Alpine ski racers are easily among the most hardcore mountain athletes, enduring intense training sessions both during the season and during the off season. VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports shared a look into a day in the life of ski racer and Olympian Paula Moltzan as she prepares for the Alpine Ski World Cup Opening in Sölden, Austria.
The video covers everything from the training to the gear preparation and recovery. The Sölden Alpine World Cup is set to go down on October 24th and 25th with both a women’s and a men’s giant slalom taking place.
About Paula Moltzan
Paula Moltzan is a Minnesota native and one of the top technical alpine skiers in the world, specializing in slalom and giant slalom. She developed her skills with Buck Hill Ski Racing Club and Ski and Snowboard Club Vail before making history in 2015 as the first American woman to win slalom gold at the Junior World Championships.
Moltzan won the NCAA slalom title as a freshman at the University of Vermont and rejoined the U.S. Alpine Ski Team in 2018. She earned team parallel gold at the 2023 World Championships and giant slalom bronze in 2025.
The 2025-26 season was a career-best campaign, highlighted by Olympic bronze in the team combined alongside Jackie Wiles and five World Cup podiums. She finished fifth in the World Cup slalom standings and sixth in giant slalom.
Moltzan married her ski technician, Ryan Mooney, in 2022, and the pair travel together throughout the World Cup season.