All Vonn, All the Time

Lindsey Vonn Head Skis

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Photo by: Courtesy of Head Skis

I recalled how Jim Tracy, a United States ski-team coach, described the first time he saw Vonn ski. “She’s hauling down the mountain, her skis probably going 60,” Tracy told me, “but the rest of her was hardly moving. It was like watching water flow down a hill.” —Bill Pennington, from his profile of Lindsey Vonn in this weekend's New York Times Magazine

We are now fully in the thrall of Lindseyism. With the Olympics mere days away, innumerable eyes (and hearts) are turning toward America's No. 1 skier, Lindsey Vonn, as she prepares to meet what a lot of folks are calling her destiny: total domination of the 2010 Olympics' ski hills. This weekend, the New York Times Magazine will run a flattering profile of Vonn. (We'll admit it's rather hard to be unflattering of Vonn, who by all accounts is as friendly and fun as her public persona.) In the article, Vonn admits the pressure is mounting; people are hoping -- expecting, even -- Vonn to win five gold medals. "I haven't won even one Olympic medal yet," she tells the magazine. "I'd like to win the first one and let's see from there. But people are getting pretty amped up. Kids yell to me, ‘Lindsey, win a couple of gold medals for me.’ ” You can see where this is going. Four years ago, a similar build-up followed Bode Miller -- it was almost as if people thought he would win not only every skiing gold, but a couple in biathlon and nordic jumping just for good measure. But as Vonn makes clear she's no Bode. "I’m not going to be the one that says it doesn’t matter if I win an Olympic medal," she tells the Times. Media hype aside, we're sure Vonn will pull away from Vancouver International Airport with plenty to be proud of.

Lindsey Vonn Head Skis