Banff’s own Olympic bronze medallist Jan Hudec is a questionable starter for the men’s Lake Louise Alpine World Cup Nov. 28 -29 after tweaking his fragile knee early this week.
“Everything seems OK. I kinda squished it in a turn. It’s more a range of motion issue,” said Hudec, who skipped Wednesday’s (Nov. 25) training run.
He went for what he called a “precautionary MRI” on Monday and said he will make a decision on Thursday if he’s able to race. The 34 year old has had eight knee surgeries over his career – seven on his left knee, one on his right – and missed most of last season after suffering a bone bruise in Val Gardena. However, pain is an everyday occurrence for Hudec and he’s optimistic he will be cleared to race the downhill on Saturday.
“I feel physically fit, but it’s about managing pain. It hurts whenever I wake up, when I sit down, sneeze, put my shoes on …” Hudec said.
Even on a pair of arthritic knees held together with staples and the miracles of medical science, Hudec is pushed by an unwavering desire to reach his full potential in sport. The desire has led him to world championship glory, an Olympic medal and the chance to become one of the most charming heroes in sport. But it’s also ravaged his back and knees with astonishing injuries.
“I’m chasing potential. Maybe that’s the one thing that gets me. It’s a blessing and a curse. Maybe I love it too much, but I see the potential in everything. Sometimes it leads me to make poor decisions without weighing the risk, but that has kept me in the game to see my successes. There is a risk to pay for that,” Hudec said.
Looking back at his career as one of the most naturally talented skiers on the world cup circuit, Hudec still doesn’t believe he’s reached his full potential, due to injuries and career choices.
“In one way, I missed out on my potential, but I’m grateful I was able to show potential,” Hudec said. “A lot of the highlights of my career, considering the circumstances, were often sensational. At the same time, if I had done things differently, and prepared differently when I was younger, been more self motivated, I could have been at that level for a lot longer.”
This year, Hudec has only had a handful of days on snow this year (his first on-snow training day was in October), and trained mostly on dryland.
“My coach said I’ve had more days on snow this fall than some of my best seasons,” Hudec said.
Having trained with Banff Alpine Racers as a teenager, Hudec has been racing or forerunning at Lake Louise since 1999, and said his approach hasn’t changed much since then.
“My expectations are more or less the same. I never know what I’m going to get, even if I was perfectly healthy. For me, it’s about going to the hill, getting settled and comfortable with my surroundings, getting comfortable on skis. Once Saturday starts, you just go with it,” Hudec said.
When he wasn’t splitting time between his son Elias in the Czech Republic and Oaklee in Calgary, dryland training was Hudec’s friend this summer, and he plans to be a big part of Canada’s veteran-laden team this year.
Erik Guay will also return to action at Lake Louise after missing most of last year with an injury of his own. Guay, the most successful alpine skier in Canadian history, is hungry to get back on the podium and still wants to add an Olympic medal to his resume.
Manny Osborne-Paradis won silver last year in Lake Louise, and will be a threat again this year. Jeffrey Frisch, Morgan Pridy, Broderick Thompson, Ben Thomsen and Tyler Werry are all scheduled to start for Canada this weekend.
Hudec said several of his teammates are poised for big races.
“Watch for Thompson; if he can keep his head on straight, he’ll do well. Erik has been solid in training. He’s on a mission. Manny can shoot the lights out in Lake Louise,” Hudec said.
The man they call Panda is also developing an app to help fellow skiers support one another. It’s a continuation of his Pandahaus fund, which supports skiers Hudec believes can make a difference. Thompson received Pandahaus funds this year, while Larissa Yurkiw and Frisch received it in years past.
“It brings the ski/snowboard/mountain sport community under one roof so we can collaborate, exchange information from the best coaches and sports psychologists and have a ‘fund me’ style to bring in funders,” he said.
“It’s a very robust application. The whole Pandahaus started with Jeffrey Frisch and Larissa Yurkiw. They were having a hard time connecting with the corporate world to find sponsors. This year has been really interesting, being able to connect with sponsors, putting our brains together and building an app that stands for the values and characteristics of skiing in a way I wanted, to mentor and influence athletes.”
Hudec has always been generous with his time to charities, and he hopes the app will be a lasting legacy long after he retires. He believes the sport is in good shape.
“It’s great to work with other athletes. Sometimes people think it’s a dying sport, but there are now several ski clubs with hundreds of members. For me, it’s exciting to see how the sport is influencing people to share the mountains,” Hudec said. “The only concern I have is I won’t be able to race forever.”
The men’s downhill races begin Saturday at 11:30 a.m. while the super-G is scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday at the Lake Louise Ski Resort. Children under 12 ski for free on race day, and admission to the race is also free.
