Industry News
Former U.S. ski racer Lila Lapanja received approval from the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) to change nations. The 29-year-old dual citizen will ski for Slovenia for the 24/25 FIS World Cup season. While Lapanja was born in Truckee, California, her father Vojko hails from Slovenia and moved to the U.S as a student.
Lila Lapanja grew up in Incline Village, Nevada, and learned to ski from her father, a retired alpine ski racer himself, at the age of 2. She made the U.S. Ski Team at only 16 years of age after two successful Nor-Am seasons with several victories. Lapanja made her World Cup debut in 2015 in Aspen, Colorado, at the age of 21. She is a Slalom specialist but has also competed in Giant Slalom and Super-G events.
Lapanja was dropped from the U.S. Ski Team in 2017, meaning all financial support for her racing career disappeared. Lapanja, however, did not quit and continued to compete as an independent athlete under the U.S. flag and managed to gain valuable FIS points in the 23/24 season in Jasna, Slovakia. FIS points are awarded only to the top 30 finishers of a race. Lapanja also won the U.S. Slalom Nationals in March this year, tying for first place with Australia’s Madi Hoffman. The move to the Slovenian team will hopefully mean better financial support and training opportunities for Lapanja.
“I am very blessed to have grown up racing in the USA and have the ability to channel the American spirit by persevering through challenges and feeling free to take my chances. Now, I carry that attitude with me to my other homeland, Slovenia, and will represent this exceptional country with the same passion, determination, grit and grace.”
— Lila Lapanja
Earlier this year, Lapanja received approval from the U.S. governing body, U.S. Ski and Snowboard, for the switch to Slovenia. We wish her the best of luck for her transition to skiing under a new flag. The switch should be easy as she is joining Slalom specialist Ana Bucik who Lapanja has skied against her for more than a decade. Lapanja is also fluent in English, Slovenian, and German, eroding any language barriers.
