Canada’s alpine panda has traded in his swashbuckling ways for the security of a desk job.
Top alpine skier Jan Hudec has put away his drumsticks and given up the Lamborghini to focus on building his small optometry business, win gold on the world cup and raise his young son.
“There were definitely no shenanigans this summer. In a way it was good, because it kept me focused. My days all summer were train at the gym in the morning at the athlete factory, be in the store all day and juggle time with my son,” Hudec said.
“Life isn’t boring. Days are hectic, just not full of super fun enjoyable things. There are days I’m at the shop from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and others I’m only there for a few hours. It’s changing every day. I’ve had a lot of people that have helped me, but it’s definitely consuming my entire life.”
Banker’s Vision, his new posh shop in downtown Calgary, is part of his life-after-skiing plan. It’s taken much more of his time than he ever expected, but he was still able to put time in at the gym and will be ready to go for the first men’s speed race of the season, the Winterstart Lake Louise World Cup on Nov. 30- Dec. 1.
“I feel better than I did last year. That’s a huge bonus for me. Last year I was managing my knee. This year I feel physically fit. Race day will be the test,” Hudec said.
He managed to attend three snow camps this summer and rested his sore knees as much as possible.
“I skipped all skiing this spring and early summer to rest my knee. I did make three snow camps. The first one was in Chile. It was a short camp and I came home early to work on the store. Then there was a summer camp in France and we just got back from Colorado,” he said.
His primary focus is the world cup and although he only needs one more top 12 finish to qualify for the Sochi Olympics, he’s not allowing himself to think that far ahead.
“Sochi is something that’s on the radar. For me, I take things day by day. It’s not something I go to bed dreaming about. It’s close, it’s attainable, but it’s still far away in skier terms,” Hudec said. “It’s definitely a challenge running a small business and training for the Olympics. I don’t have much of a life anymore.”
Hudec is always a podium threat at Lake Louise and says anything short of a top-three performance will be a disappointment for him. Erik Guay, Manny Osborne-Paradis and Robby Dixon will likely join him on the start line for Canada. They’re all coming off injuries, but it’s the younger skiers who are skiing fast right now in training.
“A lot of the really young guys put the gears to the older guys. That brings us back to earth and focuses us on what we need to do to ski faster,” Hudec said.
He wants to race every world cup stop this season, depending on how his scarred knees hold up, and would love at least one giant slalom start. Last year, he managed his knee pain by skipping training runs, however, he’d rather not try that approach again this year.
Even with his busy schedule, Hudec says he has no plans of slowing down. If he’s skiing well, he says, Sochi may not be his last Olympic games.
“I have a passion for it. If I didn’t have a passion, I’d never keep doing it. Through all of the rehab and all of the pain, you can only do it for so long, so you need to have that passion and teammates who support you,” Hudec said.
“If I didn’t believe I could still win, I wouldn’t do it. This could be my last Olympics, but Lake Louise could be my last race. I don’t plan. Honestly, if I stay healthy and I stay strong, I could race for four more years and reach the next Olympics.”
At 32, he’s got a lot on his plate, but believes he can be a successful father, ski racer and businessman with a little help. He’s learned much over the past year trying to turn his business into a success, but said the one thing that’s eluded him is a vacation.
“I’d love to go on a vacation somewhere. I’ve only been once in my life and that didn’t go well. I’d love to sit on a beach with no phone for a while,” Hudec said.
