for Grenier, a chance to etch her name deeper into Tremblant lore.
With #TeamUSA and Canadian flags waving side by side, Shiffrin’s global prowess and Grenier’s local fire promise fireworks on the hill. As one young fan in the presser crowd put it: “This is gonna be pretty sick.” For these two, it’s more than that – it’s the thrill of the chase, shared with a smile.
