The winningest alpine skier in history is shifting her focus this season—and making it clear the competition should prepare for more of the same dominance.
Mikaela Shiffrin may be spending time in front of cameras, but her attention has never left the mountain. In a recent remark that quickly circulated among ski fans, the American star put it plainly: “Studio sessions but the mind is on the snow. You already know winter season is going to be absolutely elite.”
The comment arrives at a pivotal moment. Shiffrin, already the most successful alpine skier in World Cup history with 110 race victories, has just declared the 2026-27 campaign a “season of exploration.” She plans to race fewer slaloms—the discipline in which she has built the bulk of her legend (73 wins)—and devote more training and racing time to giant slalom and Super-G. Her first slalom start is targeted for Killington, Vermont, later in November, with additional starts to be decided based on results and recovery.
The shift is deliberate. After winning her sixth overall World Cup title last season (tying the women’s record held by Annemarie Moser-Pröll) and claiming Olympic slalom gold at Milano-Cortina, Shiffrin has said she wants to follow her curiosity rather than simply repeat the same formula. She has acknowledged that reducing her signature event could make another overall title harder to defend, yet she appears willing to accept that trade-off for the chance to test new limits.
That focus has not kept her out of the studio. Shiffrin has maintained a steady presence in media and brand work, including fashion and lifestyle shoots, long-term partnerships with companies such as Atomic and Longines, and the recent launch of her personal brand identity and podcast, What’s the Point. The dual track—polished off-snow appearances paired with relentless on-snow preparation—is familiar territory for her, and the latest comment suggests the balance remains firmly weighted toward performance.
With the World Cup season set to open in Sölden, Austria, on October 24, the message from the record-holder is unambiguous. Whatever the calendar looks like and however many studio lights she steps under, Shiffrin expects the winter ahead to be elite—and she intends to be at the center of it.
