Hello! My name is Scott Lacy, I am professional Biathlete with the US Biathlon team. It’s been a winding road and quite the ride…
Born and Raised in the Snow
Learning to slide around on skis came with the same importance as using my own two feet to walk around. In-fact, even before I learned to walk, I was bundled into a backpack and taken for Nordic skis around the trails surrounding the small ski town of Aspen, CO. Official ski school started at the same age as elementary school with Nordic after school programs starting soon after. Though those early days of learning to skate on fish scales were most definitely focused on drinking more hot chocolate than any parent would dare, my heart was stolen away from the chairlifts and the love of going uphill took over.
Growing-up in the heart of the Elk Mountains of Colorado in a family of outdoor enthusiasts firmly seeded a fierce love of the mountains. Running, kayaking, skiing, camping, climbing, biking and respecting the world we lived in, was the thin air I breathed and mountain waters I drank. To remain in constant awe, to feel the beckoning call, to find restfulness in the never-ending exertion of pushing yourself to new limits.
Needless to say, Nordic skiing embodied all of these things and became the driving force of my youth. Leading to racing with the Aspen Valley Ski Club for 8 years, attending 5 JN’s, 2 international USST Junior racing trips and ultimately attending Dartmouth College to race in the NCAA.
That ol’ Frozen Granular with a Packed Powder Base
Dartmouth College became one of the most formative experiences of my life. It is an immeasurable part of who I am today and most of all, gave this 300-days-of-blue-sky westerner, an amazing 4 years in New England. My time in New England gave way to friends I will have for the rest of my life, a love of academics and learning, fondness for racing 50km marathons and countless more. Oh, and of course, an addiction to post ski saunas too!
When the Race Skis get Hung-up
With a senior year spring break trip to Moab, UT, the plan to keep racing immediately after college came to an abrupt halt. The next 6 years post graduation began with 18 months of not touching a pair of Nordic skis and nearly 2 years of working in the professional engineering and consulting world. Luckily, I ended up in Jackson, WY in the middle of those 2 years and began coaching with the Jackson Hole Ski Club. The athletes I coached made me love Nordic again to a level I never had before. After that first season coaching I was hooked on the Tetons and all they had to offer: Kayaking, back country skiing, mountain running, hot-springs-ing, peak bagging and Nordic skiing for the pure of love it! Jackson and the skiers I coached became home and family for good.
Unfinished Business
The joy of Nordic skiing for the pure love of it was re-ignited and stoked while coaching, strengthening my dream to ski race at the highest level I possibly can. It was the athletes I skied with every day who finally urged me to dive into racing again. Though my time away had not been idle, I was starting at an older age, with no elite team and completely independent. In a true test of my desire to race again, that first season was a rude awakening to say the least. But more than that, it showed me this is exactly what I want to be doing and with the help of the Nordic community at large, the first season came together, inspiring and aiding me to be the absolute best skier I can be. In the thick of it now, beginning my fifth year of elite racing and racing internationally for United States Biathlon, I am incredibly grateful for everyone who helped me get this far along the way. Not to mention more excited to be skiing and shooting than ever before. Let’s GO!