Chris Beckmann’s life is centered in the mountains.
The 21-year-old Altamont native is currently in Colorado training with the United States Ski Team for the upcoming season one which he hopes will bring him to the top level of Alpine skiing, the World Cup.
I’ve already had some World Cup experience,` said Beckmann after a training session Sunday. `I do not have a World Cup spot this season. We have two spots open on the World Cup team, and four guys are going for those two spots including me.`
Beckmann has a good international rEsumE going for him. He medaled in the downhill competition at the 2005 and 2006 Junior World Championships ` taking the gold medal in 2006 ` and was second in the 2006 North American rankings. He also placed 19th at his first World Cup event back in March 2006 in Sweden. Last year, he competed in nine International Ski Federation (FIS) races, winning one and placing in the top 10 in five more.
Not bad for someone who grew up in the shadow of the Helderberg Escarpment, dozens of miles away from the nearest mountain.
`I’m not even sure how I got into it,` said Beckmann. `I think the first time (I skied), it was a family trip to Maple Ski Ridge (in Rotterdam). I was probably about 6 years old at the time.`
Beckmann didn’t join his first ski team until several years later when he followed in his older brother David’s footsteps and started competing with the West Mountain club. A couple of years later, Beckmann began spending winters in Lake Placid with the New York Ski Education Foundation while continuing to attend Guilderland High School.
`It was tough juggling schoolwork and skiing, but it helped me to get out and do skiing in the morning and do schoolwork in the afternoon,` said Beckmann.
Beckmann’s years in Lake Placid paid off in 2004 when he was selected for the U.S. Ski Team’s C squad.
`I was in the Bahamas vacationing with my grandparents when I found out,` said Beckmann. `I was out snorkeling when my grandmother called out to me and said, ‘It’s your parents on the phone. They said you made the team.’`
In a matter of weeks, Beckmann was at the U.S. Ski Team’s Park City, Utah facility training with Olympians such as Daron Rahlves and Ted Ligety.
`It was definitely a little bit of a shock to me, but it was exciting at the same time,` said Beckmann. `I learned a lot from training with the other skiers.`
Beckmann made his mark quickly when he placed sixth in the downhill at the 2004 Junior Worlds. The following year, he won the silver medal before his gold medal-winning run in 2006.
The transition from the Junior Worlds to the World Cup has been a slower process for Beckmann. In order to crack the U.S. Ski Team’s A squad, he’s devoted himself to an off-season strength training program in Park City and a grueling pre-season downhill training program that puts him on the trails as the sun is just rising over the Colorado Rockies.
`We’re hitting the chairlift at 6:20 in the morning while it’s still dark,` said Beckmann. `You get on the chairlift and look down at the trail and say, ‘It’s a little dark to be skiing.’ But the sun is up by the time you get to the top.`
Two sessions of downhill runs per day have left Beckmann’s body sore, but he said he still enjoys it.
`We have pretty intense training, but it’s something I always look forward to,` said Beckmann.
Beckmann is also looking forward to a potential berth on the U.S. Olympic team for the 2010 games in Vancouver, but he knows he needs more World Cup experience first.
`I’m hoping to make a few World Cup (races) this year and punch my ticket to the World Cup team,` he said.“