Two miraculous Olympic super-G medals and some of the most hair-raising moments ever seen on the World Cup tour are what Lake Placid, New York, native Andrew Weibrecht was known for throughout his 16-year career on the U.S. Ski Team. In May, 2018 the 32-year-old father of two announced his retirement from ski racing.

 

Ski racing fans across the country can rest easy, however, as Weibrecht has recently signed on to be an official NASTAR pacesetter this coming winter. Weibrecht will join the likes of former teammates Daron Rahlves, Marco Sullivan, and other American skiing legends as they travel across the country as patrons of the sport to various NASTAR events.

 

“It’s a really cool opportunity to see some off the beaten path places that I’ve never been to,” says Weibrecht. He will host a race camp for the second year running at Sugar Mountain, NC Dec. 13-15 for anyone interested in improving their skills. "It’s nice to stay involved with the sport in that context.”

 

Weibrecht finished off his final year of study at Dartmouth College last year and graduated with a degree in earth sciences. Additionally, Weibrecht took on marketing and guest services responsibilities at his family’s Lake Placid hotel, the Mirror Lake Inn. 

 

“I used to do it when I was a kid,” he says of his NASTAR roots growing up in Lake Placid. “I remember having NASTAR pins and thinking that they were awesome when I was eight years old. It’s a fun thing, it’s a cool thing, and it brings the sport to a much wider audience and I think that’s great.”

 

Weibrecht managed to take his humble beginnings running the local NASTAR course and turn it into a successful career on the U.S. Ski Team that included two Olympic medals in super-G, a bronze from Vancouver 2010 and an unforgettable silver from Sochi 2014. Both times, Weibrecht finished on the podium with legendary American Bode Miller.

 

“About a day after I decided in my head that I was retiring, Sochi happened,” he says. “And I had that kind of day that I still can’t describe which launched a whole new chapter of my career. The years after Sochi were the best of my career. I raced at my highest level and had experiences that will stay with me forever.”

 

Weibrecht recognizes a responsibility to grow the sport that gave him so much and is excited to introduce ski racing to people who wouldn’t normally think of jumping in a racecourse when they spend a day on the slopes. The next great American ski racing star is out there, they just need the encouragement to hop in gates for the first time.

 

“I think that being able to offer ski racing to the lay person is such an important thing for skiing in the United States, but also just for the sport in general,” he explains. “I’m excited that people are going to be able to experience ski racing at whatever level. It’s really cool what NASTAR does by bringing in ex-athletes to bring everything full circle. You’re able to compete at your own level and your own age category but also ski against some of the best athletes in the sport. I hope that I can go to these places and talk to kids and encourage ski racing and encourage the sport to continue to grow.”