Simon Maurberger, ski ace from the Ahrntal.

“For some, I am a nuisance”: Maurberger continues to fight

Simon Maurberger has had an eventful year. After being dropped from the national team, the Ahrntal native suddenly found himself on his own. In an interview with SportNews, he explains how he mastered this completely new situation, why he's now more confident than ever, and why he's a nuisance to some.

July 27, 2025

From: det

Give up on ski racing or, after years of failure, continue fighting? That was the question Simon Maurberger asked himself a year ago. After two very difficult seasons, the Ahrntal native was kicked out of the national team and was left to fend for himself from then on. Quit or continue? Maurberger, a true Teldra fighter, unsurprisingly chose the second option. He wanted to try it on his own. And today, a year later, he's happy he made that decision.

With a private team (Team Global Racing), as well as the support of his Carabinieri sports group and a few loyal sponsors, the 30-year-old entered the season without a squad – and took not just one, but several steps in the right direction. Six top-10 finishes in the European Cup, plus a World Cup point finish for the first time in almost two years (21st place in Alta Badia) – these were results that were like balm to Maurberger's skiing soul. Therefore, it quickly became clear to him that he would be back in the white circus next season.

Simon Maurberger intends to continue with a lot of determination. © ANSA / ANDREA SOLERO

"At the beginning of the winter, it wasn't easy because I was no longer part of the national team for the first time and didn't know where to start. But I encountered a lot of support during that time. After a few races, I realized that things were going in the right direction. In the end, I have to say that this year was easier for me than I had imagined," Maurberger told SportNews.

“The season cost me 50.000 euros.” Simon Maurberger

Nevertheless, the challenges of being a skier without squad status are not easy, especially financially. "The season cost me around 50.000 euros," says Maurberger, who adds: "Another such expensive winter would probably have been too expensive. For the coming season, however, I'm foregoing the several-week trip to New Zealand where I prepared a year ago. So, this time I'll be covering less than half the costs," says Maurberger, who is particularly grateful to his Carabinieri sports group, his main sponsor – the Ahrntal Tourism Association – and smaller supporters.

Lots of conversations, but...

And what about a return to the national team? "There were some discussions after the season, but ultimately, the decisions are made by certain people at the top – and I was left out of that," says Maurberger, who adds: "I realized during the season that I was a nuisance to those people. Especially when I became the best Azzurro in the Alta Badia slalom. But now I'm going my own way."

Simon Maurberger performed in Alta Badia.

A path on which Maurberger has one big goal: the Olympics. "That would be a dream," says the Ahrntal native. But first, he wants to prepare as best as possible for the upcoming winter. After a two-week vacation in Canada ("A beautiful country"), Maurberger has been undergoing intensive dry-weather training since the end of May. In August and September, he'll be skiing, sometimes in the indoor ski halls, sometimes on the Stelvio Pass, sometimes in Saas-Fee, and later in Schnals. There, the Ahrntal native will continue to follow his motto: "Only mail is sent!"