Lila Lapanja Photo: GEPA pictures/ Harald Steiner
As the 2024 season approaches, national teams are wrapping up their prep periods to focus on the World Cup openers in Soelden, Levi and Cervinia/Zermatt.
In recent years, independent athletes have also joined the selection for World Cup spots. Among them are the athletes profiled in “American Independents,” a 2020 SRM article. Here is an update on the five athletes profiled, all now in the World Cup mix.
Storm Klomhaus and Tricia Mangan are now members of the US Ski Team. Klomhaus is starting her comeback season after two seasons recovering from a knee injury. After three years as an independent— first with Team X and then with ISRA—Mangan is back on the USST and, through the NorAm standings, has secured World Cup starts in Super-G and Downhill.
Brian McLaughlin spent three years with Global Racing and earned starts in eight World Cup GS races last season and the 2023 World Championships. He’ll prepare and compete with the US Ski Team as an invitee this season.
After injuring his knee before the 2022 season, AJ Ginnis got himself to the Beijing Olympics with the NBC broadcast crew rather than as an athlete. One year later, he was back in front of the camera, making history as Greece’s first World Champ medalist in a winter sport. He heads into 2023 with a silver medal and an Emmy.
Of the athletes profiled, only Lila Lapanja is still racing as an independent. She took time out of her training in Saas-Fee earlier this month to talk about her program, her goals, and what it takes to fly solo on skiing’s World Tour.
THE OBJECTIVE
Lapanja’s objective is clear. She hopes to race as many World Cup Slaloms as possible and score enough points to be in the top 25 on the WCSL. With that, she’ll meet the criteria for the US Ski Team. The 2023 National SL champion has already secured a start spot in Levi. From there, she can earn future starts by scoring World Cup points or qualifying through Europa Cup podiums or time trials.
In addition to her athletic prep, as an independent athlete, Lapanja must also handle the logistics of travel, training and lodging around an uncertain schedule contingent on performance. “You almost have to make both plans and just be ready to cancel or shift things around.” If Levi goes well, Lapanja will head to Killington. If not, she’ll return to Central Europe for the Europa Cups.
THE TEAM
Lapanja’s father, Vojko, was on the Slovenian National Ski Team before coming to the States in 1991 to race for Sierra Nevada College. While Lila was born and raised in the Tahoe area, she has always felt at home in Europe and with other European teams.
She has partnered with the Croatian national team this season, slipping into their camps as it works with her schedule. “They’ve welcomed me and they see me as a positive influence on training, so I’m really grateful for that,” says Lapanja. She’s also working with a new coach this season from Croatia. Vojko, too, has become an integral part of the team. “He has started traveling with me more when he can take time off work and he’s been able to come to more World Cup races with me and actually be in the start gate with me, and that dynamic has worked really well.”
In spring 2022, Lapanja started working with Barbara Ann Cochran on her mental approach to sport. “She’s been a great addition to my team and has helped me enjoy the process of skiing so much more. I’ve learned to recognize that skiing is an avenue of expression and not who I am as a person.” With Cochran’s help, Lapanja has shifted her perspective away from the pressure to perform and towards a growth mindset. “I have a completely different relationship with skiing now than when I was younger. While I still feel all that nervous energy and intensity and I’m professional about my approach, I just look at things a little bit differently. My goal is to race until the 2026 Olympics if I can stay healthy and motivated. I’m kind of coming full circle to just wanting to enjoy the sport again.”
THE TRAINING PLAN
Lapanja’s experience over the years with overtraining and injury comebacks has included mentorship and guidance from several physical trainers. She has parlayed that into an efficient, personalized program that cut her training time significantly. “A 28-year-old body is definitely different than an 18-year-old body,” Lapanja explains. “I’m starting to see my rhythm as an athlete. It seems to work for me to take a big chunk of time away from skiing after the season.” After a May camp with the Croatian team in Les Deux Alpes, FRA, she took 2 ½ months off snow. In August, she joined the Croatian squad for two camps in Saas-Fee again. She will return to Europe at the end of October to continue prep before Levi.
In addition to allowing her body to recover and rebuild through consistent training, that schedule also revives her spirit. “I have the energy to pick up the pace again come August/September and feel a bit more refreshed going into the season.”
At home, her training incorporates tennis, mountain biking and hiking with Vojko. Last summer, she split her time between Tahoe and Park City, where she picked up some new activities, including golf and dirt biking. “I just did some cool things that were really different than the training I was used to and my body really liked that.” Part of her incentive to go to Park City was to meet with US Ski Team staff in person and assure them of her commitment to the World Cup path. “I have a pretty positive relationship with them right now,” says Lapanja.
THE SKI FAMILY
A big piece of Lapanja’s support network is Stöckli. “I can’t say enough good things about that company and how they’ve supported me.” She’s been with the brand for five years, but her relationship goes back ten years, when she first tested them in CO. She didn’t switch then, but Stöckli left the door open. “I’ve always had that attitude with athletes—if you test and it doesn’t feel quite right, there’s no harm, no foul,” explains George Couperthwait, President of Stöckli USA. When Lapanja started her path as an independent athlete without the advantage of national team status, Stöckli stepped up with support. “When you’re a Stöckli athlete, you’re part of a small group,” explains Couperthwait. “We take care of you and you’re part of the family, so we’ve really always just tried to help her as much as we can.”
Lapanja’s approachable personality and positive demeanor have been an excellent fit for Stöckli. Along with Marco Odermatt, she is profiled in Stöckli’s annual promo video introducing their entire ski line. “It’s the perfect company for me because I feel like I can have a really personal relationship with the company and the people who work there.”
Lapanja is entering her third season on Dalbello boots, a unique combination that matches her style. “I feel like I’m on my dream setup.”
FINDING BALANCE ON HILL AND OFF
Lapanja enjoys skiing all the events and was the 2021 National GS and Combined champion. In a perfect world, she would train SL, GS and Super-G. “But I’m in slalom world,” she explains. “Going into the season, I’ll be SL-focused because that’s my bread and butter and where I have the best chance right now.” That said, she and her coach see a high value in clicking into GS and even Super-G skis when the right opportunity arises. “I don’t get the amount of training that I would want to be competitive at a high level in GS right now. I do it more for my soul and just to break up the monotony of SL.”
Lapanja has started her college studies and will finish her degree after her ski racing. She also plays the role of ambassador and mentor for the Diamond Peak Ski Team, leading U12 athletes through “Train with Lila” training sessions. Lapanja hopes that the role will expand and evolve. “I’m realizing that part of me will always be connected to the sport in some capacity. I feel like I have a lot to offer young athletes because I’ve had such a unique perspective and experience with the sport. Working with my local ski club where I grew up is a perfect place to start.”
AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
Trying to compete with athletes with an entire staff of coaches, techs, PTs and administrative support is expensive, but Lapanja has made it work with the help of community and sponsors. She calls out the World Cup Dreams Foundation, Diamond Peak Ski Education Foundation, the SYNC Athlete Fund and Far West Skiing on her site. “I’ve been very blessed to have a lot of loyal patrons and donors to support me through the years. That’s where I’m building my financial foundation to support me through the 2026 Olympics.” Along with her current partners, RINNOVO Group and GlobaliD, she is seeking a helmet sponsor for this season and beyond.
“Even if I stopped today, there’s so much I can be proud of with what I’ve achieved. It’s been a crazy journey of faith and connection with people who just want to give from their hearts and from their own passion. I feel healthier and happier than probably ever in my entire career.” To learn more about Lila and support her, go to lilalapanja.com.