By Sam Taggart, Powder

In the 1980s, Tamara McKinney skied fast down icy race courses across the globe, setting records and accumulating podium appearances in every event possible on the international circuit. She was the first American woman to win the overall World Cup title, and many of her records held strong until Lindsey Vonn began racing years later.

Today, McKinney channels her competitive and friendly spirit selling luxury real estate in her adopted hometown, Squaw Valley. McKinney, the youngest of eight siblings, was born in Lexington, Ky., but moved west when she was just a toddler, and spent most of childhood at her family’s home near Lake Tahoe. McKinney’s parents were steeplechase jockeys who balanced a long-distance marriage. At one point, her father, Rigan, was the fastest jockey in the country, and a handful of her siblings also held positions on the U.S. Ski Team—including her brother, speed skier Steve McKinney—so, it’s clear, racing is in her blood.

Powder sat down with McKinney to find out which lessons she learned as a ski racer still resonate, the importance of giving back to younger generations, and why “you’re never too cool to be nice.”

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