"Interview with Pro Skier Grete Eliassen" by Lauren H

My family happens to consist of multiple and very accomplished athletes. One of my cousin's success has grown over the past two decades and has become one of my role models and who I seek advice. Watching her growth and success during and after her competition days has led me to share her journey to who she is today. Specifically, my interview of my cousin Grete Eliassen - a professional skier who I’ve been fortunate to grow up watching her compete in front of my eyes, whether on television or in person. Grete has always held a special place in my family due to my father teaching her how to do her first 360 on skis, not knowing she would become a highly decorated and accomplished professional skier in the future. Leading me to ask Grete when did she realize she had the potential to become pro? Grete started skiing at two years old and “fell in love with skiing at ten years old” After taking a trip at the age of 12 to Bridger Bowl Montana. Grete realized the potential she possessed when learning about the event there called Queen of the Mountain. Asking when she had the realization of having the potential to become pro, Grete stated that she “knew that if my parents let me sign up for the contest, I would win, that's how sure I was of my ability as a skier. Even though I was too young to enter, but in my mind, I had the thought that I can do this and feel like I had that mindset since I was twelve.” Igniting her passion for skiing and her desire, by in her words, “always wanted to prove I was the best.”

As a teen, Grete was selected to join the Norwegian Ski Team, and at 16, she won the Junior Super-G event at the Junior World Championships in France, and placed third in Slalom at the Junior Olympics in Slovenia. Leading to my next question asking when she officially became a pro athlete? Grete, at the age of 16, won the U.S. Open, which in her opinion, was when she “became a name in the skiing world and got more sponsors and my career launched from there.”

     Asking Grete to reflect at the start of her career, specifically the Junior Olympics, and the effect of competing at that event at such a young age of seventeen. Grete stated, “I was on the Norwegian ski team at the time and the year prior they had a junior competition, but I didn't make it because I wasn't good enough and I remember when I didn't make it I really worked hard that following year skiing and training really wanting to be a part of that event.” The following year, Grete would be named as one of the top skiers in the world, and competing at the Junior Olympics led to her getting the bronze. Grete states, “ I was one of the top skiers of the world at that time and to get a medal shouldn’t have been super hard for me, but I had to ski well, and I remember with the giant slalom I skied out and didn't have a second run so I couldn't try again.” However, her determination carried from the previous year would be proven to the world when competing in the slalom event resulting in receiving bronze. Grete  reflects back, stating, “I made the podium being surrounded by the best kids at the time, and it was literally being at the Olympics.” That was back when Grete was ski racing before her switch of specialty consisting of “skiing around the gates and going fast like Lindsey Vonn and even competing against her.” The Junior Olympics was a foreshow for many athletes such as Grete to demonstrate their success to come. 

In spite of her success in alpine skiing, she soon found her love of freeskiing. Asking what caused the change from racing consisting of Slalom and Super G to Freestyle and the impact? Grete revealed what led to her switch, saying, “I didn't like rules, and to me, freeskiing was super fun for myself and didn't like having my skis put in a box. I wanted to express myself differently. I wanted to go off jumps and loved getting air. To me air time is the ultimate feeling, jumping up and grabbing your skis then coming down.” Grete relayed her longed passion stating “I wanted to freeski because I didn't like the rules of ski racing and wanted to be free.” Since her switch, Grete has won the U.S. Open four times, as well as two gold, two silver, and two bronze medals at the Winter X Games. In fact, Grete is the only female skier to have medaled in both the Halfpipe and Slopestyle X Games events. Most people even if not interested in winter sports know about the X Games so what was it like to compete and win in Aspen? Grete responded saying “it was amazing! When I first became a pro athlete it was back when I was 17 and won the first freeskiing open but they didn't have women's freeski events at the X Games.” It wasn't until two years later into her professional career that she was finally able to compete at the X Games as a freeskier representing Norway. Reflecting back, Grete states, “it was the coolest thing ever, I remember receiving the invite and leaving to attend.” Aspen definitely holds a special place for her as she proclaims, “skiing in the halfpipe for the first time was so exciting because it's the perfect halfpipe, the perfect feature and everything at the X Games is manicured perfectly.” Grete reveals other notable parts by it as “not only enjoyable to ski [the halfpipe] but also fun to compete against others.” Describing her thoughts on the run that led to her winning the event: “ I remember going and landing all these new tricks that I didn't even realize it and when I came down and everyone hugged me and I was super excited. I looked up and saw my name with the gold medal next to it and was blown away and that's when it really catapulted my career to the next thing.”

Setting records and increasing the number of times being on the podium, Eliassen set out on an ambitious two-year film project with Red Bull, called “Say My Name.” In April 2010, she achieved the Hip Jump World Record. Reaching speeds of 60 miles an hour downhill, hit the custom 30 foot “hip” feature and soared more than 31 feet in the air. Still to this day no woman has ever come close to reaching this height on skis. Furthermore, some of her achievements include placing first two times and third once at the FIS World Championship.

Growing up watching Grete winning competitions led to my surroundings posting her in action whether in Vogue magazine or her pictures spread around the Oakley store. In 2010, I was invited to the ‘Say My Name’ film premiere produced by Red Bull which was a film about Grete’s exploration of the backcountry with the goal to inspire and evolve women’s skiing. For years viewing her sponsors supporting her led to me asking: what was your experience working with major sponsors such as Red Bull, GoPro, Oakley and more that are known to be associated with the best of the best athletes? Grete responded stating “I was like my own agent when I was skiing but I was super good at networking at competitions and that's how I was able to have these amazing sponsors.” Grete recalls, “I remember when I was 12 years old I wrote my first letter to oakley saying I was going to be one of the best skiers one day you should sponsor me and of course they said no because they aren't looking for a 12 year old girl at the moment.” Then at 15, so three years later she became sponsored by oakley. Due to her drive, which opened up opportunities with the support of her sponsors to grow. Stating, “it was super fun and I still work with a lot of the companies that I was sponsored by, always leave the door open and don't burn a bridge with anyone.”

Grete has become a role model for myself over the years watching her struggles and accomplishments as well as her continuing her passions following her professional competitive years. Grete’s work over the years with the Women’s Sports Foundation started by tennis legend Billie Jean King led to her to become the president of the foundation in 2016. Grete was able to further her involvement within the community of female athletes. Her involvement with the foundation began when invited to the salute to women in sports gala in NYC. Grete announced “I really connected with and fought hard to participate because I was feeling the same way with freeskiing at the time because we weren't really allowed at first.” Expressing her determination she shared with other athletes part of the foundation by “always pushing and learning how to negotiate to work our way to make sure our sports were seen.” The Women’s Sports Foundation goes into urban areas and give sports opportunities to girls that never had a chance. As well as helping athletes that lack marketing in their sport to achieve their goals and gain sponsorship opportunities. As president, she helps raise money through the foundation and lobbies at capitol hill for girls in sports and lobbied specifically for the High School Accountability Act by speaking to senators and representatives. Grete exclaimed she feels so lucky as a pro skier that she was able to do “what I love to do and I feel grateful and need to give back for the next generation and give more opportunities to more girls.” Carrying out her passion about giving young girls the same opportunities as boys when it comes to sports.