Erin Mielzynski

Nicknames: E.R. - My dad used to call me this when I was little; Air - My name can’t be shortened much, so people usually just call me Air or Air Bear or Mielzed.
 
Best moment in ski racing: The best moment I've ever had in ski racing is definitely when I won the World Cup race in Ofterschwang (Germany, 2012). In the morning, the snow was soft and the weather was warm. I knew that the conditions were going to be tough and it would be anyone's race. After crossing the finish line into fifth, after starting 24th, I was ecstatic. I threw my hands into the air and celebrated a little because I knew that I still had one more run. I started the next run around girls such as Marlies Schild (Austria) and Maria Riesch (Germany), but strangely enough for once I wasn't nervous. After the second run, I crossed the finish line, looked up and saw green. I was in first. I started screaming and celebrating because I was guaranteed a fifth. However, as the last four girls came down, I stayed in the leader box. I had won a World Cup race. It was the best moment of my life as I stood on top of the podium and listened to the Canadian anthem play for all to hear!
 
Worst moment in ski racing: I’ve had a few moments in racing that seemed horrible at the time, but now looking back I can laugh at them. 1. When I was 16 I raced the men’s downhill track at the nationals in Whistler, B.C. I came around a turn coming into the steepest pitch of the course and hit a few bumps. When I put my foot back down I realized that I didn’t have a ski on anymore. I stood up, took air off the breakover and skied straight down the rest of the pitch dodging fencing and gates. At the bottom of the pitch I screamed and threw myself to the ground. 2. My first year on the team was a tough year for me. We raced in Colorado at the beginning of the year, then headed to Europe. In Colorado, I skied a hairpin as if it was a flush, so when I realized my mistake I had to ski out. My next slalom race was my first Europa Cup. I got through the top part of the course, but mistook a single gate for a delay and ended up in the other course. These weren’t my smartest moments.
 
What one thing would you change about ski racing? If I was to change one thing about racing, I would try to make it equally as predominant in North America as it is in Europe. Although I love to travel and see the world, there is nothing like a home race. It would be amazing to live a bit more like the Europeans. They finish a racing series and head home for a few days, however we, as North Americans, don’t have this luxury.
 
Best World Cup stop: I enjoy the World Cup stop in Aspen, USA, the most for several reasons. First of all, this is where I raced my first World Cup and the first time I made the second run. Usually, part of my family comes to watch this race, which always helps. Also, the volunteers at this race do an amazing job. The food is great, they give us incredible gifts, there is a nice town at the base of the mountain and we can walk anywhere we need to go from our hotels.
 
Person you look up to most in ski racing: Hermann Maier is my hero in ski racing and has been for as long as I can remember. He was not only an incredible racer, but he also pulled through some very tough situations. He never gave up even after some horrible crashes both on skis and his motorcycle. It amazes me that he continued to race and do well after he lost partial feeling in one leg.
 
On your iPod: I listen to a little bit of everything, depending on my mood or who I’m with. However, my all time favourite band is Kings of Leon. I can listen to their music at any time and it suits my mood. If I am with my dad I usually listen to The Tragically Hip, if I miss home I listen to country or if I am trying to get pumped up I turn on Rihanna.
 
Hockey team: My favourite hockey team is the Toronto Maple Leafs. I don’t watch much hockey anymore, but I used to watch with my Dad when I was little. He has always been a Leafs fan and I followed suit. He taught me some of the rules of the game, so I would act like the son he never had and yell at the TV with him. I especially liked fights and when penalties were given.
 
If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be? If I could have dinner with anyone, I would choose to dine with Gandhi. One of my favourite quotes is, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” He held his beliefs about non-violence, truth, faith and simplicity in the most adverse conditions.
 
Something no-one knows about you: I have webbed toes. In my family it seems fairly normal, considering my mom and my grandfather have the same.
 
Favourite activities other than skiing: Reading, cooking, crafts, waterskiing, road biking, squash, speed ball, walley ball,
 
Superstitions: I’m not a very superstitious person. I try not to be superstitious at all because it is hard to replicate every superstition on race day.
 
If a movie was made about your life, who should play the lead role? Anna Sophia Robb. She is the young girl in the movie Soul Surfer. She did an amazing job portraying the strength someone needs to pursue what they love to do, regardless of the conditions that they find themselves in.
 
What’s a talent you wish you had? I wish I was artistically or musically talented. I’ve always dreamed about being able to draw, sing, dance or play an instrument. Although I attempt these things over and over again, I never seem to find any hidden talents here.
 
If you weren’t a skier what would you be? If I wasn’t a skier I would be a student. I had a few long-term goals growing up: 1. To podium at the Olympics; 2. To make the worlds in waterskiing; 3. To become a veterinarian. I had to choose between waterskiing and alpine skiing when I graduated high school, and I chose alpine skiing. Therefore, I am down to trying to achieve two of the three goals. When I am no longer skiing, I hope to become a veterinarian.
 
Funniest thing you’ve seen in ski racing: One of the funniest days of training we ever had was when I was on the Development Team. We were training slalom and the course was very icy. By the end of our training session, our skis were not quite as sharp and we were having trouble carving one turn. At the bottom, our coaches, Tim and Walter, nicely told us that after you turn left you have to turn right. Of course someone said that they should show us how to do that properly on such an icy course. They accepted the challenge. We set up a video camera and “saw how it was done.” I don’t think their skis had seen a file in months, if not years, and you could tell. Halfway down the course, Tim grabbed his radio and gave us commentary. Walter was set in his racing mentality and must have been distracted by the radio hanging at his feet. Although the video evidence was entertaining, we couldn’t see much due to camera shake caused by extreme laughter.
 
Most embarrassing moment: I think I’ve had more embarrassing moments than I can count, and most of them I would never put down on paper. The other day I was swinging a squash racket and hit myself in the eye, but this doesn’t even compare.
 
Describe yourself in three words: Perfectionist, determined, over-thinker.

Podiums
3rd – Slalom – Zagreb, CRO (Jan. 2013)
1st – Slalom – Ofterschwang, GER (March 2012)

Finishes in the top 20
10th – Slalom - Lenzerheide, SUIT (March 2013)
10th – Slalom - Flachau, AUT (Jan. 2013)
18th – Slalom - Semmering, AUT (Dec. 2012)
5th – Slalom – Are, SWE (Dec. 2012)
14th – Slalom – Levi, FIN (Nov. 2012)
18th – Slalom - Soldeu-Grandvalira, AND (Feb. 2012)
18th – Slalom – Kranjska Gora, SLO (Jan. 2012)
14th – Slalom – Flachau, AUT (Dec. 2011)
13th – Slalom – Courchevel, FRA (Dec. 2011)
13th – Slalom – Arber-Zwiesel, GER (Feb. 2011)
20th - Slalom - Semmering, AUT (Dec. 2010)

2010 Olympic Winter Games – Vancouver, B.C.
20th – Slalom

FIS World Ski Championships
17th - Slalom - Schladming, AUT (Feb. 2013) 
16th – Slalom – Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GER (Feb. 2011)

Nor-Am Cup podiums
1st – Slalom – Panorama, B.C. (Dec. 2012)
3rd – Giant slalom – Panorama, B.C. (Dec. 2012)
3rd – Giant slalom – Panorama, B.C. (Dec. 2012)
1st – Super combined – Panorama, B.C. (Dec. 2012)
3rd – Super-G – Panorama, B.C. (Dec. 2012)
1st – Slalom – Loveland, USA (Nov. 2012)
2nd – Slalom – Mont Ste. Anne, Que. (March 2012)
1st – Slalom – Panorama, B.C. (Dec. 2011)
1st – Slalom – Panorama, B.C. (Dec. 2011)
1st – Slalom – Whistler, B.C. (March 2011)
1st – Slalom – Whistler, B.C. (March 2011)
2nd – Slalom – Val St. Come, Que. (Jan. 2010)
3rd – Slalom – Panorama, B.C. (Dec. 2009)
2nd – Super combined – Whiteface, USA (March 2008)
3rd – Slalom – Craigleith, Ont. (March 2008)