A ski talent who actually wanted to become a hotelier

There are careers that have been hard-wired since childhood. Which usually follow a plan made by the parents. Where everything is subordinated to success. No matter whether Mikaela Shiffrin, Marcel Hirscher or Lara Colturi – they all have this in common. However, there are also careers like Dominik Paris's that only develop over the years. Vicky Bernardi can be placed in the latter category. “I started skiing when I was three years old. But when I was little, I never dreamed of becoming an athlete,” explains the 20-year-old from Stern. “I wanted to work with my parents in the hotel.” Father Werner and mother Nicole originally come from Ortisei, but have been running the Ciasa Soleil in Stern for years.

Her indecision about whether to try skiing was reinforced by the fact that Bernardi “wasn’t one of the best” as a little girl. That's why she wanted to attend the hotel management school in Bruneck so that she could one day follow in her parents' footsteps.

To the parents' homeland But this did not happen. She heard that there was a sports school in Cortina d'Ampezzo, but ultimately decided on Val Gardena. “Because all my relatives live there,” she says. After just a month she had thoughts of changing. “My mother said, 'Finish the first year and then you'll see what happens,'” Bernardi said. The 20-year-old stayed in Ortisei, but it wasn't until she was in third high school that she decided to try skiing. “I noticed that there was more to it and that I was getting better,” she says, explaining the reasons for this. The former slalom rider and current speed specialist is currently a member of Italy's C squad.

A hope for the future: Vicky Bernardi

There are two reasons why Bernardi feels more comfortable on the long bars. “On the one hand, my ski brand Nordica plays a role, which is better in downhill and super-G. On the other hand, at some point I noticed that I was faster in the speed disciplines.” She still competes in slalom and giant slalom, but doesn’t find it nearly as much fun. “In super-G and downhill you don’t have to do so many rides. Plus, I don't hurt myself. In the slalom I repeatedly encountered threaders. In the world class you can see how difficult it is to finish a slalom run well,” explains the woman from Val Badia. According to their own statement, their strength is gliding. Where it's flat and you have to let the skis run, it's fast. In the technical passages, however, she still has room for improvement, “even though I worked hard on it this year.”

No sensation The fact that she won silver on the Karl Schranz slope in St. Anton shows that she feels comfortable anywhere. The downhill route in North Tyrol, which is also included in the women's World Cup calendar, is extremely varied. Flat passages, tight curves and steep sections alternate. “The first training session was a disaster,” says Bernardi, who then implemented the trainer’s instructions well and immediately felt more comfortable. And so, despite the great competition, the South Tyrolean was definitely hoping for a medal. It was still a surprise to her that in the end she was only three hundredths short of the gold medal. “I pointed my ski tips downwards and concentrated on the technical passages,” Bernardi reveals her secret to success. She also impressed in fifth place in the Super-G the next day.

With the medal she was able to cross a major goal for the season off her agenda. The next step is to finish in the top 15 in the European Cup in order to take part in the season finale in Narvik (Norway). So far, 27th place in Altenmark-Zauchensee, which she achieved around three weeks ago, is her best result. She definitely has the potential to achieve this goal soon.

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A ski talent who actually wanted to become a hotelier

She recently won South Tyrol's first medal at a Junior World Championships since 2016 in St. Anton. At that time, Verena Gasslitter came third in the Super-G. This is impressive because Vicky Bernardi from Stern had completely different plans for the future until she was 15 years old.

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