Erik Fisher is a natural athlete. Whether he’s skiing, kiteboarding, or playing football, Fisher can do it better than most. Scouting reports say he would have done very well in football at the NCAA level. On the verge of a World Cup breakout season multiple times, 'Fish' has been constantly hampered by injuries. However, coaches report that he'll be downright dangerous as soon as he's fully healthy.

The latest series of setbacks happened in 2012. During a trip to the 2014 Olympic venue in Sochi, Fish became sushi, wrapping himself in the downhill nets and aggravating his knee. He was sidelined full time after a crash at Kvitfjell, Norway a few weeks later, which resulted in mandatory ACL surgery.

Instead of pushing things, he opted to stay off the circuit for the entire 2013 season to ensure his body can handle the insane, missile-like speeds. Need proof that he's back to full strength? This spring he became the first U.S. Ski Team athlete to bench-press 125lb dumbbells.

FIRST TRACKS
Fisher was skiing with the Bogus Basin Ski School Program at age three. He was so bored waiting for all the other kids during his first lesson that he left the group and skied to the bottom alone, creating an all-mountain search by his instructors. When found, he was scolded and transferred to an older class for further instruction. He picked up racing with the Bogus Basin Ski Racing Alliance at age seven and was named to the U.S. Development Team in 2004 while still a student at Rowmark Academy in Park City.

OFF THE SNOW
Fisher has a diverse portfolio. He opened a shaved ice stand in his hometown during the spring of 2012 and has started many other small businesses. Off the books, he grew up playing football and baseball until his ski-racing career conflicted with too many games and practices. He was also a big fan of motocross until a crash fractured his leg in five different places. Now he's big into kiting, wakeboarding, ice hockey, road cycling, whitewater kayaking, cliff jumping, hunting and salmon fishing at his grandpa’s house in Alaska.