Mike Janyk

 
Nickname: Seagull. I’m loud and steal my teammates’ food!
 
Best moment in ski racing: Winning my bronze medal at the 2009 world champs and my second place finish in Beaver Creek, USA, in 2007.

Worst moment in ski racing: Getting a back injury at the start of the 2007-08 season and missing the first two races of the year. I slipped from seventh in the world to 60th, but the comeback the next year was pretty sweet.

What one thing would you change about ski racing? Increase the focus on creating the best viewing experience for the fans, while keeping the level of competition high. Oh and more prize money.
 
Best World Cup stop: Schladming, Austria. There’s 60,000 screaming fans lining the hill at night. It’s insane!

Person you look up to most in ski racing: As an athlete I respect Bode Miller a lot because he has accomplished almost everything you can in this sport and always done it his own way. His mind works differently than any other athlete I’ve met. But also, I look up to anyone who steps onto to the podium consistently in their career – Didier Cuche, Benni Raich, Hermann Maier, Jean-Baptiste Grange ... and, of course, I will forever look up to Thomas Grandi.

On your iPod: Rise Against, Kings of Leon, Phoenix, anything that plays on BPM, Small Town DJs and there’s always a little rap. Oh and of course Katy Perry, for when I really want to get pumped up.
 
Favourite movie: Ace Ventura, because I know every line in it. Jim Carrey at his best.
 
Hockey team: Vancouver Canucks! I’m from Van.

If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be? I can never answer this question - there are too many to choose from. Anyone who is willing to have dinner with me, I’ll accept the invite, but I may steal their food!

Something no-one knows about you: I wrote a stand up comedy set when I was 18. Maybe I should go check if it was funny.

Favourite activities other than skiing: Golf, tennis, squash, biking and sleeping.

Superstitions: I have to click my poles twice before I put them over the wand - I don’t know why. I put my right boot on first because (teammate) Paul Stutz got it in my head that that’s what he does. As for the rest, they change from season to season. If something is working I stick with it - the same long johns and top under my downhill suit, same song before the start. (During 2010-11) I had MTV on before I went to the hill in Wengen, Switzerland, and Katy Perry’s Firework came on. I came fourth, so for the rest of the year I had to play that song before each race.
 
If a movie was made about your life, who should play the lead role? There’s a movie being made about my life? Why didn’t anyone tell me? Robert Redford, because he did such a good job with Downhill Racer.
 
What’s a talent you wish you had?  I really wish I could play any musical instrument. I’m very jealous of anyone who can do that.

If you weren’t a skier what would you be? I’ll let you know after I stop ski racing.
 
Funniest thing you’ve seen in ski racing: Anything Paul Stutz does on skis is the funniest thing ever. I have seen him crash over 50 times and each time is better than the next. His crashes are the best and he always walks away from them, so you can laugh. Once, he skied perfectly around a gate worker who was fixing one of the last gates at Schladming, Austria – during one of his first World Cups - and didn’t see him. How Paul didn’t kill him and made it around was impressive.
 
Most embarrassing moment: Racing sick in the Val d’Isere, France, downhill one year, I had no energy and finished around 12 seconds out. I started last so I didn’t think anyone saw it, but for some reason it was shown on TV. At the next World Cup slalom I had every slalom skier laughing at my downhill skills, or lack thereof.
 
Describe yourself in three words: Passionate, dedicated and evolving.

Podiums
2nd – Slalom – Beaver Creek, USA (Dec. 2006)

Finishes in the top 10
10th – Slalom – Schladming, AUT (March 2012)
7th – Slalom – Adelboden, SUI (Jan. 2012)
5th – Slalom – Lenzerheide, SUI (March 2011)
5th – Slalom – Bansko, BUL (Feb. 2011)
4th – Slalom – Wengen, SUI (Jan. 2011)
5th – Slalom – Adelboden, SUI (Jan. 2011)
5th – Slalom – Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GER (March 2010)
10th – Slalom – Kranjska Gora, SLO (Jan. 2010)
5th – Slalom – Kitzbuehel, AUT (Jan. 2010)
10th – Slalom – Wengen, SUI (Jan. 2010)
6th – Slalom – Zagreb, CRO (Jan. 2010)
5th – Slalom – Alta Badia, ITA (Dec. 2009)
10th – Slalom – Schladming, AUT (Jan. 2009)
10th – Slalom – Kitzbuehel, AUT (Jan. 2009)
8th – Slalom – Wengen, SUI (Jan. 2009)
10th – Slalom – Zagreb, CRO (Jan. 2009)
9th – Slalom – Lenzerheide, SUI (March 2007)
10th – Slalom – Kranjska Gora, SLO (March 2007)
4th – Slalom – Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GER (Feb. 2007)
9th – Slalom – Kitzbuehel, AUT (Jan. 2007)
9th – Slalom – Adelboden, SUI (Jan. 2007)
7th – Slalom – Levi, FIN (Nov. 2006)

2010 Olympic Winter Games – Vancouver, B.C.
13th – Slalom
26th – Super combined

2006 Olympic Winter Games – Turin, ITA
17th – Slalom

FIS World Ski Championships
14th - Slalom - Schladming, AUT (Feb. 2013)
3rd – Slalom – Val d’Isere, FRA (Feb. 2009)
32nd – Giant slalom – Val d’Isere, FRA (Feb. 2009)
6th – Slalom – Are, SWE (Feb. 2007)
22nd – Super combined – Are, SWE (Feb. 2007)
11th – Slalom – Bormio, ITA (Feb. 2005)