to finish my career as a professional athlete and start a new life – that of the skiman.
I've done a lot of work. My first experience was with the Nordic Combined A team, with great results.
I had great masters, such as Ferdinando Longoborghi and the late Paolo Manfredini, who taught me a lot especially in the early years where you have to “make your bones”. After a year with the Nordic combined I switched to cross-country skiing – initially with the Team B, then immediately with the Team A, where I saw numerous champions pass – from De Zolt, Polvara, Walder and Ploner to Vanzetta, Albarello, Fauner, Valbusa, Zorzi and Dicenta. And in the women's field Dicenta, Belmondo, Paruzzi, Valbusa and many others. What a pleasure to see them win thanks to also my work. Often the work of the technicians is overlooked, but I assure you that it is very tiring and requires a great deal of sacrifice. I will never forget the hours after hours spent in the dark winters of the north testing skis, together with my great friend Roberto Gal.
Sacrifices which, however, were repaid by the sound of results. This job allowed me to travel the world, maybe not enjoying it completely, since most of the time we were on skis. But I still have great memories. Surely the most beautiful are those of the 9 Olympics and 17 World Championships in which I participated as a skiman.
(On the photo: Giorgio Vanzetta, Stefano Vuerich, Maurilio De Zolt, Marco Albarello, Silvio Fauner 1994)