Skigastein Connects

Untracked with Julia Mancuso

"Skiing connects." Julia Mancuso beams. Skiing connects! For Sandra Lahnsteiner-Wagner and the former World Cup ski racer, their shared passion is the foundation of their long-standing friendship. The two have skied countless lines together on pretty much every continent. This makes it all the more exciting for Local Sandra to take the Olympic champion into the backcountry at home on the Schlossalm for the Skigastein Connects series in glorious sunshine.

While Julia's children attend ski school and her husband Dylan enjoys snowboarding, Sandra and Julia make long turns through the fresh, untracked powder. Experiencing the freedom of the Gastein terrain together is a special experience for both of them.

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Julia Mancuso's deep connection to Gastein

"Gastein is unique, this is my fourth time here. You live down in this special valley, then take the cable car into a winter wonderland and find countless opportunities to let off steam in the deep snow. Skiing makes me a better and happier person. I just love floating in the snow.’"

Julia Mancuso and Sandra Lahnsteiner-Wagner in the backcounty

It's one of those days. Freshly snow-covered slopes, freezing cold and just in time for the first gondola up to the Schlossalm, the sun comes through. There's no stopping now. We enjoy the marvellous panorama of the sea of 3,000-metre peaks, check our safety equipment and set the avalanche transceiver to send. ‘Let's go and do this!’

Into the deep powder. Turn after turn, a high of endorphins. There's not much to hear from the two of them. Except for the odd scream. An expression of pure happiness. Sandra is in her element here anyway, but Julia was also one of the few skiers during her active career who could always be found in the backcountry between races. ‘My love of skiing is connected to my love of the mountains in general. I enjoy all conditions. On the piste but also off-piste.’

Discover freeride routes

On top of one of Sandra's favourite peaks

After countless "first tracks", Sandra's two husbands Dylan Fish and Gernot Wagner join her in the afternoon. A short hike up one of Sandra's favourite peaks is on the agenda. As a Gastein native, she knows the Schlossalm like the back of her hand. The effort is worth it and the quartet is rewarded with an unforgettable descent. ‘I love going on little adventures.’ These are what make Julia's life so worth living.

The sun slowly sets behind the mountains of Gastein. What a day, everyone agrees. As she says goodbye, Julia Mancuso looks back up to the Schlossalm. ‘When skiing, everything is connected, everyone has a good time. And we are all needed to keep the spirit high. To fuel ski racing or even powder skiing. Everything is connected.’ That's exactly what Skigastein does. It connects.

To the freeride info base

Introduced: Julia Mancuso

The US-American ski racer can look back on a great career full of successes:

Date of birth and origin: born on 9 March 1984 in Reno, Nevada, USA
Olympic successes:
- 2006 in Turin: Gold in the giant slalom
- 2010 in Vancouver: Silver in the super-G and downhill
- 2014 in Sotschi: Bronze in the super combined
Successes at world championships: 5 medals at world championships, including silver in the super-G (2005) and bronze in the giant slalom (2005)
End of career: March 2018 after a number of troublesome injuries.
Julia today: Julia Mancuso is a successful speaker, entrepreneur and brand ambassador. She inspires her fans with her love of freeriding and surfing and an active, healthy lifestyle.
Private: Julia Mancuso is married to Dylan Fish and is the mother of three children with her family.
Other: In addition to her successful skiing career, Julia is known for her fun-loving nature. She goes by the nickname "Super Jules" and is a keen surfer. Together with Sandra, she has appeared in front of the camera for numerous #shadesofwinter films.

More about skigastein connects

More winter sports activities in Skigastein

If you want to cross-country ski like Bernhard Gruber, we recommend the trail named after him. It is part of the Skigastein high-altitude trail and is suitable for classic technique or skating style. Numerous ski touring routes, winter hiking tours and toboggan runs provide even more variety - there is definitely something for everyone.