Alpine Skier Ryan Cochran-Siegle Brings a Little Taste of Vermont to the Winter Olympics

Ryan Cochran-Siegle was practically born on skis. He started sliding around Vermont snow at age 2 and grew up in one of the most storied families in American alpine racing. His grandparents built a nonprofit ski area in 1961, and his mother, Barbara Ann Cochran, won Olympic gold in Sapporo in 1972. When Cochran-Siegle made the US national alpine team in 2011, he joined his cousin, two-time Olympian Jimmy Cochran.

But Cochran-Siegle’s career hasn’t been an inheritance story. It’s been shaped by catastrophic injuries, long rehabs, and a steady belief that his best skiing was still ahead of him.

Cochran-Siegle is no longer the wide-eyed rookie who debuted in Pyeongchang or the comeback story who won silver in the super-G at Beijing 2022 and was the only US alpine skier to medal at those Games. “I’m more established as a skier,” Cochran-Siegle tells WIRED. “There’s some confidence to take into it.”

Before a race, Cochran-Siegle looks for a warm-up slope, practicing movement patterns and “getting all the wheels greased.” He wants to feel like the skis talk back to him. “I’m just there, not thinking about what I want to do, but letting things happen.” Afterward, it’s important to wind down: sauna, relaxation, and a few days to decompress before the World Cup season rolls on. The Olympics may be the peak, but the grind doesn’t stop.

“It also depends on how things go,” he says. “Ideally, I ski the way I want to ski and feel accomplished for that, and then there’s something to celebrate.”

Ryan Cochran Siegle’s approach to Milano Cortina 2026 is calm, confident, and disciplined. His Starter Pack focuses on the everyday essentials that help him stay grounded while racing at the sport’s highest level.

Maple Syrup

When you’re from Vermont, carbs don’t come in flavored gels. They come from trees. Cochran-Siegle keeps Maple UnTapped packets on hand for fast refueling between runs, tearing one open and getting straight to the point: naturally occurring sugars, quick absorption, and no mystery ingredients. “A taste of home is good ol’ Vermont organic maple syrup,” he says. “My cousins produce it, and in the springtime, I’ll go home and help pull some of the taps.”

His Camera

Cochran-Siegle got his first camera in 2016. Sometimes it barely leaves his bag. Other times, it becomes essential. “But I try, because it brings me joy and helps take my mind off skiing,” he says. “It’s kind of a release valve.”