East Coast Olympian and slalom specialist Nolan Kasper saw his first NorAm race during the 2007 season and quickly upgraded his starting status to the World Cup level in time for the 2010 Olympic season, resulting in a slalom start in Vancouver. The confidence and experience proved to be a catalyst, as Kasper exploded during the 2011 season to win the Europa Cup slalom title and take his first World Cup podium.

Never a man to lie down in a fight, Kasper sprung back from hip surgery to post an extremely successful 2012 season. He then had minor hip surgery again at the end of the winter and was poised to spring back again during the World Championship and pre-Olympic season, but he tore his ACL and meniscus while training in Val d'Isere, France in December. Guess what Sochi 2014 - you've just found a very cool comeback story. Go get 'em, Nolan.

NOLAN SAYS
If you're not gonna put in the hard work, somebody else is. There's a fine line between being okay, being good, and being great. And getting over that line takes a lot of work.

My right leg strength is coming back and by the time we start racing again, I'll be stronger than I ever have been. It's not the ideal way to go into an Olympic season, but having Sochi on the horizon definitely helps the motivation to get strong.

FIRST TRACKS
Kasper started skiing at New Jersey's Hidden Valley when he was three. He raced on the East coast junior circuit and attended Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont before getting called up to the U.S. Development Team in 2007. In March 2009, Kasper claimed a bronze medal in slalom (one place behind Olympic teammate Tommy Ford) at the Junior World Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, climbing another rung on the U.S. Ski Team ladder. He hasn't looked back.

OFF THE SNOW
Kasper is a student at Dartmouth, and thanks (or no thanks) to injuries, he's well ahead of where he expected to be at this point in his college career. Summers are spent in Park City, chasing the nordic skiers around the Wasatch Mountains on road bikes.