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Locals 2007

Locals 2007 - a celebration of our favorite personalities.

Steamboat Springs — Brothers Alex and Davis Miller enjoyed a complimentary grand tour of the Alps in January. However, they didn't take in many of the landmarks you and I would visit while touring Germany, France and Italy.

"It's not like a vacation," Davis said. "We didn't see the sights."

At age 21, the Miller twins were all about business as they hopped around Europe early this year. They were seeking sufficient snow to do what they do best.

Alex and Davis are members of the U.S. Nordic Combined Team and relative unknowns in an obscure sport, which combines ski jumping and cross-country skiing.

When they left for Europe, they knew if they excelled on the World Cup B tour, there was a small chance they would be named to the World Championship team that competed in Sapporo, Japan, in February. But their goals were more realistic than that. The Miller twins' sights are set on the 2010 Olympics.

"My goals for this year were to rank top 15 in jumping (on World Cup B) and top 30 in cross country," Alex said. "I just want to gain experience for the Olympics in four years."

The Millers moved to Steamboat Springs from Westminster with their parents in 1995 while they were in fourth grade. They quickly showed an aptitude for Nordic skiing. At first, they competed in separate disciplines - Alex opting for the thrill of ski jumping paired with cross-country skate skiing and Davis climbing the ranks of endurance athletes as a specialist in cross-country skiing. That didn't last.

The question everyone asks of ski jumpers is, "how do they overcome the fear factor?"

"It's like driving a car," Davis said. "Once you do it so many times, it's like another day at the office."