One of the most fascinating dynamics in ski racing is the cohesion of a team in an individual sport. This week in Aspen, veteran speed skier Laurenne Ross will bid adieu to the daily grind of the white circus. She’ll take with her the friendships from a career with the U.S. Ski Team during a period where she was part of the best women’s speed team in the world.
Ross, 32, and teammate Alice McKennis Duran, 31, who is also bidding farewell this week, were part of a group of six American ski racers who formed the nucleus of one of the most successful speed teams on the women’s tour in the early-to-mid ‘10s. Lindsey Vonn, Julia Mancuso, Stacey Cook, Leanne Smith, McKennis Duran and Ross came together from every corner of America. They were each unique personalities who found common bonds, learning how to be teammates, friends and fierce competitors at the same time.
Across 153 World Cup starts, Ross claimed two podiums amid 28 top-10s. She started off the U.S.
