The conversations around the dinner table can sometimes turn spicy between the Macuga sisters when one particular topic gets brought up: Whose winter event is more demanding.
The trio each make compelling cases. Alli, the moguls standout, touts the knee-jarring bumps and jumps; Lauren, , cites speeds in excess of 70 mph (112.6 kph) along an icy course; and Sam, the ski jumper, offers up soaring through the air after launching off a fear-inspiring jump.
Mom and dad just soak it all in.
鈥淲e get a kick out of listening to them argue over whose sport is harder or more entertaining,鈥� said their father, Dan, whose son, Daniel, also is an up-and-coming ski racer. 鈥淭he banter between them is just fantastic.鈥�
One thing these tight-knit sisters : Just how special it would be should all three make the U.S. team for the next winter.
Now that would be quite a family reunion. It鈥檚 a real possibility, too. Alli, 21, had two World Cup podium finishes last season, while Sam, who turns 24 next month, is among the top American ski jumpers. Then there鈥檚 Lauren, the 22-year-old who鈥檚 coming off her first career World Cup win last weekend in Austria in the super-G.
鈥淲e just watch all of them in awe,鈥� their father said.
The skiing journey
Each sibling was born in a different state 鈥� Sam in California, Lauren in Michigan, Alli in Washington and Daniel in Texas. Living in Dallas, an opportunity came around for the family to settle down in Park City, Utah.
Amy and Dan jumped at the chance. Recreational skiers, they got their young kids involved through the Youth Sports Alliance, a program set up after the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics to encourage children to try different winter sports.
Sam eventually gravitated toward ski jumping, where the elite jumpers sit on a bar about as high as a 40-story building until they glide down the runway and see how far they can fly.
鈥淚 remember Sam just said, 鈥楳om, dad, I鈥檓 going to do this,鈥欌�� recalled Lauren, who's competing in Cortina d鈥橝mpezzo, Italy, this weekend at the venue for the upcoming Olympics. 鈥淚 think they just thought she was skiing over jumps. And then it turns out she was jumping these HUGE jumps.鈥�
For Lauren, it was the thrill of speed that led her to ski racing (once she conquered the fear). This offered an early hint of her potential: She won a junior national event with a borrowed race suit and on a pair of skis where the bottom looked as if she'd just rolled across a gravel parking lot.
In the case of Alli, she tried out a little bit of everything 鈥� aerials, slopestyle, halfpipe, big mountain 鈥� before being drawn into the world of moguls by the combination of bumps and flips.
A side benefit to competing in different disciplines? No sibling rivalries.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so nice to have my 鈥榯hing鈥� and be able to tune in and cheer for my other siblings as they do theirs,鈥� Sam said. 鈥淐omparing experiences and stories is so cool.鈥�
Of course, all of them think their event is the most challenging. None of them, though, really want to do the other鈥檚 discipline.
Alli on Sam's ski jumping: 鈥淲hile the idea of literally flying sounds amazing, I鈥檒l stick with the smaller airs rather than sending myself down a giant hill.鈥�
Sam on Alli and the moguls: 鈥淭hat鈥檚 definitely a sport I鈥檓 leaving to the professionals (Alli).鈥�
Alli on Lauren and the downhill: 鈥淧rops to her for being able to go that fast down a hill and still be giggling in the finish.鈥�
Lauren had plenty to smile about last Sunday in St. Anton, when she captured her first World Cup win. Her childhood idol, , even came over to the leader鈥檚 box and gave her a celebratory hug (Vonn took fourth). It meant the world to Lauren, who counts a slalom ski (or so she's been told) as a prized possession.
One of the best parts for Lauren was the call home to share the news of her victory. It was still early back in Utah and her father was sleeping.
鈥淗e was like, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 wrong? Are you OK?鈥樷�� Lauren said with a laugh. 鈥淚 was like, 鈥淒ad, I won!鈥�"
Meanwhile, Alli was getting ready to be taken to the airport by her mother.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 believe it and rushed downstairs and we were both in shock," Alli said. "It was so surreal to see her on the winner鈥檚 chair.鈥�
Sam was skiing in Norway with no cell service, but "she called me the moment she had service and was like, 鈥榃hat the heck?鈥欌�� said Lauren, whose known for wearing bucket hats, of which she currently has around 26. 鈥淚t was so fun.鈥�
Where in the world?
It鈥檚 hard to keep track of all their training and travel schedules. That鈥檚 why their mom created the 鈥淢acuga Calendar,鈥� a detailed, color-coded spreadsheet.
This week, for instance, there鈥檚 notations for Lauren racing in Cortina; Alli getting ready to travel to Waterville Valley in New Hampshire for a World Cup event; 19-year-old Daniel competing in a series of races at Mt. Bachelor in Oregon; and Sam preparing an event in Sapporo, Japan, where Amy and Dan were also heading. The calendar also features a 鈥渘otes鈥� section to make sure their dogs are well taken care of while they're away.
It鈥檚 an invaluable tool.
鈥淏ecause I don鈥檛 know where they are, what country they鈥檙e in most of the time,鈥� Lauren said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just chaos. I don鈥檛 know how my mom does it."
Olympic quandary
Should all three sisters make their Olympic teams, it will present another logistical challenge. Their disciplines spread out all over Italy, with moguls in Livigno, ski jumping in Predazzo and ski racing in Cortina. They鈥檙e hours from each other.
鈥淲e鈥檒l make it all work,鈥� Amy said. 鈥淲e'll find a way.鈥�
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AP skiing:
Pat Graham, The Associated Press
