Here's what Granite Chief athlete, Isaac Mozen, had to say about his past season and being a member of Team Clif Bar:
How did you get onto Team Clif Bar?
The way I got onto TCRA, as well as my teammates, is that the coach has to know you are a fast skier, recognize who you are, and see that you have further potential in your ski racing career. Once the coach likes you he will ask the team if we know the guy and if we think he will be a good person to have on the team. Because the team is everything, that’s how we push each other both on and off the hill.

 

What does it mean to you to be a part of the Clif Bar team?
It’s an honor and a privilege to get to do the things we do with the people we do it with. Not only are you a part of a good group of guys who have your back, but you are also representing a very respectable and large company known almost everywhere in the world. 

 

Describe a typical day with the team?
A typical day with TCRA starts with waking early, having a good breakfast, activating your body with stretches, muscle activation, and elevating your heart rate. Then we will pack the cars to head to the mountain to either train or race. Once we get to the mountain we will do a few more stretches and warmups, put on our gear, and out to the mountain. From there we will warm up on our skis, feeling out equipment, and doing drills to refresh our brains for what we should be working on when we hit the course. Then we will inspect and almost memorize the course, being more thorough on race day. Then if it’s a training day, our training session will last about 2 hours and we will get at least 6 focused runs. After that, we will go back home prep our skis for the next day, do some recovery, and eat a lot of food. 

 

Do you think it has caused your skiing to improve? If so, in which ways?
Yes, definitely. Being with this group of fast skiers you watch them, see what they are doing right and learn from it. We are a very competitive group, and we have timed training almost every day so we are always pushing each other to go faster and faster each run.

 

What is the greatest takeaway you had from this season working with Clif Bar?
I learned that when you are associated with Clif Bar you are apart of something much greater, then just being with the boys on TCRA. 

 

Where did you travel this past season with the team before COVID shut everything down?
We started our season in New Zealand where we trained and raced down there for 50 days. Then we went to Copper Mt. in Colorado for a month training. After that month the race season started and we first raced at Copper, then we raced at Beaver Creek, Aspen, Jackson, Steamboat. Then I came home for Christmas and raced locally at Boreal. In the new year we started at Winter Park, then Big Sky, Eldora, back to Steamboat, Snowbird, Park City, we had Junior Nationals at Snowbasin. Then Beaver Creek again and Sun Valley were our last races unfortunately due to COVID. 

 

What was your favorite trip or experience from this past season?
Definitely when we went to New Zealand. I had never been there before and it was totally epic. Super pretty almost everywhere went. I hope to go again soon!

 

Do you get to eat all the Clif Bars you want?

Haha yes, we go through boxes pretty quickly. 

 

What is your all-time favorite Clif Bar?
I liked the Cubes that they had but unfortunately, they stopped making them. Other than that I really like the regular Cool Mint Clif Bar, the Chocolate Recovery Powder, and the Shot Gels. 

 

What are your plans for this summer to stay in shape for next year's ski season?
Well, it’s hard to do that right now because all the gyms are closed and I don’t have a home gym. So I have been getting creative with a lot of bodyweight stuff and lifting tires with a 10 foot PVC pipe going through them. I have also been mountain biking, and working on agility stuff.

 

Do you have any fun trips planned?
Everything is so up in the air, with COVID right now it is hard to plan trips to go skiing. 

 

What are your goals for next winter?
Drop FIS points more in GS and Slalom, and hopefully set me up to go to a high-level college ski team or make the US Ski Team.  

 

Where is your favorite place to ski in Tahoe?
Definitely Squaw Valley when there aren’t so many people.

 

Anything else you would like to say to the people of Tahoe?
Be patient, trust the process, and stay safe out there! 
Thanks for Chatting with us Isaac and we wish you the best of luck next season!!