The 2025–26 World Cup Finals in Hafjell, Norway, will not merely signify the close of another grueling season for the world’s elite technical specialists; it will also draw the curtain on a remarkable chapter in alpine skiing history. After 13 years of operation, the Global Racing Ski Team, an influential independent program that carved out a distinct pathway for athletes aiming for or returning to the World Cup circuit, is set to officially cease operations. This decision, announced by the team’s American founder and head coach, Paul Epstein, signals the conclusion of one of the sport’s most unique high-performance models.
Epstein confirmed the news to skinews.ch, stating, "Hafjell will be the last World Cup event for the Global Racing Ski Team. It wasn’t an easy decision for me, but I’m closing this door and will be pursuing other opportunities." While the team’s closure marks a significant shift, Epstein assured the alpine skiing community that he intends to remain actively involved in the World Cup circuit, with further details regarding his new role anticipated in the coming days. This transition underscores both a personal evolution for Epstein and a pivotal moment for the athletes who have relied on Global Racing as an alternative to traditional national team structures.
The Genesis of an Independent Vision: Paul Epstein’s Journey
Paul Epstein’s deep roots in U.S. ski racing provided the foundational experience necessary to conceive and cultivate Global Racing. His formative years were spent developing at the esteemed Green Mountain Valley School (GMVS), a renowned ski academy known for nurturing top talent, under the leadership of Dave Gavett. Epstein then transitioned to collegiate skiing at the University of Vermont (UVM), where his prowess earned him All-American honors in both 2005 and 2006. This period offered him exposure to high-level competition and a structured athletic environment.
Following his collegiate career, Epstein returned to his alma mater, Green Mountain Valley School, to coach, further honing his understanding of athlete development. His subsequent move to Austria, the heartland of alpine skiing, where he now resides with his wife and three children, proved to be a pivotal moment. This dual perspective—rooted in the American development system and immersed in the European professional circuit—illuminated a significant gap in the sport: a lack of high-level, independent pathways for athletes who might not fit neatly into national team structures due to funding limitations, injury setbacks, or simply the sheer competitiveness of selection processes. It was this realization that fueled Epstein’s ambition to create Global Racing, offering a lifeline to talented skiers seeking to reach or re-establish themselves on the World Cup stage.
A Unique Model in Alpine Skiing: Filling a Critical Void
Since its inception in the 2013–14 season, the Global Racing Ski Team presented an almost unparalleled offering in the world of alpine skiing. It functioned as a high-performance training environment for athletes operating outside the conventional confines of national team programs. This model was particularly attractive to a diverse cohort of skiers, including:
- U.S. athletes who had either been cut from or not yet qualified for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team.
- European skiers from nations with limited national team spots or those seeking specialized training.
- Athletes returning from injury who needed a high-level, flexible environment to regain form.
- Skiers from smaller federations with limited resources for comprehensive training programs.
The operational framework of Global Racing was distinctive. Athletes funded their participation themselves, contributing approximately €50,000 per season. This substantial investment covered coaching, travel, equipment support, and access to world-class training facilities across Europe. While a significant financial commitment, it often represented a more accessible and flexible alternative compared to the prohibitive costs of completely self-funded, bespoke programs, or the stringent entry requirements of national teams. The team’s ability to attract athletes from various national systems – including American, Swiss, Belgian, Danish, Slovenian, and Swedish skiers, among others – underscored its international appeal and the universal need it addressed within the sport.
A Proven Pathway to the World Cup: Measurable Success and Impact
The efficacy of Global Racing’s model is demonstrably evident in the careers it helped shape and revive. The program played a crucial role in enabling numerous athletes to not only re-establish themselves at the highest echelon of alpine skiing but also to achieve significant results. Among U.S. skiers, several talents notably returned to the Stifel U.S. Ski Team in giant slalom after refining their skills within Global Racing’s environment, subsequently scoring valuable World Cup points. These include:
- George Steffey: A prominent example, Steffey consistently demonstrated strong performances, returning to the U.S. Ski Team and earning World Cup points.
- Ben Ritchie: Known for his technical prowess, Ritchie also benefited from the program’s structure to advance his career.
- Luke Winters: A dynamic slalom specialist, Winters leveraged his time with Global Racing to solidify his position on the World Cup circuit.
- Bridger Gile: Another athlete who successfully navigated the pathway back to national team inclusion and World Cup competition.
Their progression underscores the core mission of the Global Racing Ski Team: to serve as a viable alternative pathway for athletes to compete and perform at the World Cup level. George Steffey, reflecting on his experience, emphasized the unique niche Global Racing filled. "Global Racing was pretty unique because it provided an opportunity for athletes like me who wanted to ski at the World Cup level but didn’t necessarily have support from a national team," Steffey stated. "One of only a few programs in history to fill that gap." He further elaborated on the team’s consistent success in elevating talent, noting, "They did a very good job of progressing athletes from the Europa Cup level to starting to break through in the World Cup."
Beyond mere results, Steffey highlighted the invaluable culture fostered by Epstein. "Paul did an exceptional job organizing a high-level program that was more or less like a family," he remarked. "In all the teams I’ve been on, it’s definitely been one of the best environments for progress." This testament speaks volumes about the holistic development environment Global Racing provided, focusing not just on athletic performance but also on camaraderie and personal growth.
The International Fabric of Success: A Confluence of Cultures
One of the most distinguishing and powerful attributes of the Global Racing Ski Team was its inherent diversity and the dynamic internal environment it cultivated. Athletes from a multitude of nations, diverse national systems, and varied personal backgrounds trained collaboratively. Crucially, they did so without the intense, often counterproductive, competition for limited national team spots that can define traditional federations. This unique confluence of talent fostered a powerful internal competition and a shared developmental trajectory.
George Steffey underscored this international structure as a core strength. "You have coaches and athletes from all over the world skiing together on one team," he explained. "You start to understand how different nations think about ski racing." This exposure provided athletes with a broader, more nuanced understanding of the sport than they would typically gain within the confines of a single national system. The cross-cultural exchange of ideas and methodologies became a defining characteristic of the team’s identity. "You get a much wider exposure to different philosophies," Steffey added. "That’s really useful for improving your understanding of the sport and figuring out how to make yourself better."
Christian Borgnaes, a Danish athlete who joined Global Racing after switching federations, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the collaborative spirit. "Different athletes with very different experiences came together and pushed each other," Borgnaes observed. "That was perhaps the heart of Global Racing." This blend of diverse perspectives and shared ambition created a rich learning environment that accelerated athlete development and fostered a truly global approach to ski racing.
The Founder’s Rationale and Future Endeavors
Paul Epstein’s decision to conclude Global Racing reflects a confluence of personal and professional realities. While he successfully built the team into a respected international training group, the very expansion and success of the program inadvertently led to an increasing administrative burden. This growing workload gradually pulled him away from his primary passion for coaching and, critically, from his family life.
"I love being a coach and am passionate about it," Epstein affirmed. "But the administrative and organizational tasks have steadily increased and have taken time away from my duties as a coach and as a father. That’s no longer the right path for me." This candid assessment highlights the often-unseen challenges faced by leaders of independent sports organizations, where the demands of management can overshadow the core mission.
Epstein also made it unequivocally clear that there would be no continuation of the project under a new structure or leadership. "The name Global Racing Ski Team has made a name for itself and enjoyed a good reputation in the sport. That’s how I want it to be remembered," he stated, emphasizing his desire for the team’s legacy to remain untarnished and distinct. His commitment to remaining involved in the World Cup circuit, albeit in a different capacity, suggests a desire to continue contributing to the sport he loves, leveraging his extensive experience and network in a new, more sustainable role.
Immediate Impact on Athletes: Navigating the Vacuum
The impending closure of Global Racing creates a significant void for its current roster of athletes. For many, the team represented their primary, if not sole, viable pathway to high-level competition. Christian Borgnaes articulated the immediate uncertainty facing these skiers. "The end of the Global Racing Ski Team creates a vacuum for the athletes," he lamented. "It will be difficult to get equal opportunities for the money we’ve paid so far."
Athletes are now actively exploring a range of alternative options for the upcoming seasons. These include seeking spots on their respective national teams, if available and if they meet selection criteria, or joining smaller, independent training groups that may emerge or already exist. Some might even consider creating entirely self-funded, individualized programs, a significantly more complex and expensive undertaking. However, regardless of the chosen path, a common concern is the anticipated increase in financial burden. "There will certainly be an increased financial burden for each of us starting next winter," Borgnaes predicted, signaling a challenging transition period for many.
Broader Implications for Alpine Skiing: A Legacy of Innovation and Challenge
The disbandment of Global Racing has broader implications for the sport of alpine skiing as a whole. Its closure removes a crucial alternative pathway that fostered athlete development and retention, particularly for those who might otherwise have been marginalized by traditional national systems. This loss raises important questions about the sustainability of independent high-performance programs and the responsibility of national federations to support a wider talent pool.
The success of Global Racing demonstrated that viable high-level training can exist outside the direct purview of national federations. It highlighted the limitations and pressures faced by many national teams, often constrained by budget cuts, a narrow focus on top-tier medal contenders, and limited athlete spots. Global Racing effectively absorbed some of this pressure, providing a crucial developmental step for athletes who might eventually rejoin their national teams or represent their countries independently on the World Cup.
Its legacy also challenges the sport to consider how it can continue to foster diversity, international exchange, and opportunities for athletes who may not fit the conventional mold. The unique blend of nationalities and philosophies within Global Racing enriched the understanding of ski racing for all involved, promoting a more global perspective that could benefit the sport’s overall innovation and competitiveness. The absence of such a model could lead to a more homogenous training environment, potentially stifling diverse approaches to athlete development.
A Legacy Etched in the Snow: End of an Era in Hafjell
As the final gates are cleared and the last races conclude in Hafjell, it will mark the end of more than just a World Cup season. It will signify the close of an era for a rare and impactful model in alpine skiing—one built on principles of opportunity, independence, and shared ambition. For 13 years, the Global Racing Ski Team, under Paul Epstein’s visionary leadership, provided a vital second pathway for athletes striving to reach the pinnacle of their sport.
Sam Maes, one of the team’s most successful athletes, encapsulated the profound impact Epstein had on individual careers. "I am incredibly grateful to Paul for what he has built for us," Maes shared. "There are very few people who would invest so much to help others realize their dreams." He also acknowledged that the very success of the program contributed to its eventual complexity. As the team expanded, managing athletes across World Cup, European Cup, and NorAm levels, while covering both slalom and giant slalom disciplines, became increasingly arduous. "Managing all of this and doing justice to each athlete became more and more demanding," Maes observed, offering an insider’s perspective on the challenges Epstein faced.
The Global Racing Ski Team leaves behind a remarkable legacy—a testament to what is possible outside the traditional system, a blueprint for innovative athlete development, and a collection of careers transformed. Its closure will undoubtedly be felt across the alpine skiing world, prompting reflection on the value of independent pathways and the enduring dedication of individuals like Paul Epstein, who dare to create new opportunities for aspiring champions. The snows of Hafjell will fall on the end of a chapter, but the stories of Global Racing’s athletes will continue to inspire.
