Gear chat with Greek champ AJ Ginnis
The Greek ski racer, AJ Ginnis, on layering up, lucky underpants – and looking good in pink
How I got into skiing…
I was born and raised in Athens, Greece. My father ran a ski school in Mount Parnassos, so I grew up spending the weekends skiing there. From the age of 12, I started spending the winters in Austria where I was introduced to ski racing. After a tough time with injury, and six knee surgeries later, I managed to achieve history last winter– winning Greece’s first-ever World Championship medal, taking the silver in Slalom in Méribel/Courchevel.
My job in a nutshell…
As a professional ski racer, I spend my life on the road with my small team. Essentially, not only do I have to focus on skiing fast, my job is to take care of my body, perform on race day, and make sure everything with my small team is running smoothly.
My greatest achievement…
I’m not from a big, well-funded setup, so I’m proud of creating and building my own team from my own vision, and paving my own path in the sport. My dream is to win Greece’s first-ever Winter Olympic medal.
In my ski kit bag you will find…
Layers! It’s super important to keep warm on the mountain, so I tend to utilise all the ammunition in my Spyder arsenal to achieve that goal.
I’m loving my Spyder Glissade Hybrid Jacket at the moment. It packs down to pretty much nothing, is super moveable with its stretchy sides, and really warm. Spyder Speed Fleece, it’s so versatile, warm, and the 360 stretch makes it super comfy. I use it for everything… as a mid-layer, perfect for traveling and even going to the gym!
My Spyder Storm Jacket is every ski racer’s go-to piece of kit. As the weather can often change, having along-length waterproof and windproof jacket is great for protecting me from the elements.
My favourite item of clothing…
My new Spyder Sanction Shell Jacket, in pink! The colour really makes my team stand out on the mountain. It’s extremely comfortable to move and ski in. It’s windproof, waterproof and has so many pockets, making it super practical too.
This season, I’m excited to be trying…
My Spyder race suit. Personally, I think it’s one of the most unique race suits on the World Cup circuit. It is awesome to be dressed by a brand like Spyder, a brand that has such deep roots in the ski racing world.
Growing up, I always used to look up to skiers wearing Spyder, and now being able to wear my own individually designed Spyder suit is a little bit of a ‘dream come true’ moment. Not only are the Spyder designs unique, they are also always looking to create the best products on the market and have innovation at heart.
So not only do I look good, but I know my race suit will be one of the fastest out there.
On race day I always wear…
My lucky Spyder undergarments!
AJ Ginnis’ top picks
❄ Spyder Sanction Shell Jacket £650
❄Spyder Glissade Hybrid Jacket £200
❄Spyder Speed Fleece £120
