What makes Marcel Hirscher want to race again?

I was surprised but not quite shocked when I heard that Hirscher, who retired in 2019 while still the world’s best male Alpine skier, plans to return to competition next season for the Netherlands. 

Like many other ski enthusiasts, I’m dubious that at 35 it will be easy for him, especially on the account that he’s ranked 300th in slalom and 777th in giant slalom, so my main question is why do it in the first place? He says it’s passion for the sport, something I can buy up to a point.

Would it be just money? At the end of his career, Marcel Hirscher was making 2 million euros per year, not small change for a skier. When one stops racing at the level he enjoyed, cash can flow out very fast, especially if you contemplate starting your own ski brand, buying a factory for it, and be faced with non-stop financial demands. I suppose that Red Bull is now picking up the tab, but his net worth might have been a bit drained, which is never a heartwarming feeling. 

There’s also the addictive nature of the show biz that sports have become. The constant surge of adrenaline, the adulation of fans, the celebrity status and all the goodies attached to it. Then there are family issues. He separated in 2021 from his wife after thirteen years of living together and two children, something that will cost him both emotionally and financially. 

Rejoining ski racing might be a good way to fill out that significant void that occurred on the heels of Covid. At any rate, my point is that there’s much more than just “passion” for the sport involved in the champion’s decision. I wish him well and hope he can reach the new pinnacle he’s after!