ONE ON ONE WITH ERIK GUAY
How the devil are ya?
I'm pretty good right now. I would say I'm having a successful comeback so far. I'm looking forward to the future.
It's a saturday night and you're not skiing. What are you going to be doing?
Most likely spending time with my girlfriend or having some fun with the guys back home in Mont Tremblant.
Pick five words to describe yourself?
Easygoing, relaxed, patient ... um, that's all I can come up with (laughs).
What were you like at school?
I was always pretty good at school but it's definitely something that didn't interest me that much. I don't like sitting in one place too long because I get agitated but I did all right.
Would you consider going back after your racing career?
If I don't have to. I don't think I would. But there are some things I would like to study that interest me. Right now, I couldn't say, either way.
What's the most ridiculous thing you've ever bought?
I always buy those Number One foam hands when I go to the football games.
What's the best advice you've ever received?
That's a tough one. Probably right now, I'd have to say: Go faster down the hill.
Can you perform any repairs on your car?
Ah, just little things. Nothing major. That's what the garage is for. I don't have the tools at home to do anything big but my godfather has a shop and I'll help him out from time to time.
Do you consider yourself to be a pretty mechanically inclined type of person?
Yeah, I'm pretty manual. I do a lot of things with my hands.
What kind of ride do you have now?
Right now, I'm driving a truck.
Are you normally a truck guy or would you rather have a sports car?
I usually drive too fast - that's why I've got a truck. I also have a bike. I have a GSXR 500 Movie Star edition. It's a special edition. There's like only five or 10 in Canada.
How do your coaches feel about riding around on that?
Yeah, they don't like it very much.
Do you ever talk to Hermann Maier (top Austrian skier who was involved in a serious motorcycle crash in 2001) about riding around on bikes?
(Laughs) Ah no, never.
What's your culinary speciality?
Gotta be an omelette. I'm wicked good at that.
What TV series do you want on DVD?
Lately, I've been watching 24. I bought the whole set. I been spending hours watching that.
Favourite unhealthy food?
Pizza. Doesn't everybody like that?
What's the best concert you've ever seen?
50 Cent in Montreal this year. That was pretty good.
If you weren't a skier, any ideas on what you might be doing?
Probably building houses - that would interest me. Anything post and beam - wood designs.
Are you interested in architecture?
Yeah, I pay attention quite a bit to that stuff, especially in Europe.
From that standpoint, what would you consider the most beautiful city in Europe?
This place in Austria called Oberlech is really nice. It's a really rich part of Austria. The houses are unreal.
So, how about the girls? What part of Europe has the most beautiful women?
My girlfriend won't like this but I got to go with Sweden. Sweden has the best girls ... I mean, besides Canada. (laughs). All those Scandinavian countries all have beautiful women.
What trait do you admire most in people?
Perseverance.
Do you have any pets?
Yeah, I have a dog and two cats.
What's been the best year of your life?
It was last year until I got hurt. However, I did meet my girlfriend last year.
You have a few hours to kill - book or video game?
Both - just depends on the mood. I read a lot but vids are fun too.
What's your worst habit?
Ah, probably video games.
What's the funniest you've ever seen at a ski race?
When I was 15, one of my buddies was a forerunner and he did it naked. That was pretty funny. Never seen anyone do that before.
If you had the opportunity to put your own dream team together, who would be on it?
Hermann Maier, Bode Miller, Daron Rahlves and Lasse Kjus in his prime.