By Brian Pinelli
Life on the World Cup tour is generally pretty friendly. Just ask skier, Petr Zahrobsky who is the only racer from the Czech Republic that will compete in Friday's super-G and Saturday's downhill in Val Gardena, Italy.
If the two-time Olympian from Prague needs any additional inspiration he may just have to look to John Lennon, Paul McCartney and the Beatles. It was in 1967 when they first sang the famed lyrics - "I get by with a little help from my friends."
"Of course it's a little more difficult because it's just me and two coaches," said Zahrobsky about his small staff and lack of teammates on the mountain. "I try to hear some of the other radios and cooperate with some of the other teams. Guys are friendly this way, especially Italy's Stefan Thanei and Slovenia's Rok Perko. They can tell me what they hear from their coaches. I don't get the exact information as them, but it's still good."
Zahrobsky, 29, who has been skiing World Cup downhill for three years and super-G for six has been racing with fellow competitors like Perko and Thanei for nearly 15-years now.
"He can always come and ask for some course reports," said the Slovenian Perko. "We're all going to help him. It's not easy if you are a single guy, especially competing in a few events. I can't imagine how he works without a team."
Last season, the racer from the Czech Republic scored his first World Cup points in speed races in Val Gardena and also in Kvitfjell, Norway. Zahrobsky started this season off well winning a Europa Cup super-G in Reiteralm, Austria on November 11th. He is also the Czech national champion in super-G and runner-up in giant slalom.
"Definitely my goal this season is to make as many World Cup points as possible," he said. "Last year I had my first points in downhill and super-G. I hope this year it will be more."
Zahrobsky's sister, Sarka is a highly recognizable face on the ladies' circuit, having recently won her second World Cup slalom in Aspen, Colorado. Just 24, she is also a three-time World Championship medalist, including attaining a gold in Are, Sweden in 2007. This season the sibling's father, Petr will spend more time working with his son, while Sarka is taking a different approach, a move that should benefit all.
"This season is very good for me because I have better coaching and better ski preparation from him," said Petr about his father.
And regarding his immensely talented younger sister, "In the winter we are in contact just by phone calls and text messages," he said "I watch the races if I can and hope the best for her. Of course, this Christmas we will see each other again."
The Zahrobsky skiing family lived for many years just a short distance from Prague's historic Charles Bridge. However, Christmas holidays and substantial time in winter was spent at the family cottage in the Krkonose Mountains, just about a 2-hour drive north from Prague and only 20 kilometers from the Czech Republic's largest ski area, Spindleruv Mlyn.
"If you're a kid in Prague you probably didn't do much skiing, but when you have a cottage in the Czech mountains with a lift ten-meters from the house than you can ski," said Petr about his younger days with family.
"We grew up in a 350-year old building next to the Charles Bridge," he continues. "Until I was nine or ten, there weren't many tourists there because it was before the revolution. It was pretty quiet and then things changed dramatically after that with people coming and a lot of new shops. Our windows faced out to the nature opposite Charles Bridge so it was a good location."
Zahrobsky now resides in Zizkov with his girlfriend, a section of Prague on the opposite side of the city center. When not racing on the World Cup tour, he enjoys leisurely travel, traditional Czech racquet sports and a couple of exotic pets.
"I have a wonderful girlfriend - if I'm home I like to spend time with her because more than half of the year I'm gone," he explains. "So in the spring when I'm free we do a nice holiday. I also like to play tennis and squash and have two small green lizards at home as part of my hobbies. Their names are Felicia and Hermena. In English, I think they are called green water dragons"
For the time-being, the task at hand for Zahrobsky is trying to score World Cup points here in Val Gardena and perhaps a third Olympic Games come February.
"My opinion about the Oympics is not so usual - everybody is talking that this is the highlight of the season, but to me it's just one of the races because we also have ten downhills," he says. "In this sport you never know what will happen because of the weather and snow. I hope I will get to Vancouver and make some good results. I think I could qualify in three or four events. If I make good results, I'm happy, but if not, it's not the end of the world."
In Italy, like most of the World Cup racers, Zahrobsky will probably enjoy a bowl of pasta or some other authentic Italian cuisine the night before races. At the same time, the best male ski racer from the Czech Republic may also be dreaming just a bit about the comforts of home.
"When I come back to Prague or somewhere in the Czech Republic, the first thing I'll do is have some Svichkova (roast beef with dumpling and cranberries served in a cream sauce) or Tartarak (raw meat served with garlic and spices)."
It's quite possible that Zahrobsky will even invite some of his closest buddies on tour to his homeland in order to taste some of the clasic Czech specialties. Considering their frequent help with course reports and sharing other information on the mountain, it would only be fair.
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