09/02/2026
What I have learned so far at the Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy:
- you will write 5576 social posts and Meta will lose them all (this is take 5577)
- you will be fined for not wearing a helmet while skiing in Italy but you won't require one when being transported after dark up a steep hill at warp speed on a snow mobile driven by retired F1 drivers
- espresso will get you through, until it won't (which will be soon).
- you will walk down the Main Street next to Princess Anne and not recognise her, but you are royal now because you breathed the same air
- Scotty James will say he is a "misfit" and you will love him even more because, well, aren't we all?
- you will ski at a private resort, no, sorry, my bad, it's actually the ski areas of Livigno that are wide open groomers with not a soul to be found.
- Corona have an après bar where they are presenting gold Corona bottles like Academy Awards, remember to thank your mother.
- everyone is a DJ, they all have a one word name and diamond neck rings
- Oakley have free paninis served up by athletes outside a tent made up like an igloo, you will have to ski down a terrain park to get there, it will be worth it
- you will get fomo of fomo because so many ski industry mates are in town on conflicting ski industry schedules
- do stopover for a few days in Istanbul on the way over to ski in Europe, if you don't you'll be exhausted before you even hit the ground and crawling to the Olympic venue each day.
- you must get your skis from Zinermann Sports because they have a $1.2m tuning facility that all the local racers use and it's important to look the part.
- Berghutte on the mountain after dark with DJ, conga line, fire pit, three course meal and non-stop free flowing Bollinger will cost you Euros90 and be worth every cent for the view of the lit up Snowpark below alone.
- you will meet athletes and their parents on the regular in downtown cafes as you try to down your 1000th espresso of the day, you will become best friends for an hour.
- you must find Pippo and Milly from Autentico Alpine Experience they are ex Thredbo instructors and also run The Arc Junior Skier Development Program ski camps with Jono and Caroline Brauer and have a concierge company that can fix you up with anything - accommodation, lift passes, dinners, experiences and more
- you will cry into a thick hot chocolate when you watch Lindsey Vonn crash on the screen
- you will have IT issues, it's a given
- say yes to everything, everything, everything
Best to check us out on IG Stories if you want to go on our one wild Olympic ride.
Here:
www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18096078850942787/
📷 see, no one on slopes! No one
