BEAVER CREEK, Col. — Pretty much everywhere besides the Alps, ski racing tends to fly under the radar most of the time.
And then, every four years, an Olympic Games approaches and with the flick of a switch, ski racers once more capture the imagination of anyone who catches a glimpse of the high-speed daredevilry that unfolds across Europe and North America in the winter escapade known as the “white circus.” In an Olympic season, the prospect of the Games and the glory and riches it can deliver tends to hover over every turn and spray of snow.