Elite Team: Vincent Bonacci

Vincent Bonacci, Biathlon

What is your Instagram handle?

@vbonacc

What is your hometown?

Salt Lake City, UT

What is your favorite race venue?

Soldier Hollow, UT

What is your go-to pre-race song/soundtrack?

Mixture of anything motivational, anything from Taylor swift to DMX depending on the mood.

What other hobbies and/or side gigs do you have going on?

I ride my bike a lot. Find me at Owenhouse Cycling.

What would an ideal day look like for you?

I wake up at 6, have a leisurely breakfast and coffee while listening to NPR, to get my news for the day. Go for a ski at around 7:30-8, so I get to the trails just before most other people, it has to be about 25 degrees and sunny. After that, have a quick lunch, spend the afternoon taking care of responsibilities before having a relaxed dinner and getting to bed early.

Any sponsor shoutouts?

None yet!

Follow Vincent

@vbonacc

Elite Team: Ty Wiberg

Ty Wiberg, Biathlon & Nordic

What is your Instagram handle?

@wibergty

What is your hometown?

Chippewa Falls, WI

What is your favorite race venue?

Soldier Hollow, UT

What is your go-to pre-race song/soundtrack?

My pre-race music has stages depending on how close I am to the race time. A couple hours from race time something to calm the nerves, after that something to get me pumped up.

What other hobbies and/or side gigs do you have going on?

I also alpine ski, wheelchair race and I am a black belt in karate.

What would an ideal day look like for you?

An ideal day for me would be getting up right around sunrise, going for a nice long ski in the mountains with my friends. Just enjoying my day and life to the fullest everyday having a new adventure.

Follow Ty

@wibergty

Elite Team: Scott Lacy

Scott Lacy, Biathlon & Nordic

What is your Instagram handle?

@scottysbiscotti

What is your hometown?

Born and raised in beautiful Aspen, CO

What is your favorite race venue?

There are too many wonderful courses to choose just one.

What is your go-to pre-race song/soundtrack?

Moana, definitely Moana

What other hobbies and/or side gigs do you have going on?

In my free time I enjoy making all my own bacterial foods: Kimchi, Kombucha, Yogurt, Bread Starters, Cheese… And eating them!

What would an ideal day look like for you?

I would greatly enjoy a day including strong, decaf, English black tea, soaking in a natural hot springs, leaving some sort of positive impact on the world and star gazing.

Any sponsor shoutouts?

Sponsors and more at my website, check it out!

Follow Scott

@scottysbiscotti

Elite Team: Mikayla Maier

Mikayla Maier, Biathlon

What is your Instagram handle?

@mikaylamaier

What is your hometown?

Auburn, CA

What is your favorite race venue?

Wario Mountain (Mario Kart)

What is your go-to pre-race song/soundtrack?

Good Thing (DENM)

What other hobbies and/or side gigs do you have going on?

Helicopter flying, being an official NOAA weather watcher, geeking out on the weather models and gardening

What would an ideal day look like for you?

Waking up to a fox in our backyard after a foot of fresh snow has flocked all the trees, followed by hitting the freshly groomed trails up at Crosscut. Might also cap off the day by watching Outer Banks (again).

Any sponsor shoutouts?

I’m a proud Rossi athlete and have appreciated their support over the past three years.

Follow Mikayla

@mikaylamaier

Elite Team: Max Durtschi

Max Durtschi, Biathlon

What is your instagram handle

@mdurtschi26

What is your hometown?

Ketchum, ID

What is your favorite race venue?

Antholz, Italy

What is your go-to pre-race song/soundtrack?

"Harder Than You Think" by Public Enemy

What other hobbies and/or side gigs do you have going on?

I work as a biomedical researcher at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Thayer School of Engineering.

What would an ideal day look like for you?

Spending time outside with my wonderful fiancé and friends.

Sponsor Shoutouts:

Willie Neal Environmental Awareness Foundation, Protect Our Winters

Follow Max

@mdurtschi26

Elite Team: Ari Woods

Ari Woods, Biathlon

What is your instagram handle

@ari_on_safari

What is your hometown?

I grew up in the quaint town of McCall, Idaho.

What is your favorite race venue?

My favorite race venue is the radical one in Lenzerheide Switzerland that I got to race at last winter at biathlon world junior championships.

What is your go-to pre-race song/soundtrack?

"Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor

What other hobbies and/or side gigs do you have going on?

I am an avid foodie, water skier, climber, mountain biker, paddle boarder, kayak cleaner, watercolorist, dancer (mostly in the gym with @lukemoose) and ripsticker.

What would an ideal day look like for you?

An ideal day would start with me waking up at or after 9am and laying in bed stretching for a solid period of time, then I would meander out of bed and eat waffles with caramelized apples and a healthy dose of whipped cream, next I would go do some sort of exhilarating, heart pumping sport with my pals and afterwards I’d eat lunch and paint in a hammock with my dog. The evening would include either climbing or waterskiing followed by a sunset stroll with my friends as we talk about the intricacies of spiderwebs. Stargazing on a mosquito free granite island in the middle of a turquoise lake would be the final splendid event of the day.

Sponsor Shoutouts:

My sponsors include all my amazing friends who have supported my trips to Europe these past few years as well as Yates Climbing gear and Rossignol. My most important sponsors have been and always will be my parents, Stef and Chris Woods.

Follow Ari

@ari_on_safari

Elite Team: Luke Brown

Luke Brown, Biathlon

What is your Instagram handle?

@lukemoose11

What is your hometown?

St. Paul, MN

What is your favorite race venue?

The Birkie Trail

What is your go-to pre-race song/soundtrack?

Oh man! It could be Chance the Rapper, the Les Mis soundtrack, Tall Heights, Bruce Springsteen, or Fleetwood Mac. It just depends on the day and race.

What other hobbies and/or side gigs do you have going on?

I’m a freelance writer and tutor. I enjoy reading on the porch, hanging out at coffee shops, taking naps, gardening, and looking at mountains and flowers.

What would an ideal day look like for you?

Awaking in a mountain cabin I would stumble straight out the door and into a cold pond. Now rejuvenated after a solid slumber, I’d pick blueberries to put in my greek yogurt which I’d eat while drinking coffee and reading something in the Bible. Heading out the door and straight into the mountains on foot or skis I would spend the day outside, moving, thinking, and appreciating the beauty in our world. An evening sauna and time to read would seal the deal.

Any sponsor shoutouts?

Rossignol - skis and boots; Swix - poles; Smith - glasses and helmets; Finn Sisu Ski Store; Farm to Feet - socks

Follow Luke

@lukemoose11