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Show Wed/Thurs/Fri, March 27-29, 2019 B-7 The Park Record Mikaela in Manhattan: Shiffrin scripts a marvelous ski season #1 Title Company 2018 The 24-year-old racing phenom shattered records MELISSA MURPHY Associated Press NEW YORK — Mikaela Shiffrin generally whizzes past mountain gates at 80 mph. She had a much harder time maneuvering through the crowd at Macy’s. The 24-year-old skier arrived in Manhattan to celebrate the end of a record-setting season, which included an unprecedented 17 World Cup wins and her third straight overall title. Lindsey Vonn won four overall titles before she retired this season at the age of 34. Shiffrin returned from the Pyrenees mountains — after a brief visit to Barcelona with her French boyfriend and skier Mathieu Faivre — for a meet and greet with fans at the watch counter at Macy’s on Thursday for sponsor Longines. “It was a little bit, where am I going?” she said with a laugh about the flagship store. Shiffrin had no such problems on the slopes this season. She is the first skier — male or female — to win World Cup discipline titles in slalom, giant slalom and super-G, plus the overall title in one season. She broke the women’s record and tied the men’s record for most slalom wins with 40. She is the youngest skier to reach 50 World Cup wins and now has 60. Not bad for an American skier who at age 6 told her parents she wanted to be the best in the world. She crouched in the snow cradling the giant slalom crystal globe after clinching that title for the first time on March 17, four days after her birthday. “I’m most proud of the GS globe,” Shiffrin said. “This year, I had some breakthrough moments with giant slalom. Winning the final race was one of the more emotional moments.” She made the media rounds in New York and taught Jimmy Fallon the shuffle dance during an appearance on “The Tonight Show.” She will get a two-week break and spend time with her 97-year-old grandmother and settle into a new house in Colorado. Shiffrin competes mostly in Europe during the ski season and enjoys relative anonymity back in the U.S. But that may change with the retirement of Vonn and given Shiffrin’s record wins, prize money and endorsements. She is featured in a TV commercial for Barilla with tennis star Roger Federer. Fallon called Shiffrin “the most dominant skier on the planet.” Here are more things to know about Shiffrin, whose parents were both ski racers: Team effort Shiffrin knows her level of success takes a village of support, including her family, coaches, trainers and conditioning experts. “When it comes down to race day, we don’t leave it to chance and we don’t leave it to luck,” she said. “We only have three days in between races, it’s my only block of training. They’re figuring out the logistics, do we fly here, drive there, where do we go, what’s the best conditions? Do we need to send somebody ahead of time to inject the slopes so the snow is hard enough when I arrive? They are on top of that all the time.” Three years ago, she enlisted coach Mike Day, who she said has had a “calming effect” com- pared with some “very intense coaches in the past.” He’s “evenkeeled” and helps “block out the noise.” Breakthroughs An early season victory in December in the super-G — her first in that discipline— at Lake Louise in Canada was key to launching her successful season, Shiffrin said. She’d had no super-G training since ski camp in Chile three months earlier. A slalom and giant slalom technical racer, her goal was to “just enjoy it” and “lay down a really good run.” She called it “the most fun I’d had in a race for a long time.” That win set the tone for a remarkable season. “I thought, if I could keep this `high standards, but no expectations’ kind of mindset for the rest of the season, then I think it’s going to be really good. That was a huge piece of it.” It translated into improved skiing, confidence and giant slalom turns “faster than anyone else can do.” Weather and course conditions are constant variables. “The races I won this year, maybe I had to fight for it or maybe I just skied a lot better and I earned it. That’s a special kind of feeling. My GS is definitely on a different level.” Mother lode Her mother, Eileen, is a coach, video analyst, hill inspector, travel companion and all-around guiding force. They thought about tapering Eileen’s travel schedule before the season, but the successes kept her on the road. “She’s family, that unconditional love,” Shiffrin said. “She’s only there for me. It’s not like her salary rides on my success. Her happiness rides on my happiness. I’m happiest when I’m able to ski my best.” Eileen was her study partner when Mikaela was homeschooled the last two years of high school, which allowed her to travel on the World Cup circuit during the winter at age 16 after attending Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont. “My mom is the most driven person I’ve ever known, but she’s driven about the things she cares about. So I think people often look at her and they just assume that she has pushed me. Yeah, she pushes me in the sense that she keeps me on track. My parents were always helping me be a better skier.” Low risk Shiffrin has had a relatively injury-free career, in part because her team is selective about scheduling races so she gets enough rest and training while avoiding high-risk situations. That also makes her one of the “best prepared on the circuit.” “With every minor injury I’ve had, I’ve learned a lot from it,” she said. While injury can be “part of the sport,” Shiffrin said it doesn’t need to keep her “out of the sport for a majority of my career.” Up next She asked her team not to rest on her laurels and to “stay on top, keep working. There’s always this driving force, don’t stop now, don’t get complacent.” At this rate, Shiffrin could approach the record of 86 World Cup wins held by Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark. Vonn finished with 82 wins. “Skiing has given me so much joy and so many incredible experiences in life,” she said. “I owe it to the sport itself to be the best that I can and push it to a new limit.” Some of the petS at NuzzleS & Co. lookiNg for love These animals are available to be seen at the Nuzzles & Co. Adoption Center and Rescue Ranch. Our Adoption Center is open Monday through Friday from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is located in the Tanger Outlets in Kimball Junction. Our Rescue Ranch is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Sunday. The Rescue Ranch is located at 6466 N. Highview Road in Peoa. Carlotta Chubbs Roman Scout Carlotta is a 6-year-old cattle dog mix. This sweet girl has just learned how to walk on a leash and is excited to go exploring! She is very sweet and loves to play with toys. Carlotta does well around cats and other dogs. Come and meet this sweet gal today! Chubbs is a 10-month-old German Shepherd mix. This happy go lucky boy is full of energy and would make the perfect hiking or running buddy. Chubbs knows most of his basic obedience skills, and he loves to be with people. This happy guy’s tail never stops wagging! Meet Roman! This handsome 6-year-old German Shepherd is full of personality and is looking for a home that is familiar with his breed. Roman loves to go on long walks and enjoys swimming! Roman would do best in a home without any other animals, as he can be picky about his friends. Meet Scout, an energetic, 5-month-old cattle dog who loves to play and run! He does well on a leash, is fine around cats, and likes other dogs. Scout is looking for an active home where he can get lots of exercise and go on adventures with his family! Gizmo Goliath Patrick Sand Gizmo is a beautiful 8-monthold kitten who has a permanent “boop” on her cute, little nose! This friendly cat is looking for a loving forever home where she can spend lots of time snuggling and playing with her family. Gizmo will bring lots of love and smiles into your home! Goliath is a quiet and reserved 2-year-old Domestic Shorthair. This handsome black cat enjoys laying in the sun and watching the birds fly by. Goliath is FeLV positive, so he will need a loving home where he is the only cat. This sweet boy likes to give kisses, too! Patrick is a handsome cat with a soft black and white coat. He’s about 4 years old and enjoys lazy days spent watching wildlife from a cozy perch or snoozing on a warm lap. Patrick is a social guy who likes people and gets along with other cats. Sand is a buff tabby Domestic Shorthair who is about 8 years old. She’s a shy girl, but with a little love and TLC, we know that she will open up and let her beautiful personality shine. She’s a gentle and quiet cat who is just looking for someone to love. WaNted: voluNteerS These Organizations are looking for volunteers. If you would like to include your group in this section, please email information to copyeditor@parkrecord.com. Please limit your entry to no more than 75 words Recycle Utah Recycle Utah, the primary recycling hub in Summit County for the last 25 years, is seeking volunteers. Get fresh air, burn calories, and make your community cleaner and greener. Help is needed in the front office, the warehouse, and assisting with daily operations. Recycle Utah also relies on volunteers at special events like Harvest Fest and collection events. For more information, contact Haley Lebsack at outreach@recycleutah.org or 435-649-9698. <b>Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District</b> Basin Recreation is looking for volunteers with a passion for play to be Park Ambassadors. Park Ambassadors patrol the parks, interact with park users, report maintenance needs, assist with tournaments, promote park safety, and encourage an overall positive use of public space. For more details visit www.basinrecreation.org or contact Angie Greenburg at 435-640-8476 or email at agreenburg@basinrecreation.org. Summit Community Gardens Interested in learning about responsible gardening in a high desert climate or want the satisfaction of knowing you’re keeping our garden and community growing? If you answered yes, than Summit Community Gardens has volunteer opportunities for you! Our mission is to educate our community on sustainable gardening techniques and empower people to grow food locally. Help us achieve that mission by volunteering with us every week or on an individual project basis. Visit SummitCommunityGardens.org/ volunteer. Summit Community Power Works Summit Community Power Works, a local nonprofit focused on energy efficiency, is looking for volunteers to staff outreach events such as the Silly Sunday Market. This is a great opportunity to take part in a community-wide initiative, be a catalyst for positive change, and leave a positive legacy. Volunteers must enjoy interpersonal communication and be willing to learn about SCPW’s goals and initiatives. If interested, please contact Erin Bragg at erin.bragg@scpw.org. For a full list of volunteer opportunities, visit parkrecord.com/volunteers Committed To NARI TROTTER STEFANIE BOWEN (435) 649-8322 theteam@parkcitytitle.com 1670 Bonanza Drive • Park Record Building |