After years of pouring his guts out on Canadian ski slopes, Paul Stutz finally earned the glory.
Stutz earned a trip to the World Cup NorAm finals in Calgary on Saturday (March 16) to secure one of two Canadian slalom spots by winning the overall NorAm slalom title. Michael Janyk scored the other spot.
Whizzing down the new slalom course at Canada Olympic Park in seventh spot, it was enough to earn the trip to Europe.
“That was my goal heading into the season. Saturday wasn’t my best skiing, but it was enough,” Stutz said.
Stutz was plagued by a series of missed gates early in the season. He knew he was skiing fast, but he needed results if he wanted any progress. The final month, he was able to string together a series of strong NorAm results, which earned him the trip to Europe next fall.
“I definitely needed to re-evaluate things and change my focus with how I was preparing for races. A lot of psychological factors can help and hurt you. I felt I was doing things for the right reasons. Taking away a lot of the added stress and focus on skiing fast was what I needed,” Stutz said.
For years, Stutz has raced as an independent, blazing his own trail on the slalom slopes. It’s been a long and financially difficult road, but Stutz is now on the World Cup circuit during an Olympic year.
“This basically secures a spot for me on the World Cup. I don’t have to worry about qualifications. I can focus simply on technique,” Stutz said.
The 29-year-old Banff native is now ranked 31st in the world in slalom rankings and his next goal is to win another Canadian championship next week in Whistler. Skiing as an independent means he doesn’t receive support from Alpine Canada and has to pay his own way, however, he hasn’t let that deter him.
“Being the top slalom guy in the NorAm, I’ve definitely turned some heads and I’m skiing well,” Stutz said.
As for Sochi, Alpine Canada is keeping its selection criteria quiet, but Stutz knows skiing well on the World Cup is the best way to earn a berth.
“Qualifiers will be through World Cup results and I earned the spot to be there. I’ll definitely face a lot of challenges,” Stutz said. “Going into an Olympic season, everyone has their eyes set on that goal.”
Securing sponsorship is his next battle, as he’ll have to find more money to pay for the next chapter in his ski career.
“With the financial situation, it’s always a battle to find sponsors in corporate Canada. I definitely want to accrue some resources and not leave anything behind. I need the resources to do that,” Stutz said.
He credits Banff ski coach Wade Reddy for sticking with him along the way.
“He’s been instrumental in managing my career. He’s been pretty instrumental getting me to where I am today.”
Trevor Philp was the top junior, finishing ninth.
