Vail Skier Jacob Dilling Announces Retirement

Jacob Dilling is calling it a career. He's standing in the finish area, a mix of emotions on his face, as he talks about the weight that's been lifted off his shoulders. "Pretty relieved," he says, the words tumbling out in a rush.

He's had a storied career, one that's taken him from the slopes of Vail to the NCAA championships, and back again. Dilling joined Ski and Snowboard Club Vail in 2008, and from there, he began to make a name for himself in the skiing world. He attended Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy, where he earned awards as most committed and most improved young athlete. Those early days, the ones where he was just starting to find his footing, laid the groundwork for what was to come.

As he grew older, Dilling's skills continued to sharpen. He competed at two FIS Junior World Ski Championships, and was nominated for the Willy Schaeffler Award at the U19 national championships. And then, of course, there were the moments that really stood out - like the time he finished fourth and seventh in the giant slalom at the 2020 U.S. Alpine National Championships at Copper Mountain. Those performances, the ones where he pushed himself to be better, to go faster, to take risks, they're the ones that have stayed with him.

Dilling's time at the University of Colorado was marked by a string of successes. He finished in the top-10 in 11 of 14 races during his freshman year, with three top-5s and a podium. He claimed second-team All-American honors with a seventh-place result at the 2022 NCAA championships. And in December of that year, he won the giant slalom at the Beaver Creek NorAm, a moment he still looks back on with pride. "Unbelievable," he says, a smile spreading across his face. "Super nice to do it at home with people watching."

But it wasn't all easy. Dilling battled back issues throughout the back half of the year, and at NCAAs, a first-run mistake put him in 22nd in the GS. He ultimately climbed to 13th, but it was a tough road to get there. Despite those challenges, Dilling remained a force to be reckoned with. He was a four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time All-RMISA skier, and a finalist for the CU Freshman of the Year. He won the Ceal Barry Leadership Award and Dick Schoenberger Award, and finished 39 of his 45 collegiate races, finishing in the top 20 in all but four, and claiming seven podiums.

One of the moments that stands out, though, is the win he claimed in the GS at the University of Alaska Anchorage Invitational. It was the one-year anniversary of his father's death, and Dilling says he was "flooded with crazy emotions." That moment, the one where he found a way to push through the pain and come out on top, it's one that he says showed him a lot about the sport.

And then, of course, there was the 2023 University Games in Lake Placid. Dilling participated in the event, and snagged a bronze in the slalom. "That was like, the most fun races I've ever been a part of," he says, a grin still plastered on his face. "Awesome medal, too. Feels like an Olympic medal."

As he looks back on his career, Dilling is asked about defining moments, the ones that really made a difference. He recalls getting chewed out by a coach for racing too tentatively prior to one of his first big results at a major event. The coach, one who is still a close friend, "made me cry because I skied so bad," Dilling says with a laugh. But that moment, the one where he was pushed to be better, to take risks, to really go for it, that's the one that lit a fire underneath him.

Now, as Dilling stands in the finish area, he's looking out at the crowd, the slopes, the whole scene. He's taking a deep breath, feeling the weight of his decision settle in. "Just like, a weight - I don't know where the weight was coming from - but a weight off my shoulders," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "Like, now I can explore the future. I'm a baby again. I've lived and breathed skiing for the past 26 years."

The sun is setting over the mountains, casting a golden glow over the scene. Dilling is smiling, a sense of relief and possibility etched on his face. His competitive skiing career has come to a close, but he's not leaving the sport behind. Not yet, anyway. As he disappears into the crowd, the sound of skis and snowboards fills the air, a reminder that even though one chapter is closing, another is just beginning.