Alpine Skier Ryan Cochran-Siegle’s Starter Pack: Winter Olympics 2026

Ryan Cochran-Siegle was practically born on skis. He started sliding on Vermont snow at age 2 and grew up in one of the most famous 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 joined the U.S. Alpine national team in 2011, he joined his cousin, two-time Olympian Jimmy Cochran.

But Cochran-Siegle’s career hasn’t been about legacy. He was shaped by catastrophic injuries, lengthy rehabilitation and the constant 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 super-G silver at Beijing 2022 and was the only American alpine skier to medal at those Games. “I’m more established as a skier,” Cochran-Siegle told WIRED. “There’s a certain amount of trust that needs to be taken into account.”

Before a race, Cochran-Siegle looks for a warm-up hill, practices movement patterns and “greases all the wheels.” He wants to feel that the skis respond to him. “I’m just there, not thinking about what I want to do, but letting things happen.” Afterwards, it is important to relax: sauna, relaxation and a few days to unwind before the World Cup season starts. The Olympics may be the pinnacle, but the work doesn’t stop.

“It also depends on how things are going,” he says. “Ideally, I ski the way I want and I feel accomplished for it, 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 highest level of the sport.

Maple syrup

When you’re from Vermont, carbs aren’t in flavored gels. They come from trees. Cochran-Siegle keeps Maple UnTapped pouches on hand for a quick refuel between runs, just open one and get straight to the point: natural sugars, fast absorption, and no mystery ingredients. “Good old organic Vermont maple syrup tastes like home,” he says. “My cousins ​​produce it and in the spring I go home and help turn on some of the taps. »

His camera

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