what are we doing?

Wow, I had no idea gear had penetrated even casually into competitive skiing (or could be useful)!
So the ideal combination is to carry muscle (which is heavy) and little fat (maintain agility and stay slightly smaller)?

It hasn't penetrated that deeply, but it's there. My college team was a jewel in the rough :), and as for the older guys I ski with now, I mean, are you really that surprised that a sport that relies on purely on explosiveness and anaerobic capacity, and where weight gives you an advantage, has guys who use gear?

And yup, the ideal balance for me is as much weight as I can carry without letting the BF creep up to high.

how do you train and or practice your sport in the offseason gs

I lift 5 days a week. Chest/quads/back/shoulders/Hams. Plus 3 cardio sessions per week (45min-1.5 hr ave.): 1 bike, 1 run, 1 swim. All cardio is Fartlek-based.