Family and life on the snow
It all started on October 4th 1980, in the city of San Carlos de Bariloche, at the time a big town or a really small city. In which Simari and Birkner families were really active in the mountain of Cerro Catedral. From the Simari family Mario and Fernanda where working during the winter as ski instructors; on the side of the Birkner family the things were a bit more into the competition, while Teresita was working as ski instructor, the rest of the family where still in racing. Jorge, Magdalena, Carolina, and Ignacio all raced at least one winter Olympic Games and Ramon qualified for the 1992 Albert Ville Olympics, but had a knee injury and could not start at the Olympics.
It all started on October 4th 1980, in the city of San Carlos de Bariloche, at the time a big town or a really small city. In which Simari and Birkner families were really active in the mountain of Cerro Catedral. From the Simari family Mario and Fernanda where working during the winter as ski instructors; on the side of the Birkner family the things were a bit more into the competition, while Teresita was working as ski instructor, the rest of the family where still in racing. Jorge, Magdalena, Carolina, and Ignacio all raced at least one winter Olympic Games and Ramon qualified for the 1992 Albert Ville Olympics, but had a knee injury and could not start at the Olympics.
So I grew up in the middle of skis, poles and more, and every time my uncles came back from USA, or Europe they brought home really cool things. Candy, hats, bells, and some ski material like goggles, and gloves that you could not get in Bariloche.
I started skiing and using the skis before I learned to walk and I was going around the house with my small skis all day long, and during the winter I was skiing in the back yard.
In 1990 for the first time I got to see Europe, in Argentina the economical situation was extrem and the inflation was around 100%, so was no way to be working anywhere. One day you had 100€ and the day after they were 10€ and in one month may be only worth 10 cents. So Mario and Teresita decided to fly to the old continent to work and get real money so they flew with all the family to Italy and started working in Val di Sole, Trentino.
In Italy I got to know the best of skiing and what really was the racing world when for the first time I went to sea World Cup Race in Madonna di Campiglio 3Tre race. Alberto Tomba was the best skier in the world and we had to drive at 4am to get to the race that started at 10am, when normally it takes only 30 min to drive to the race that day it was like 4 hours. The Canalone Miramonti was packed with people from top to bottom.
That day I decided I wanted to be there one day, and from that time on, all my training and skiing started to focus on getting strong and fast, to race a world cup.
That day I decided I wanted to be there one day, and from that time on, all my training and skiing started to focus on getting strong and fast, to race a world cup.
This dream came true on 14 December 1998, in Sestriere and was really cool but as everyone says when you get your dream is it not like is it finished. It is a big moment on a road of many experiences that should never end. So from there I focused on getting faster and stronger to make it to the Olympics, because in the 1998 Japan Olympics I was qualified to race for Argentina, but only GS and SuperG and we had some big differences with the Federation I decided not to go to this Olympic and to get ready and strong for Salt Lake City.
In my first Olympics I was the flag barrier and to enter the Olympic stadium with the flag in my hands was a new dream come true, even if I say I ski only for myself and not for the country or the flag I think it is one of the biggest emotions an athlete can feel.
All the rest is recent history. That is why I created this site. This way I can keep you updated on my Life as a ski racer.