Catching Up With AJ Ginnis in Greece
We caught up with the World Champion Slalom Silver Medalist and ADL supported racer before he set off for Austria for the 2024/25 Season.
It’s September in the Greek islands. The weather is perfect and the water is warm and crystal clear as always. Sitting by the sea and watching the sun set over the islands in the distance it’s hard to imagine winter is around the corner. However, 900 miles to the North it’s dumping snow. A record, six feet fell in the Austrian Alps in 3 days in early September. The news of the storm got us hyped for the coming season. Closer to our island base,100 miles away in Athens, AJ Ginnis was packing up his Audi and getting ready to ferry over to Italy and drive to his winter basecamp in Saalfelden, Austria. We caught up with AJ as he drove out of town and on his way to what we hope will be another stellar season of slalom on the World Cup.
ADL CLUB CONNECTION
We first met AJ Ginnis in 2018 at the US Team’s home base at the Hotel Goldener Greif in Kitzbuhel. He was sitting quietly alone eating his dinner when we approached and asked him how he was doing in Greek. Surprised that we knew his language and probably more surprised that we were interested in meeting this young, not so well known US racer, we all had a good laugh. At the time, AJ was fighting for a starting spot on a US team crowded with hungry slalom racers. He had tons of speed and everyone knew his potential was limitless but, the battle for starting spots on the World Cup was limited and multiple knee injuries during these years and constant recoveries, slowed AJ’s progress. In 2019 the US didn’t even field a Slalom team. AJ was undeterred and after being cut from the team officially in 2020 he came up with the innovative idea to race for his father’s home country of Greece. This shift opened the door for AJ and led to his best years on the World Cup.
AJ Training in Saas Fe August 2024 – Photo: Marc Amann
Since 2018 until now, the ADL has raised money for AJ’s journey through our 2Hammers non-profit. The Greek/American racer has always inspired us with his determination to succeed and overcome adversity. We have a few Greek American members in the club, like Masters Racer and friend Mark Kandianis, who have contributed greatly to his cause. All of us were excited when AJ earned his first podium with a 2nd place at Chamonix in 2023 and then followed that two weeks later with a Silver Medal in the World Championships! It was the first ever winter sports medal for any Greek ever in history!! The journey has been a fun one to follow and we have been fortunate to see AJ Race in person at Wengen, Kitzbuhel and Schladming during our DreamTrips.
AJ & ADL Commish Kyle Watson – Wengen DreamTrip 2023- Photo: Rex Lau
RACING FOR GREECE – THE SWITCH
Ever since AJ started his one man Greek Team with GRESKI his performances elevated along with his results. He hired coaches Sandy Vietz and Gaby Coulet to lead his 3 man team. Vietz was a former classmate from high school and then team-mate on the US ski team, while French-born Coulet, who left a well paid job in marketing in Canada, to all work together with one goal – to make AJ reach his potential. The trio did an amazing job with AJ’s knees healed up and the coaches worked to keep his mindset focused and positive and eliminated some little technical flaws from his technique – the end result was highly tuned machine that operated on a low budget. Their first season was 2021 and his best result was an 11th place in Flachau. Another knee injury kept him out of the 2022 Olympics but he was back with a vengeance in 2023 securing a 20th at Adelboden, 2nd place at Chamonix and the next week almost securing his first victory at Palisades Tahoe, getting DQd for a debatable straddle on the final run. However, a week later it was his famous Silver Medal at the World Championships that secured his place in history and solidified his season.
AJ celebrating World Championship Silver Medal 2023 – Photo: AP
FINDING HIS WAY
We asked AJ, what was the biggest change from his days on the US Team, to running his own program under the Greek Federation, that led to the best results of his career. “Mainly it was the commitment to deciding this is what I want to do. Be a World Cup ski racer and give it everything 100%.” When he was with the US Team there was no guarantee, he would be allocated a start position for the next race. There was so much pressure to score points for the team, and qualify within the internal criteria the team established, it made it hard to race with a clear mind. As the only racer for Greece, he knew even if he Dqd or didn’t qualify for run 2 he would be able to start in the next race and the one after that. His split times were fast and this confidence that came with knowing he was secure on the team and in the start position opened the flood gates for him to reach his potential.
AJ Training in Saas Fe August 2024 – Photo: Marc Amann
LAST SEASON
Last season the good, solid results continued. He started the season off in December before Christmas with a 10th at Madonna Di Campiglio. In January with the ADL in attendance, he had a 14th at Kitzbuhel and a 13th at the famous night slalom in Schladming and a week later 12th at Chamonix! In all these years we had been going we never saw him finish and now he was top 15 back to back to back- the consistency was fun to watch. He ended the season qualifying for the World Cup Finals being ranked in the top 25 in the world. He finished the race 9th! A top 10 and his end of season ranking was 23rd.
AJ discussing form with his new coaches in Saas Fe August 2024 – Photo: Marc Amann
NEW SEASON NEW COACHES & NEW GOALS
AJ has a new team of coaches this year and is striving to take his skiing to an even higher level. His new head coach is Magnus Andersson, a Swede who previously found success with the Swedish men’s team and also was the Head US Women’s World Cup tech coach with Paula Moltzen and the other strong US Women tech skiers. Thomas Woolson, Ginnis’s close friend from Green Mountain Valley School and Dartmouth College, is joining the team after coaching on the Women’s World Cup Speed circuit. He also recruited Slovenian ski tech Primoz Finzgar to take care of his skis and make sure they function at the highest level. The new team trained together at an indoor facility in Germany in August and some on snow at Saas Fe. According to AJ, the team gelled really well and he’s feeling super healthy and strong going into this season. He’s excited with the new staff and the expertise they all bring to his program. His goals for this year are higher than ever and he is excited going into this season ready and motivitated.
Driving up through Italy towards the snow covered mountains in Austria, his new home base for the season will be in a little town called Saalfelden, not far from Kitzbuhel and Salzburg. We actually drive past this town on our way to Zel Am See on our October Porsche trip – perhaps we will stop by to say hello to AJ.
AJ and Coach heading home from a productive day in Saas Fe August 2024 – Photo: Marc Amann
DONATE TO AJ’s TEAM:
If you want to get involved with AJ’s journey you can donate directly to him through our 2Hammers non-profit. Just put a note for AJ in the donation – https://2hammers.org/
DONATE WITH GRESKI SWAG:
You can find GRESKI T-shirts & Hoodies and more at SlalomTokyoDrift with proceeds going to AJ.
WATCH HIM RACE IN PERSON:
Or if you just want to watch him race this winter you have two opportunities with us at three of the most famous slalom races on the circuit. First chance is in January at the Wengen DreamTrip or we have 2 spots open for our Kitzbuhel DreamTrip where you can watch him at two of the most historic races Kitzbuhel and Schladming in the same week.
EFHARISTO (THANK YOU)
Big shout out to AJ for giving us a bit of his time during his build up to next season. Also, a huge thank you to photographer Marc Amann from Saas Fe, for giving us permission to use his incredible photos. You can check out all his work here: www.amarcaster.com Instagram: @amarcster
