Together, the Chickering-Ayers brothers' show signs of is surpassed only by the pride they take in honoring their humble Vermont roots. In a phone interview from the family's East Montpelier, Vt., up on the day before they flew to South America, they were asked about their ambitions. Lars, in response to a question of whether winning the tour is a objective, said: "Not really. I want to try and have fun. We'll see." Silas then got on the phone. "I like to do well, but I'm more into traveling," he said.
Their quiet, deliberate demeanor has extensive been a trademark. As kids, "they didn't say a word. They just skied," recalled FWT veteran Dylan Crossman, who coached the brothers at Mad River Glen, where their papa is a longtime ski patrolman. In 2005, Crossman encouraged Lars to follow him out West and ski some bigger terrain (and more rule). Based in Utah, Lars joined Crossman on a trip to Crested Butte and entered the '06 Extremes as an 18-year-old mysterious. He skied so well that he ranked No. 1 in the men's field going into the final, before a fall took him out of contention. It was the only event he entered that year.