As a boy the alarm clock rang at three o’clock, when he had to wake up before dawn to work in the mountain hut, where his father had sent him. Today Dominik Paris gets up a little later “around 6”, with the sole objective of “being the fastest, always”.
Is it with early rising that he earned second place among the most successful downhill skiers of all time?
“Getting up early, I must say, has never bothered me. Work in the mountain hut was a very important school for me: when you find yourself side by side with people who are more expert than you, you learn to move well in life, always seeking the best result. And this is also true in sport”.
And what is the best thing you want to aim for this season?
“I won’t deny that the (downhill) Cup always remains my goal. Great continuity will be needed and we will need to start well, with great drive and motivation to remain at a high level throughout the season.”
And the World Cup?
“The physical will give me answers towards mid-December. Needless to say, the desire for a medal is always great.”
But what is the great objective of ‘Domme’?
“Be the fastest, whenever possible…”
Not winning, or even exciting everyone?
“I must say that several fans write to me. They say they watch my races with great emotion. When you try to be the fastest I believe that things go hand in hand and victory is not only a gift for yourself, but also for the fans. Like an ‘encore’ at a rock concert.”
And this fabulous encore for you is…?
“The Olympics, a good result at home would be the best.”
Don’t your hands, or rather, your knees, itch when you think of many of your colleagues working in Solden tomorrow?
“I did the giant slalom, even willingly. But now there is only a desire for speed, I now leave the narrower gates to others: the level is increasing in a discipline that must be practiced with great continuity.”
Why is speed his favorite hunting ground?
“It’s better for those who feel the snow under their feet more. In giant slalom it’s more a question of rhythm and trajectories to take the curve better without braking.”
When will we see you at the gate and what awaits you in these weeks?
“I will start the season directly on December 6th in Beaver Creek. For the moment I’m resting at home (in Ultimo, ed.), then finishing touches on the Austrian glaciers and finally leaving for America. We will train with the team at Copper Mountain (Colorado) before the races.”
Are you a bit of a snow MotoGP, are you never afraid of crazy speeds?
“If fear comes, the real one, it’s time to stop. However, you need a lot of respect for the mountain and for the descent. If you get distracted it could end badly.”
We’ve seen her on and off stages with her metal band, ‘Rise of Voltage’. When he’s not flying at sixty miles an hour, does he let off steam like this?
“Music, my passion, helps me unplug. Enjoying a nice evening with friends takes away the tensions of racing.”
How do you manage to manage your commitments?
“Fortunately the World Cup season is quite short. In the summer we manage to do some concerts, and every time I come home between one competition and another we meet for rehearsals and to write some songs.”
What do you think of your fellow countryman (and almost fellow skier) Sinner?
“We’ve never met in person. But I really like his character: few frills and a lot of work.” Just like ‘Domme’.
