Grete Eliassen: Free to Fly

Most people would be terrified by the thought of jumping off cliffs at racing speeds. But for Grete Eliassen, it’s just part of the job. The 26-year-old professional freeskier has been hitting the slopes since the age of two, and it’s a passion that has clearly stuck. 

“Both of my parents are avid skiers and love to be outside, so teaching my siblings and I to ski was just a given,” Grete says. “They pushed me to try everything, but when I was 12 I decided I wanted to focus on skiing.”

Soon after, Grete and her family moved back to her father’s native country, Norway, where she was named the Norwegian SL National Champion and selected for the Norwegian Ski Team. However, Grete was ready for the next challenge. She longed for more freedom in the sport, and so she made the transition from racing to freeskiing. 

“My first freeskiing event was a high school Big Air during my school’s annual ski day,” Grete recalls. “I just remember doing the biggest tail grab ever and everyone talking about it at school the next day. I did not connect with many people at my school because not many girls played sports, but once they saw me on that ski day, they finally understood what I was about.” 

Grete hasn’t looked back since making her freeskiing debut. She has won the US Open four times, and has captured two gold and silver medals at the Winter X Games. Her family, she says, is what keeps her head level through it all. “My family and fiancé are my support network. They have been behind me since day one – not only do they love to watch me ski, but they love skiing as well. I would not be where I am today without them.” 

Though she possesses an array of medals and has starred in multiple ski films, perhaps her greatest accomplishment is setting a world record in the Woman’s Hip-Jump. In 2010 Grete reached speeds of 60 mph, hit a 30 foot “hip” feature, and soared more than 31 feet in the air. No other woman has even come close. 

When she’s not in the air, Grete can often be found mentoring future generations of female athletes. “The most rewarding aspect of my career has been getting involved with the Women’s Sports Foundation,” Grete says. Her late mentor and friend Sarah Burke introduced her to the foundation, and she has since worked to improve the opportunity for girls to play sports. 

“I would love to continue to work in sports,” Grete says of her plans once she retires from competing. She recently graduated from the David Eccles School of Business with a degree in Business Marketing. “My dream is to one day be able to turn on the television and be able to watch women’s sports whenever I want. I will still watch men’s sports, but it would be nice if there was equal coverage.”

Though a knee injury is sidelining her from this year's X Games in Aspen, she will soon resume her training as she prepares for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Grete is currently slated to compete in Sochi, Russia, as a member of the US Freeskiing Team for Slopestyle. 

For coverage with other Olympic athletes, be sure to read our interview with gold medalist Kayla Harrison and track-and-field star Carmelita Jeter.

–Lindsay Putnam