BREAKING NOW: Shiffrin and Grenier Lift the Curtain at Tremblant — Fresh Confessions and a Surprise Admission Leave the Ski World Buzzing Ahead of World Cup ShowdownBREAKING NOW: Shiffrin and Grenier Lift the Curtain at Tremblant — Fresh Confessions and a Surprise Admission Leave the Ski World Buzzing Ahead of World Cup Showdown
Under the crisp Laurentian air at Mont-Tremblant Ski Resort, a moment of warmth and promise unfolded Friday afternoon — and it was led by two of alpine skiing’s brightest stars. At the press conference for the 2025 PwC Tremblant World Cup, Mikaela Shiffrin and Valérie Grenier took center stage, radiating camaraderie, humility, and shared aspiration. What ensued wasn’t just optics — it set the tone for a weekend of high-stakes giant slalom competition on the iconic Flying Mile course.
A Press Conference to Remember
Shiffrin and Grenier, seated side by side, immediately drew the room in — not with rivalry, but with genuine respect and good-humored energy. Grenier, who grew up skiing on these very slopes, called the event a “dream come true,” her grin underscoring the emotion of the moment. She dismissed any notion of competition between herself and Shiffrin, joking that she was simply “inspired by her every time.”
Shiffrin, already a legend with over 100 World Cup wins and Olympic gold medals, leaned into the role of mentor and motivator. She greeted a room of rising skiers with a playful challenge: “Who here feels confident before a race start? Raise your hand.” Nearly every young hand shot up — a spontaneous gesture of belief and youthful optimism that drew laughs and applause. She admitted that even legends like her don’t always feel that confident: “Most days, it’s not quite like that.”
But beneath the smiles lay deeper stories of perseverance. For Shiffrin, the 2025 season is more than a pursuit of records — it’s a comeback. A year ago, a serious crash threatened everything; now, she returns with renewed focus and ambition. As she put it, she’s simply “a big fan of amazing skiing,” and that gratitude showed as she looked at Grenier.
Grenier, too, has faced her own share of hardship. Once sidelined by a devastating leg injury and years of recovery, she’s weathered setbacks that have tested her resolve. Yet here she was, on familiar snow, ready to let it rip — confident, hopeful, and brimming with quiet determination. “This course knows me — and I know it,” she said with a proud smile.
Their unguarded warmth set a tone that echoed far beyond the press room — a tone of shared respect, mutual encouragement, and collective excitement for the challenging weekend ahead.
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From Words to Action: The Race That Followed
If Friday’s press conference was about hope and camaraderie, Saturday’s race turned that energy into action — with real consequences. On the Flying Mile, conditions were far from kind. Heavy snow, shifting snowpack, and deteriorating visibility made for one of the sloppiest, trickiest giant slalom days of the season. Yet for some, the chaos became an amplifier.
Alice Robinson of New Zealand — already riding high after a win at Copper Mountain just one week earlier — again found her rhythm. Despite the chaos of snow and wind, she delivered two composed runs to clinch her second straight win at Mont-Tremblant, taking the top spot with a combined time of 2:16.18.
Zrinka Ljutić of Croatia took silver, and Grenier — using her familiarity with the home slopes — seized the moment, elevating from fifth after her first run to finish third overall. Her combined time: 2:17.18. It was a career-defining home podium, and the emotion was raw. “It was a big reaction, big tears in my eyes,” Grenier said later. “To do this at home? Such a dream.”
Shiffrin, meanwhile, had started strong — third after the first run, just 0.49 seconds off the lead — but the harsh conditions and near-black visibility in the second run slowed her momentum. She ultimately dropped to sixth with a time of 2:17.83, candidly admitting, “I felt super dark out there, and I maybe wasn’t as clean as I could’ve been.” Still, her competitive fire is clearly far from extinguished.
Swiss skier Camille Rast and France’s Clara Direz rounded out the top five, managing to avoid big mistakes on an unforgiving slope.
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What It All Means: More Than a Podium
The story unfolding at Mont-Tremblant isn’t just about competition — it’s about connection. The friendship and mutual respect shown by Shiffrin and Grenier transformed what could have been a dry pre-race media session into something deeply human. It was a reminder that behind the helmet, the skis, the times, and the points, these are people who have chased dreams, battled setbacks, and borne the weight of enormous expectation.
For Grenier, the podium validates not just a performance, but years of struggle, pain, recovery, and quiet resilience. It’s proof that you can return — and maybe even return stronger.
For Shiffrin, the weekend represents a recalibration. Sixth place — not the win, but not a disaster either. The mountain humbled her, but didn’t break her. And given what’s at stake — Olympic dreams, a title chase, another chance — that fire still burns bright.
And beyond the individuals, the broader picture: Mont-Tremblant, after more than two decades away, has reclaimed its place on the World Cup circuit. For Canadian ski fans, for local organizers, for the next generation of skiers in the room Friday, this is more than a race stop — it’s a homecoming. The energy was “a little bit chaotic,” in the words of one attendee — but beautiful for that very reason. Flags waved, cameras clicked, hearts raced, and for a fleeting moment, everyone — athletes, media, fans — felt united by a shared love for the mountain, the sport, and the dream.
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What to Watch Next
With a second giant slalom race scheduled for Sunday, all eyes are now on what comes next. Will Grenier build on her home-snow momentum? Can Shiffrin sharpen her focus and reclaim a spot on the podium? Can others — hungry, hungry for their moment — make their mark on the Flying Mile when the snow falls again?
Whatever happens, one thing is clear: this isn’t just another stop on the calendar. This is a return, a rebirth, and a reminder that in alpine skiing — as in life — the greatest victories often come through adversity, friendship, and shared dreams.