OLYMPICS: Fur coats, mobster chic and flowing turns - Cortina works for Wiles

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy — Cortina d’Ampezzo trades as much on style as it does on altitude.

Italy’s most fashionable mountain resort is less about rustic Alpine charm and more about visible wealth. Designer boutiques line Corso Italia, champagne terraces replace rowdy apres-ski bars, and the social scene feels more like Milan than a remote ski town.

That is the Cortina Jacqueline Wiles, one of the U.S. Alpine skiers to watch in Sunday’s Olympic downhill, knows well.

Walking through town, Wiles notes that “everyone has fur coats on” and that “you kind of have that old Italian mobster feel.”

For the 33-year-old skier, simply being in Cortina is part of the experience.

“The food is amazing. You just love being in the Dolomites, walking through town,” she told reporters on Tuesday.

On snow, Wiles speaks about Cortina with the same enthusiasm.

“I really love the track. It’s an older, traditional downhill style with open, flowing, fast turns, and a lot of terrain,” she said.

She is not alone in her praise for the Olimpia delle Tofane course.

Teammate Isabella Wright described Cortina as “the most perfect downhill track,” noting it has “a bit of everything,” from “amazing gliding” to “technical turns” and “some fun jumps.”

For Wright, the stunning setting completes the experience.

“All I need is the Dolomites and to run down this track because it truly is just so special to be here,” she said.

“The dry, grippy snow is always a blast to ski on,” Wiles added, reflecting on the venue where she earned her only two World Cup podiums. “Whatever happens at the race, you’re always just having a good time here.” -Reporting by Julien Pretot, editing by Ed Osmond/Reuters