Mattia Cason in an interview with SportNews. © Private

New adventure after the (unwanted) retirement from skiing

Last year he finished in the top 15 of the European Cup. Now he's switched sides and started a completely new chapter in Canada. We're talking about Mattia Cason, who speaks to SportNews about his unexpected retirement, his new life overseas, and his dreams for the future.

February 06, 2026

We reached the 26-year-old on one of the rare days when he wasn't on the slopes, but rather at his new home in Collingwood, Canada. But how did the former speed specialist from Lajen end up in this town of 25.000 inhabitants, 110 kilometers northwest of Toronto?

Cason remained passionate about skiing until the very end. The South Tyrolean never considered quitting, even though he hadn't been part of the national team since the summer of 2020, had to make it on his own, and had to dig deep into his pockets to pursue his dream. "I really wanted to continue for at least one more season," Cason explains. Ultimately, however, this didn't happen because the national coaches made it clear that he was no longer wanted – despite a strong start to the previous season. Among other achievements, he was the second-best Italian, finishing 13th in Santa Caterina.

Cason criticizes

“I was still in the top 30 of the European Cup start list, in the top 100 in the world, yet I was denied a starting place from February onwards.” His last chance to prove his abilities came in mid-March in Kvitfjell, where he was once again beaten by only one fellow Italian in a Super-G. “What bothers me most is that I wasn’t given a fair chance, there was no communication with the coaches. In Italy, there are no fixed criteria for how to get back onto the national team. If you ski a good race, they say it doesn’t count. I’ve really invested everything in this sport – effort, time, and not least, money. Being treated unfairly and sometimes even rudely is disappointing in light of that,” says Cason.

Mattia Cason (right) is now a coach.

In his opinion, athletes are subjected to excessive pressure, leaving them no time to develop. "Instead, coaches hope for super talents who will immediately achieve strong results. The gradual development of an athlete doesn't happen in Italy," Cason says. After realizing the state of his skiing career, he made the difficult decision in the summer to end his active career and embark on a new adventure.

Through a mutual friend, he ended up in Collingwood, the hometown of last year's Kitzbühel winner, James Crawford. Far from South Tyrol, he launched his second career – as a coach. Cason coaches the young athletes of the Ontario team in the U18 and U20 categories. "I've traveled a lot since then. We've been to Maine, Vermont, the Yukon, and South America," says Cason, who thoroughly enjoys the daily routine of coaching. Whether he's setting up courses, refining the young athletes' technique, filming races, or making hotel bookings – Cason is fully immersed in the business. His goal is to steadily climb the career ladder, perhaps one day training in the World Cup.

What are the next steps?

“But I’ve always been interested in studying. I know I can combine the two. I’m still undecided, though, whether I want to do it here or in Italy,” Cason explains. Before that, however, the man from Lajen has two months as a coach in Canada ahead of him. With his unusual career path, he proves that when one door closes, another opens.