Patrik Jaerby’s back – again!

Patrick Lang 30.11.2006 09:08 Uhr

In March 2006, the Patrick Jaerbyn lost for the second time within a few years his spot on the National Ski Team because of disappointing results. Jaerbyn, who has been racing since the early 1990’s on the World Cup tour, could have easily called it quits, but the skier who lives in Colorado during the off-season knew there was plenty of good skiing left in his legs.

So Jaerbyn decided to come back with new equipment - and without a team or sponsors. He was ready to give him best again to get back at the top and qualify for the Are FIS World Championships in February.

In Lake Louise, Patrik reached an unexpected podium finish in the Super-G ahead of the best all-time specialist in the event, Hermann Maier himself. He had a hard time to believe what just happened to him and he was very emotional after the race.

“This is amazing,” he said. “This means sooo much to me. I felt like I was standing pretty good on my skis, but I wasn't feeling so fast,” he added.
“It’s also fun to think that I’m the oldest man ever to be on a podium in the World Cup. It’s one thing to have an age on paper, but the most important is how you feel inside yourself - how your body feels, how much self criticism you have. I asked myself the question, 'Do you believe in yourself? Do you think you can do it?' And I told myself straight away, 'OK Let’s go for it! ”

14th World Cup season
Jaerbyn went with great momentum into the summer preparing for another year on tour - his 14th racing on the World Cup. As an independent skier, Jaerbyn was ready to pay his own way, which he'd done for the 2004 season after the Swedish team dropped him in 2003. The Swedes took Jaerbyn back following the 2004 season after a series of good results. Unfortunately Jaerbyn's ranking slipped a bit in 2005 and 2006, and the Swedes decided to let him go.

“Nobody here has gone through what I've gone through,” he said. “I'm just the guy who hasn't got everything served on a silver platter.” But Jaerbyn doesn't invest too much thought into the past. “It takes so much energy and I'm focusing on the skiing and that's what I'll do in the future, too,” the Scandinavian explains.

While Jaerbyn races under the Swedish flag, he's gotten a little help from the United States and Norway during his preparation. “The U.S. Ski Team opened their arms to me and welcomed me, and I went with them to Chile in September,” he said. “I'm really thankful for them, and I'm thankful for the Norwegians, who have been helping me throughout the season.”

Looking up at Daron
Although a seasoned veteran, Jaerbyn was willing to undertake some changes in his skiing. Jaerbyn switched to Atomic, a company he'd used for most of his career. He is his own service rep. And Jaerbyn watched video to tweak some finer parts of his skiing to look more like recently retired American Daron Rahlves. “I've always been watching him and that's what I've wanted to be like when I come down the hill,” Jaerbyn said. “When I watch video of myself now I think it looks pretty good.”

The smooth training translated to quality results in the first speed events in Canada. After a 16th place in the downhill, Jaerbyn picked up his second career World Cup podium but he was quick to share the credit.

“Without the Americans and Norwegians, I wouldn't have made those results," he said afterwards at the post-race press conference. “You need good training and I got it with them.”

Patrik loves Beaver Creek
In September, Jaerbyn got married to Randi Borgen, whose father Erik runs Kvitfjell Ski Resort in Norway where the men’s World Cup races take place each year in March. While Jaerbyn would love to stay at home with his wife and 14-month old son, Erik, he's staying up at Beaver Creek to concentrate better on his racing. But there will be a large contingent of friends and family watching Jaerbyn ski on his favorite World Cup course.

“I just love the hill,” Jaerbyn said. "It has everything a downhill needs, and I've been skiing well here.”

After the World Cup leaves the United States, Jaerbyn won't be back home much, although he's looking forward to returning to Are, Sweden - his former home - for the World Championships. “It's going to be big for us,” Jaerbyn said. “I lived there for eight years. The last time I skied there I was 11th in Super-G at the 2006 Finals.”

More than anything, Jaerbyn can't wait to ski for his country in the team event. “We have one time a year to ski as a team, and I'm for sure a team player,” he explains. “It feels great to have other people depend on you, and it's fun to comfort each other and cheer for each other.”

And chances are, Jaerbyn will be back for another year on the World Cup tour. “My body for sure has a lot of years left,” he said. “The most important is to feel the fire in you.”