A major standout for Italy, 25-year-old Christof Innerhofer didn't arrive on the World Cup scene until 2006, but came on hot, finishing top 25 in his first few races, which included the Bormio downhill. In so doing, he marked that slope in his motherland as the place where more great things would happen ... including his first World Cup victory (also in downhill) last season, establishing himself as the only Italian in history to win on that hill.

Hailing from Gais in the South Tyrolian region of Northern Italy, Innerhofer made his debut on skis at the age of 3 and shortly thereafter began racing with his sister Sabrina, winning his first race at the age of 10 and taking third in Canada's international Topolino Games when he was 12. After finding new passion for racing following a string of injuries, Innerhofer began winning national junior races in downill, giant slalom and slalom in 2003 and was working his way up on the Italian national team in 2004. By 2006, he was not only earning points on the World Cup but winning Europa Cup super-G and downhill races. In 2007-08 Innerhofer started making his way into the World Cup top 10 in downhill, SG and combined and went into last season with five top 10 finishes.

2009 was a banner year for Innerhofer. Not only did he find his way to the top step of the World Cup podium in front of a huge home crowd, but he started off the season narrowly missing a podium in the Beaver Creek super G (he ended up fourth) and went on to achieve bronze finishes in the Sestriere super-combined race and the season finale super-G in Are, also narrowly missing a world championship medal with a fourth-place finish in SG at Val d'Isere. He wrapped up the season just behind compatriot Peter Fill, eleventh in the overall standings, 10th in downhill and fifth in super-G despite breaking a finger during a crash in the final GS race in Are.

Also, getting his heart rate up is not just something Innerhofer does on the racecourse. He spends his summers trekking, swimming and cycling and was invited to forerun the first stage of last summer's Giro d'Italia, beating the likes of Antonio Rossi, Yuri Chechl, Andrew Howe, Enrico Fabris and Francesco Moser to win the Giro's VIP race.