Racer eX history:
I retired like most athletes—tired and bitter, glad for the experience
yet wishing I had done more. That first autumn, not going to the glaciers or to
torturous dryland training camps, and suddenly spending my time sitting in a classroom,
I found myself with plenty of time to reflect. So when Gary Black, publisher of
Ski Racing, suggested I write an article about my new perspective I jumped
at the opportunity, and a few hours later Racer-eX was born.
Anyone born in the Sixties, like myself no doubt remembers the Japanese animated
cartoon Speed Racer, and the mysterious masked man, Racer X. Other than having
dressed embarrassingly like him for competition I have little connection to that
Racer X. The overwhelming response from Racers eX to that first article, however,
proved I had connected with a like-minded community of athletes and struck a vein
of rich material. Racer eX became a regular column in Ski Racing and provided
an avenue to both communicate to and stay connected to the sport in a meaningful
way.
Racer eX is my pen name, and an identity I share with every athlete who has
dedicated himself or herself completely to be the best at anything. However, you
don't need an athletic background to understand the good, bad and ugly of sport,
or to appreciate the dynamics that fuel the eX-er community. The "glory days,"--
are often told or relived, but the meat of the sports experience lies in the untold
story—the part of any career that, if not a fairy tale, never gets told.
When my teammates reminisce, it’s not about the wins or losses. It’s
about all the space between.
Racer eX Archives: (courtesy of SKI.net)
