By SUZANNE McFADDEN
National ski champion Erika McLeod has joined a band of top European skiers for her assault on the world slopes.
The trouble is, she does not know who they are or whether they will understand her.
Aucklander McLeod has headed for Austria to spend six months living with the other
skiers, two Dutch and one Austrian.
"I know they are really good, but I don't know what their names are," she said.
"It will be very interesting because I'm not sure if they even speak English."
The multi-cultural team will be coached by Australian Jamie Dunlop, who approached 18-year-old McLeod with an invitation to join them.
"It's really hard living here in New Zealand, where you don't have much of a chance to train with other good female skiers," she said.
"This is the best opportunity I've ever been given."
McLeod wants a strong build-up to the world junior championships in Switzerland in February.
She also plans to ski her way into the senior version, qualifying by bettering her world ranking through international events in the next few months.
McLeod says she cannot wait to get back on to the snow after her winter season in New Zealand was interrupted by surgery.
In June she had an operation on both her shins, forcing her to spend a month off the slopes.
"I came back and won the nationals, but I only really got five weeks of skiing in. So I'm dying to get back out there again," she said.
McLeod will leave her base in Innsbruck for a special holiday at Christmas. Thirteen members of her family are travelling to meet up with her in the United States.
But while they will want to go skiing, McLeod reckons she will be ready for a break from the powder by then.
