The following quotes come from the MTI Podcast interview with Crystal. Click HERE to listen to the podcast.
From Ski Racing to Freeride Competition
“I grew up in Jackson and ski raced competitively until I was 25. I traveled with the U.S. Ski Team from when I was 16 to about 21, and I was an alternate for the Olympic team in 2002. It was an amazing experience, but I was always just so close to making the full World Cup team.”
> “I was a speed skier—downhill and super-G. When I went to college, there was no downhill or super-G, only giant slalom and slalom, which was a big shift for me. I lost a ton of confidence after a rough year at CU Boulder. I transferred to Montana State and had three great years, but I never really skied the same after that.
Strength and Conditioning: Early Exposure and Lessons Learned
“Looking back now as a coach, I feel like my early strength training was lacking. The U.S. Ski Team didn’t really have us on a structured program, and I think that was a missed opportunity.”
“I never had a real strength coach until I got to Montana State. That’s when I was introduced to Olympic lifting, proper programming, and realized I hadn’t been training the right way. I wish I had known how to use my core earlier—it would have made me a much better ski racer.”
“At Montana State, I actually had the school’s power clean record for a while at 160 pounds. It was kind of hysterical, but that’s when I really understood my strength. Before that, I didn’t even realize I was strong.”
Freeride Career: Fast, Fluid, and Fearless
“When I competed on the Freeride World Tour, my strengths were my speed and technique. Coming from a racing background, I could ski lines really fast and fluidly. That paid off in big-mountain competitions.”
“I won the Freeskiing World Tour overall titles in 2009 and 2012. But in 2012, just a month after my second title, I shattered my ankle, tibia, and fibula in a mountain bike crash. I had to get a metal rod in my leg. I came back and kept competing, but I was never quite the same. That’s when I shifted my focus to training and injury prevention.”
The Evolution of Wright Training
“I started Wright Training in 2012 after my injury. I had no business plan, just a passion for fitness and helping people prevent injuries and improve performance. I wanted to provide the structured training I never had as a young athlete.”
“It started with a small gym in Jackson, then expanded to Victor, Idaho, in 2020. Our programming blends total-body workouts—strength, endurance, injury prevention—geared toward mountain athletes like skiers, climbers, and bikers.”
“Most of my athletes train two days a week because they want to be outside the rest of the time. I focus on consistency, not just intensity. I program strength, work capacity, and stamina so they can keep pushing hard in the mountains without breaking down.”
Training Skiers: Challenges and Observations
“A lot of the best skiers don’t train hard in the gym. They have natural talent and think they don’t need it. But when they do buy in, they feel the difference—more strength, more control, fewer injuries.”
“I emphasize single-leg work, posterior chain development, and stamina training. If you can push through a 30-minute AMRAP, you can push through a long day in the mountains.”
“Leg Blasters are still one of the best dryland exercises for skiers. People hate them, but they work. I modify them for different ability levels, but the eccentric loading is key for ski performance.”
The Evolution of Freeride Skiing
“The level of skiing on the men’s side has exploded—guys are throwing huge tricks off natural features. The women’s field hasn’t progressed as much, and I think part of it is that many female athletes now focus on social media and filming instead of competing. The depth of competition isn’t as strong as it used to be.”
“I’m mentoring a young skier now, and she’s talented, but coming from a pure freeride background means she’s missing some of the fundamental technique that a ski racing background would have given her. That’s something I’m seeing more in the next generation.”
Ski Mountaineering and Risk Management
“After I retired from competition, I got into ski mountaineering. I needed that adrenaline rush, but in a different way. I love skiing big, exposed lines where you don’t have to rappel or climb down—just clean, continuous descents.”
“I skied the Grand Teton, and while it’s iconic, I wouldn’t do it again. The crowds and the stress of other people making bad decisions made it sketchy. Some of my most memorable lines are in the Tetons and the Dolomites.”
“I’ve had a few close calls, especially with sluff management. On Apocalypse Couloir, I had to time my descent between huge sluffs coming down. It was one of the scariest moments I’ve had in the mountains.”
Strength Coaching as a Woman in a Male-Dominated Field
“When I first started my gym, people assumed I should be running a Pilates or yoga studio because I was a woman. It took time to earn respect, especially from some male coaches.”
“I actually get more pushback from female clients sometimes—they question whether strength training is necessary. The idea that lifting makes women ‘bulky’ is still out there, and I fight it every day.”
“I train my female athletes the same way I train my men. Strength is strength. Resilience is resilience. I love proving that toughness isn’t gendered.”
The Future: Family, Training, and Staying Strong
“My daughter Cassidy is skiing and playing hockey, which is awesome. She’s not into horses like I was, which is tough for me, but she’s super focused. She told me she’s ready to ski Corbet’s. She’s seven.”
“I still train hard, but I listen to my body more now. I’ve dialed back exposure and risk. Having a kid changes your risk tolerance.”
“At the end of the day, I’m most proud of my business. I started it with no experience, survived COVID, bad leases, and staffing struggles. It’s been hard, but seeing my athletes succeed is the best reward.”
Lightning Round
— Best total body lift: “Curtis P.”
– Best lower body press: “Back squat.”
– Best lower body pull: “Romanian Deadlift.”
– Best upper body press: “Push press.”
– Best upper body pull: “Pull-ups.”
– Most overrated exercise: “Hip thrusters.”
– Most underrated exercise: “Sandbag get-ups.”
– Most overhyped gym equipment: “Cable machine.”
– Best ski training exercise: “Leg Blaster.”
– Mountain achievement that means the most: “Skiing the Grand Teton.”