Steven Nyman Nyman's World 2.0

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Bio

Steven Nyman
6' 4" 194cm
220 lbs 100k

3x World Cup Winner
11x World Cup Podium Performer
4x Olympian Torino, Vancouver, Sochi, Jeonseong
2x National Champion
World Junior Champion 2002

Story

Born and bred in Utah, Steven Nyman was skiing at 2, his Mom taught him how to ski while his Dad ran the ski school at Sundance Mountain Resort. Steven and his three brother chased each other all over the mountains teaching and pushing each other to different skiing heights. His younger brother Blake migrated more toward the free-skiing scene gaining several segments in films and magazines around the globe, Michael his older brother became a ski patroller for several years, while Sam, the youngest, enjoys his time skiing for fun he continues to work at Sundance.

Steven stuck to racing, he dreamt of skiing in the Olympics and winning on the World Cup level. While racing for the Park City Ski Team he became a discretionary pick to the 2002 World Junior squad where he landed two medals. Gold in the Slalom and Silver in the combined. Coaches were so impressed, they entered him in a World Cup slalom six days later and he finished 15th! Since then he progressed to win on every level all the way to becoming a three time 3x World Cup winner, a 11x World Cup podium performer and becoming a 4x Olympian 06', 10’, 14’, 18’.

In 2010 Steven wanted to create a deeper connection with ski racing fans aside from national pride, so he came up with Fantasy Ski Racer (FSR). From 2010-2020 Fantasy Ski Racer had over 25,000 users throughout the world. FSR was a fantasy game where you tried predicting the top 10 athletes in each race and were scored on your accuracy.

In 2017 Steven and his partner, Charlotte Moats had their first daughter Nell. In 2020 they added one more to the mix, another daughter, Ayla. Charlotte and Steven enjoy teaching their little ones the joys of the mountains and skiing.

March of 2023, after chasing his childhood dreams for 21 years, Steven decided to retire from competitive ski racing in Aspen, Colorado in front of the home crowd. It was an incredibly special moment for he and his family to say goodbye to the sport that gave him so much. But it wasn’t a goodbye, it was just a transition. Currently Steven is inspiring himself and others through the mountains. He enjoys guiding ski trips all over the world. Steven is an ambassador for several longstanding brands and through his world travels he is helping develop his home mountain of Sundance.

Steven was given the opportunity to ski race through the support of his local community. He likes to give back through organizations like SOS Outreach and Youth Sport Alliance (YSA). These organizations provide the same opportunity to experience the mountains to kids as he received in his youth.

F.S.R.

In 2010 Steven wanted to create a better connection between ski racing and its fans. So he developed www.FantasySkiRacer.com He and his brother set out and designed the site for fun, as a side project. It quickly grew to ski racings premier fantasy website until the shut it down in 2020.

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Jan 01, 1970

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Thank you!

The game of downhill is raw and exposes a person to their core. To sit atop a mountain with nothing in your way except a sheet of ice, some sticks you’re trying to turn around, two long, sharp boards strapped to your feet, and wearing next to nothing brings a lot out in a person. It is the ultimate test to see what you are made of.  

The sport of skiing develops the person like no other sport I know.  The strength required, the awareness, agility, endurance, constant analysis, the desire to push oneself within its elements helps develop people into more confident, capable, resilient, balanced humans. 

These two things have consumed me for my entire life and will continue to. I love this sport and will forever enjoy it. My game of World Cup downhill skiing has run its course. I gave my heart to it and it taught me so much. I milked every last drop I had…but my tank is empty.  

The level of human and strength that is required to race at a high level on the World Cup is now beyond my grasp. The focus and energy that has to be put into each run is incredible, it brings out abilities that astound me. I love watching the game; I love witnessing the greatness of my compatriots and teammates.  It is an inspiring spectacle to watch, and I will continue to pull inspiration from it.  

This summer I set out to take myself back to that level. I touched it at times. I was able to beat up on the young bucks in summer training. I thought I was back, but then my back told me otherwise. Three times I had to get cortisone injections, the last one being just two weeks before the season. Then, I made it into the season and two races in I broke my hand. I tried making it work so I could ski one of my favorite tracks, the Saslong, in Val Gardena, Italy. And, I was indeed able to dance with the Saslong one last time. A track that has blessed me with wins but also has kept me humble. It was a fun ride, but in the finish I realized I was finished. I had fallen too far behind. With the injuries and lack of ability to train and maintain my fitness I was playing catch-up, and playing catch-up on the World Cup tour is no place for me right now. It is a dangerous position for a 40-year-old with two kids. I have been there many times and crawled out, but I don’t have the energy and will to do so once again. 

I am happy with my achievements. I experienced levels I only dreamt of as a kid. I grew up without TV - we would have people record events and shows for us to watch and they would give it to us on VHS tapes.  One of those tapes was the 92’ Olympics in Albertville. I wore that tape out watching my heroes compete on the biggest stage. Those heroes I later became friends with (AJ Kitt), stood on the podium with (Kjetil Andre Aamodt), were teammates with (Daron Rahlves, Bode Miller)…Then I was fortunate enough to chip my way to the world's biggest stage. I had ‘Happy Birthday’ sung to me at the Olympic Games! I was able to wrestle with the mental beast that is the Olympics, several times! I was able to race on that stage, to be there in person, and to witness some incredible performances! And, perhaps most rewarding, I was able to hoist my teammates onto my shoulders in victory! 

On the World Cup stage I was lifted onto my teammates shoulders in victory! Week in and week out we were competing for the top, pursuing that excellence helping the American Downhiller tradition and the sport of downhill ski racing blossom. Yet, the petals of flowers shed and it moves to the next layer.  My petal has dropped, but I will continue to nourish the flower and help it grow.  

I want to thank so many people who have helped me along the way:

  • First and foremost my parents. Mom taught her boys how to ski, and my Dad taught us how to race. Your example, support and never-ending love fueled my tank and helped me dig deep when times were hard. 

  • My brothers for instilling my competitive nature within me. You were my initial competition and I am forever in debt to you. 

  • Leo, my service man, you’ve been by my side since 2006! You’re like a father to me. You stuck with me through the dark times which made our successes so much brighter. You taught me so much about the simplicity of skiing and you were my filter to all the noise that can constantly move around us. 

  • My coaches (too many to name 20 years on the US Ski Team is a lot and there are plenty more before then that I am grateful for), I listened and loved analyzing your words and putting them into action trying to help me become the best I could. 

  • The U.S. Ski Team, the support staff direct and indirect, you keep the engine running and we athletes don’t know half of what you do but the support is felt. 

  • My partners/sponsors/supporters your support and belief in me meant and means the world.  It allowed me to pursue my passion with full force and commitment. Our relationships we generated over the years will go well beyond just ski racing, thank you again for your support. 

  • My home mountain, Sundance. It is funny to look at my skill sets and see how I was one of the best gliders in the world. That touch and energy came from the endless skiing I put in as a kid on your hills. It's going to be fun to dance on them more frequently. 

  • I want to thank the doctors, therapists, trainers, psychologists, body workers and beautiful minds that have helped put me back together countless times. I have to specifically thank Craig Buhler/AMIT Method and his team for their countless hours working with me. Those hours extended my career by years; your work truly is amazing.

  • I want to thank all the people I met along the way. The hotels that housed us, the communities that opened their doors. It was always great to come back to you every year. You are our family on the road and your energy is motivating. 

  • My competitors. This is an individual sport, but our team dynamic with the American Downhillers was always something special…and this was so much more than an individual sport to me, and us. Beyond our team, competitors from other nations feel more like family than anything else. You pushed me on the mountain, but I am honored to call you some of my closest friends off the mountain. You taught me more about myself and the world we live in, more than words could ever begin to convey. 

  • Last and not least thank you to my family, my wife Charlotte for entertaining my desires to chase my dream for so long, your patience is incredible. My children, you brought a renewed energy to me. I’m sorry you had to see daddy broken so many times but you also got to see daddy get back up and continue to go!  You bring energy and joy into my life.

 I love you, I love you all!  Thank you for the good times!

Here’s to the next chapter…


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