Athlete profile: Maxence Idesheim

Posted: Tue February 3, 1998 at 5:00 PM ET

Athlete notes

Idesheim switched from alpine skiing to snowboarding because he could not motivate himself for alpine competitions; now, he has found plenty of motivation for the upcoming season in the hopes of fulfulling his Olympic dreams...on his switch, Idesheim says, "Skiing was too strict for me. The coach says you have to do this and that and you have to be at certain places. It was too much. Snowboarding has more freedom to decide your training"...his parents, both of whom are ski instructors, prompted Maxence to start skiing at the age of two and to begin competing when he was eight...Idesheim first tried snowboarding at age 13 and decided to pursue it fully at age 17..."I just liked the sliding and going fast. I like all sports like that," notes Idesheim, who counts windsurfing as a hobby...before becoming a full-time snowboarder, he took one year off to study for the national exams which are required at the end of high school in France for those who wish to pursue a university education...Idesheim passed his exams and enrolled in correspondence courses in economics at a university in Grenoble...on the snowboarding circuit, Idesheim can often be seen reading economics-related magazines...Idesheim, whose first full season on the World Cup circuit was 1994-95, has improved every season..."I changed in my mind," says Idesheim. "I had a revelation at the beginning of my second season, and I told myself that I had to ski with more feeling"...after finishing ninth in last year's World Cup standings, Idesheim hopes a back injury -- sustained from weight training over the summer -- does not curtail his progress... "There are chronic back problems in my family"...Idesheim is also looking toward the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, where he could be joined by his younger brother Jonathan, the French junior champion in giant slalom skiing..."Maybe both of us can be there," says Maxence. "Why not?"...the possibility of an Olympic giant slalom "double" -- one in snowboarding, one in alpine...though the family name has German origins, "The name is the only thing that is German," Idesheim quips. "I am completely French"...Idesheim speaks English...