Tatum Bieler will make her Alpine Ski World Cup debut this Saturday, 24 October, in the giant slalom at Sölden, Austria. The twenty-year-old Italian joins the squad alongside her cousin Sophie Mathiou, whom she wanted to emulate as a child. Her mother, Sonia Viérin, finished seventh at the same resort; her father, Mauro Bieler, also competed on the circuit. But the family’s advice for her debut has been simple: “They told me: ‘Go and have fun’,” she told ‘Race Ski Magazine’.
Even her name came from the slopes. Sonia and Mauro were still dating when, during a trip to the United States, they crossed paths with skier Tatum Skoglund. “When we have a daughter, we’ll call her Tatum,” they told each other, according to the account published by ‘SciareMag’ in 2021. Years later, they kept that promise.
A hotel named after the son they never had
Names hold another story in the Bieler household. After retiring from competition, Sonia and Mauro became ski instructors and built Sporthotel Rudolf in Gressoney-Saint-Jean, in the Aosta Valley. Rudolf was the name they had chosen for a son, but they had three daughters: Tatum, Celine and Franziska. Eventually, the hotel received the name they had kept in reserve. Her parents tell the story on its website, where they describe their mountain hospitality project and life after racing.
Tatum grew up at the local ski club, keeping an eye on Sophie’s progress. Her mother recalled that she wanted to enter the Pinocchio, an international children’s competition, because her cousin had competed there and won. Now they are travelling to Sölden together. The girl who wanted to match Sophie’s victories will share a World Cup start list with her. Family support also took more everyday forms: Sonia recalled seeing Tatum and her father discussing videos of her runs. Both parents taught the club’s youngest children, while their daughter trained with her own age group.
The two cousins keeping their grandmother young
There were adjustments away from the slopes. In 2021, Sonia explained that Tatum had been diagnosed with coeliac disease and that changes to her diet had helped her growth return to a regular pattern. She also said her daughter would switch from language studies to a tourism-focused school programme to better accommodate absences for skiing. During the week, she stayed with her grandparents and trained in Pila. These are memories of her teenage years, when family life, education and skiing had to fit together.
Her mother described a young skier whose enthusiasm for training meant they occasionally had to hold her back. She recalled that, after finishing fourth, Tatum needed around half an hour alone before declaring: “Tomorrow I’ll win.” Her grandmother Roselda Joux, another former Italian national-team skier, followed both cousins’ racing. “Sophie and Tatum are the ones who keep me young,” she told ‘SciareMag’ in 2021. Despite that family history, Tatum now says: “My family has always supported me without putting pressure on me.”
A call earlier than expected
In March, Tatum climbed from seventeenth after the first run to bronze in the giant slalom at the Junior World Championships in Narvik, Norway, setting the fastest second-run time. She later explained that she had initially been angry with herself, but focused on enjoying the second run. The Europa Cup remained the priority for her next winter: she had travelled to Argentina with that squad for pre-season training when the Sölden opportunity arrived. “I wasn’t expecting the call,” she admitted to ‘AostaSera’.
Selection has introduced her to an atmosphere she had previously experienced from a different perspective. Training alongside World Cup skiers brings unfamiliar feelings, although having her teammates nearby helps her settle in. The Europa Cup remains central to her plans, and this debut is an opportunity that has arrived ahead of expectations. On Saturday, she will wear a World Cup bib for the first time, with Sophie in the same race and a family history behind her. As she told ‘AostaSera’, her intention is simple: “I want to do what I’ve always done, just on a different stage.”
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