10 Questions for Bode Miller
His Olympic letdown two years ago led to a split with the U.S. team. More sober and just as fast as ever, this downhill skier is coming off his first victory this season. Bode Miller will now take your questions
Why did you separate from the U.S. ski team? Martin Rosengreen MADISON, WIS. The team cut my funding, [so] I was going to be paying for myself anyway. There were other issues. [For example,] I thought it would be productive to have a bus with a gym in it and our own chefs so that we can control our food. Not that it's ever been an issue, [but] somebody could put a little of any banned substance in our mass pastas in our hotel, and we'd all be disqualified, no questions asked.
Do you miss the camaraderie? Laura Wolf, VAIL, COLO. I do. The sport is really individual when you're competing, but outside of the competition you definitely rely on your teammates for support. But it's not gone. We're all still friends. I see those guys all the time.
You are one of the more chatty racers on the circuit. Do you talk a lot with other racers? Matt Robbie, BURLINGTON, VT. Yeah. It perpetuates a positive energy. I think guys generally race at their highest level when they're feeling positive about themselves rather than trying to bring other guys around them down to a lower level to beat them.
This season you faced windstorms, rocks, weak skis. Will your luck change? Roks, LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA The results have been pretty poor this season. But when I'm at speed and not making mistakes, I'm much, much faster than the rest of the world right now.
You seemed very stoic after the 2006 Olympics. Weren't you disappointed by the results? Philippe Bellevin, SAN FRANCISCO I'm always out to ski hard. If I get good results, that's ideal. But I feel I've been true to myself my entire career with my effort. My intensity is really second to none on the World Cup. The effort and intensity are the only things I can control. If other guys ski better, you don't get the results.
Have you changed personally since the 2006 Olympics? Kevin Melo, BELTSVILLE, MD. It's a matter of perception. I can make everyone think that I'm not partying, or I could easily make people think the other side. In the past, it's been a matter of where the media have put the focus. This year with my team separating and other things, there's a lot of other stuff to focus on.
What are your ultimate goals personally and athletically? Drew Streip CHATTANOOGA, TENN. Athletically, it's to not be hurt. I enjoy being outside, and eventually I'd like to have a family. I'd like to not be limping around when I'm 50 years old.
If you weren't skiing, what else would you pursue? Jennifer Bourgoin MANCHESTER, MAINE I've been exploring different options for when I'm done skiing. I have the Turtle Ridge Foundation, which is helping a bunch of worthy causes around the Northeast. I've also started SkiSpace, which is an online social network that basically deals with all things based around any snow sport.
Have you ever snowboarded? Hyun Kim, TORONTO I grew up snowboarding for a while. I went through a period at boarding school when my coaches wanted me to switch to snowboarding because they thought I was no good at skiing. I was too skinny. I had terrible technique. They were saying I should be a snowboarder, and luckily, I resisted.
What was your worst crash? Will Randle, CONCORD, MASS. I've had a lot of them. I had crashes when I was small and Gumby-like that would have killed me now. I would just fly off jumps and go 40 or 50 meters when I was 6 years old--break skis, smash my goggles and get a bloody nose and go crawl inside for a little while and then come back out and ski more in the afternoon.
To watch a video interview with Miller and to subscribe to the 10 Questions podcast on iTunes, go to time.com/10questions