FRANCIS BOMPARD/AGENCE ZOOM/GETTY IMAGES ZOOM/GETTY BOMPARD/AGENCE FRANCIS Stenmark’s record—86 World Cup wins—long seemed unbreakable. Now America’s celebrity speed queen needs just 11 more to do it. It’s not just doable, it’s probable. Maybe even this year. BY GORDY MEGROZ 56 SKI MAGAZINE { December 2016 } { December 2016 } SKI MAGAZINE 57 “Lucy!” she says, addressing her newest and THE people think, though the notion that a woman could smallest addition, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel. CHASE FOR claim that title has created a sexist buzz within the “Did you do this?” I peer around the corner and see STENMARK ski world. And if that’s not enough to raise the ire Vonn crouched down, pointing toward a spot on the of chauvinists, Vonn will soon lodge a petition with floor. She’s wearing a black T-shirt and tights; her the International Ski Federation (FIS) to race against distinctive blond hair dangles over her shoulders. She Lindsey Vonn the men. She made the same request in 2012 but was pops up, comes tearing toward me, and goes straight has averaged rebuffed by FIS, who said, “One gender is not entitled into the kitchen. “Sorry,” she says as she blows past. about eight to participate in races of the other, and exceptions wins a year “We’ll get going as soon as I clean up this puke.” since 2008. She will not be made.” Tis time, however, she won’t take Te chaos and sleep deprivation are getting to her a needs 11 to pass no for an answer, and she threatens legal action if FIS bit, and she’d love to just shut down for a while. But Ingemar Sten- doesn’t yield. mark’s record of that’s not happening. It can’t. It’s August, and Vonn is 86 wins. If she’s Her house now vomit-free, we hop in her Audi Q7 headed to the gym this morning, and the workout she’s going to do it in and start driving toward her gym, 20 minutes away doing is one of the most important she’ll do all summer. 2017 it’ll have to in Minturn. She bops her head to Rihanna’s “Sex with be a good year. Over the past few years, when she’s been healthy, Vonn But remember, Me,” intermittently pausing to review her week’s has been the most dominant ski racer on the World Cup. the season ends schedule with Alex Bunt, her personal trainer and— Te problem is that she’s been hurt a lot. Last winter, on home turf, it seems—personal assistant, who’s riding shotgun. with the finals for the third time in four years, she ended her season scheduled for Due to her victories, glamorous good looks, and prematurely, this time due to three fractures in her right Aspen in March. high-profile relationship with Tiger Woods, Vonn’s knee. Te training she’s about to do was added to her Here’s a look at celebrity has transcended the world of skiing, and Vonn’s career— routine this summer to make her joints more durable. on the hill and in everybody wants a piece. Tat’s put a lot of demands Vonn, 32, is hoping it helps her win at least 11 races pop culture. on her time, and she’s spent this off-season bouncing on the World Cup tour this season. Tat would give between doing sponsor events with Under Armour, her a total of 87 victories over the course of her 1998 working on a book (Strong Is the New Beautiful, released career, breaking the current mark held by Swede At age 14, Lind- in October; essentially a nutrition and exercise book sey Kildow has Ingemar Stenmark, who dominated the sport in the for women), shooting a commercial for Reese’s that ran outgrown her ’70s and ’80s. Te record would make her the greatest home hill (Buck during the Summer Olympics, posing in body paint for ski racer ever to live—at least that’s what many Hill, Minn.). The the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, filming an episode She’s a dog lover, an author, and pos- sibly the best ski racer ever. Oppo- site: At home in Vail with Lucy, Leo, and Bear. Left: A downhill training run in Crans Montana, Switzerland. Below: Signing copies of her new book, Strong Is the New Beautiful (with a ready supply of Red Bull). Leo, one of her three dogs, woke her up at 5:30 and she couldn’t get back to sleep. It’s a quarter to ten now, and I’ve just arrived at Vonn’s house in Vail, a 6,600-square-foot wood and stone construction on the banks of Gore Creek. Family photos are scattered about, and her 20 World Cup crystal globes rest on shelves above the fireplace mantel. An Olympic gold medal is around here somewhere. I’ve barely had a chance to say hello when I hear Vonn shouting from down the hallway. CELEBMAFIA. IMAGES; ZOOM/GETTY THIBAUT/AGENCE VIANNEY LEFT: FROM OPPOSITE, CLIFFORD. DAVID PAGE: THIS 58 SKI MAGAZINE { December 2016 } { December 2016 } SKI MAGAZINE 59 Kildow family “Lean back,” says Bunt as he pushes her deeper moves to Vail. into the stretch. “It hurts,” says Vonn, before grunting out one of 2000 those promised expletives. Kildow makes her World Cup “Good hurt?” Bunt asks. debut at age 16 Vonn furrows her brow at him. “We need to keep in Park City. her strong,” Bunt says to me, pointing out that Vonn still lifts weights and rides bike intervals. “But how 2002 much stronger does she have to be? She’s the best in Makes Olympic debut in the Salt the world. It’s more important that we keep her there.” Lake City Games Vonn wasn’t always strong. Alan and Linda Kildow at age 17, finish- moved their family (Vonn has two sisters and two ing sixth in the combined. brothers) from Burnsville, Minn., to Vail in 1998 so that their precocious daughter could get better 2004 training. But Vonn was tall (about five-foot-eight), Scores her skinny, and weak, built far differently from the first World Cup prototypical ski racer, who is compact and bound podium with a with fast-twitch muscles. “Still, we knew right away third-place finish in downhill at that we had a high-level talent,” says Reid Phillips, Cortina, Italy—a Vonn’s coach at Ski Club Vail. “My boss told me that if of Bear Grylls’s show , and partying with track once I screwed it up, I’d be fired.” Running Wild favored by her other high-profile pros at places like the Kentucky childhood hero, It was Phillips’s job to help bulk her up and teach Derby and her L.A. home’s rooftop (where she played Picabo Street. her how to use her height to her advantage. “She cornhole with NBA all-star Rajon Rondo and mingled figured out how to create really big angles,” says with Entourage actor Jeremy Piven). “I like it,” she says of 2005 Phillips. In other words, Vonn learned to leverage her the hustle as we make our way toward Minturn. “But Starts her march stature. By angulating her hip into the hill, she used toward the it’s exhausting.” record with a De- her length to create tremendous force against her “You have the thing with Vail tomorrow,” says cember (2004) downhill ski. Te result was a deeper, smoother arc Bunt, reminding Vonn that she’s attending an event downhill win at than most of her peers could muster. Lake Louise. with Vail Resorts. “Ten they want to do photos.” Wins: 1 “OK,” says Vonn, sounding a bit exasperated. “Tat Total: 1 No skier has enjoyed more mainstream fame in works. As long as I get my nap.” America, but on the hill she’s all business. Top left: Celebrity cornhole at last summer’s Lindsey Vonn 2006 Summer Pre-Game Party. Below: An appearance walks into the Minturn Fitness Again starts on NBC’s Running Wild with Bear Grylls. Right: the season fast, VONN Center, throws her right leg up on a Training with (against?) the men this year in Chile. THIS PAGE, FROM LEFT: CARLO CRUZ/RED BULL CONTENT POOL; BEN SIMMS/NBC. OPPOSITE: JONATHAN SELKOWITZ/SELKOPHOTO. JONATHAN OPPOSITE: SIMMS/NBC. BEN POOL; CONTENT BULL CRUZ/RED CARLO LEFT: FROM PAGE, THIS stationary bike, and begins massaging her kneecap. “Sorry,” she says to me. “Tere’s going to be some swearing.” She continues kneading, trying to break up scar tissue in preparation for her workout, which is a twice-weekly series of stretches and isolation exercises that cause little-used muscles to fire, creating stability around her banged-up joints. Te regimen was designed for her by Tito Ramirez, a physical therapist in California who mainly works with NFL players, and she hates it. “I’d rather be throwing around weights,” she says as she lowers herself onto a foam roller, stretching her arms over her head. “People don’t respect women’s skiing as much as men’s. You hear coaches talk about us as though we’re course slippers. But I don’t let it bother me.” 60 SKI MAGAZINE { December 2016 } { December 2016 } SKI MAGAZINE 61 allegations that most popular event. Tat’d be stupid.” Ten she drops Thomas tam- into a squat while twisting a bar above her head. pered with her equipment. “Tirty seconds,” says Bunt. Vonn groans.