Ski Press Releases and News Flashes

19 American freestylers named to Worlds squad
36 to race at Soldier Hollow
Promoting slope awareness: Heads Up. You're responsible.
Flight for Life landing and safety session kicks off National Safety Week at Vail this weekend
Mountain High increases its participation in National Safety Week
Squaw Valley's Celebrity Sports Invitational nets $520,000 for charity
Maier first, Schlopy fifth in Adelboden GS
Weather claims both World Cup slaloms
Hardaway takes first win
Fletcher Wins PSL in Kreischberg
Kass wins second Grand Prix
Pack, Cook on podium in Deer Valley
Nef battles to victory in Maribor GS
Von Gruenigen navigates fog to victory in Les Arcs
Hickley, Howell win Huckfest
Stahlkloo wins 3rd straight SBX
Switzerland's Daniel Mahrer takes first place at Loon Mountain in the Ford Downhill Series
Snowbasin names Olympic course
Gateway World Cup back at Deer Valley
Mountain Creek launches "Uncommon Ground"
Kemppel ties X-C titles record
Six named to U.S. Freestyle Team
American Skiing Co. reports successful holiday period
Kemppel, Swenson win U.S. sprints
Ascutney enjoys successful Christmas week and record-breaking December revenue
Subaru's Master the Mountain returns to Loveland
Celebrate Stella with Idaho's first lady
350 ready to race in McCall
Vail to honor ski area founder with special dedication of Pete's Express chairlift
Women's telemark workshop returns to Vail
Win an invitation to the 2001 ESPN X-Games at Squaw Valley USA

19 AMERICAN FREESTYLERS NAMED TO WORLDS SQUAD

Deer Valley, UT (Jan. 10, 2001) - Defending world champions Eric Bergoust (Missoula, MT) and Ann Battelle (Steamboat Springs, CO) lead a group of 19 freestyle athletes named Monday to represent the U.S. Ski Team at the World Championships Jan. 16-21 in Canada.

Head Coach Jeff Wintersteen said the final selections were made during this past weekend's Gateway Freestyle Challenge World Cup events at Deer Valley, the 2002 Olympic freestyle venue. The group include 10 men and nine women, who will compete in aerials, moguls and dual moguls at Blackcomb, B.C.

Bergoust, who opened the season by re-setting his own world record score in aerials, is the current World Cup leader. Battelle, who is returning from a shoulder injury, won the moguls gold medal and bronze in duals at the 1999 World Championships in Meiringen, Switzerland. Named to compete:

Men - aerials: Bergoust, Corey Hacker (Boston, NY) and three Park City, Utah, skiers - Joe Pack, Brian Currutt and Jerry Grossi; moguls: Evan Dybvig (Tunbridge, VT), Toby Dawson (Vail, CO), Garth Hager (Bothell, WA) and Alex Wilson (Buffalo, NY); dual moguls: Dybvig, Hager, Wilson and Ryan Riley (Steamboat Springs, CO).

Women - aerials: Emily Cook (Belmont, MA), Brenda Petzold (Andover, MA), Kelly Hilliman (Tonawanda, NY), and Tracy Evans (Park City, UT); moguls: Battelle, Hannah Hardaway (Moultonborough, NH), Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA), Jillian Vogtli (Telluride, CO) and Donna Weinbrecht (Killington, VT); duals: Battelle, Bahrke, Hardaway and Vogtli.

"I'm psyched. This is a really good team. Everyone who's on it is there because he or she performed, because they got the results they needed," Wintersteen said. "I don't think there are any real surprises; it's all performance-based and…and they performed.

"It's primarily our core group, our best athletes. We know Blackcomb can have some tricky weather, some strange snow, and I think this team is ready to deal with whatever comes its way."

36 TO RACE AT SOLDIER HOLLOW

Soldier Hollow, UT (Jan. 10, 2001) - Record-setting Nina Kemppel (Anchorage, AK) heads a group of 36 athletes named to compete this week at Soldier Hollow - the 2002 Olympic cross country venue - in the first World Cup cross country ski races held in the United States in 11 years, the U.S. Ski Team said Tuesday.

U.S. Nordic Director Luke Bodensteiner said the group of 20 men and 16 women was chosen based on results from Continental Cup races in Canada during November plus the recently completed Chevy Truck U.S. championships in McCall, Idaho. Those named include:

Men - Marcus Nash (Fryeburg, ME), Justin Wadsworth (Bend, OR), Carl Swenson (Boulder, NH), Kris and Justin Freeman (both Andover, NH), Andrew Johnson (Greensboro, VT), Rob Whitney, Anchorage, AK), John Bauer, Duluth, MN), David Chamberlain (Bethel, ME), Patrick Weaver (Lenox, MA), Patrick Casey (Hailey, ID), Marc Gilbertson (Hyde Park, VT), Scott Loomis (Park City, UT), Nathan Schultz (Boulder, CO), Lars Flora (Anchorage, AK), Scott McArt (Honeoye Falls, NY), Chris Klein (Utica, NY), Chris Cook (Rhinelander, WI), Justin Beckwith (Middlebury, VT), and Andy Newell (Bennington, VT).

Women - In addition to Kemppel, who set the U.S. record with her 15th U.S. title in McCall, Wendy Wagner (Park City, UT), Tessa Benoit (South Pomfret, VT), Aelin Peterson (Fairbanks, AK), Barb Jones (Bozeman, MT), Kikkan Randall (Anchorage, AK), Brooke Baughmann (Ketchum, ID), Kristina Trygstad (Bozeman, MT), Kristina Joder (Landgrove, VT), Correen Woodbury (Sullivan, NH), Sarah Konrad (Laramie, WY), Aubrey Smith (Seward, AK), Christa Case (Grass Valley, NH), Melissa Oram (Taberg, NY), Jessica Smith (also Anchorage), and Jeannie Wall (also Bozeman).

"This is nice mix of veterans and young skiers on their way up," Bodensteiner said. "There isn't a lot of World Cup racing experience, so this will be a good week for gaining experience on the Olympic course, and for the young racers to see what it takes to succeed on at the highest level.

"We haven't had a top-15 World Cup finish since the early Nineties [Nancy Fiddler's 15th at Silver Star, B.C., in December 1991], and that's one of our goals this season - to have a top-15 here," he added. "I think we've got a very realistic chance of meeting that goal at Soldier Hollow, and that would keep us on track to meet our goals at the Olympics next year."

The schedule of races:
Wednesday - Men's mass-start 30-km freestyle, women's "pursuit" (5-km classic/5-k m freestyle)

The races mark the first time World Cup cross country events have been held in the U.S. since races in December 1989 at Mountain Dell, outside Salt Lake City.

PROMOTING SLOPE AWARENESS: HEADS UP. YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE.

Lakewood, CO (Jan. 10, 2001) - With ski conditions across the country the best in years, The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) reminds skiers and snowboarders to remember the "Your Responsibility Code," the seven safety rules (see sidebar).

"While we'd like skiers and snowboarders to have wonderful experiences on the slopes, we'd also like to remind them that personal responsibility is key while experiencing the exhilaration of our sport," said NSAA Education Director Tim White.

"We recognize that there are inherent risks, but many accidents can be avoided if guests pay attention to the 'Your Responsibility Code,'" said White.

The nation's ski areas have embraced the "Your Responsibility Code" since the 1940s when Minot "Minnie" Dole, the founder of the National Ski Patrol System first developed it. The code focuses on participants' individual responsibilities. Ski areas promote the "Your Responsibility Code" via slope signage, on trail maps, posters and other visible means, often including cafeteria napkins. In addition, ski areas have been proactively educating their guests via on-slope ambassadors to help promote the "code" and educate guests on the hill. Ski instructors also educate their students.

National Safety Awareness Week: January 13-19, 2001
During the second annual National Safety Awareness Week, participating ski areas will showcase what they already do with regard to safety education and even create special activities during the week to heighten slope safety awareness. Ski areas will participate at various levels and tailor their events accordingly. For a listing of events, go to NSAA's website at http://www.nsaa.org and click on skier/snowboarder safety.

National Kids' Poster Contest
National Kids' Safety Poster Contest is another component of the ski industry's national safety awareness efforts. Resorts are encouraged to host their own local contest and send winners to the national contest, which is being coordinated through NSAA. The contest targets 4th, 5th and 6th graders, but any elementary age child can participate. The students will be asked to create a poster related to any one of the seven points in "Your Responsibility Code." Prizes will be awarded and the winning poster(s) will be featured in SKI magazine's October 2001 issue. The purpose is to promote skiing safety awareness and education to elementary school children, to support classroom curriculum related to sports, health and safety, and to give kids a chance to have fun and be creative while learning about slope safety.

"We want our skiers and snowboarders to know and understand that we care about them and their safety," said White. "Our effort to generate upfront awareness and on-going education will help heighten awareness and hopefully reduce incidences that lead to injuries. Collectively, ski areas have to take on a 'pro-active' approach and creatively educate guests, employees and the media about safety issues," added White.

The National Safety Council (NSC), headquartered in Itasca, Ill., supports the ski industry's national safety initiatives as it supports other national safety initiatives such as motor vehicle and boating safety. The NSC will help support and educate the public about the Heads Up slope safety campaign, particularly the National Safety Awareness Week by including ski and snowboard safety information on their website, http://www.nsc.org. The National Ski Patrol, the Professional Ski Instructors of America, American Association of Snowboard Instructors and Willis and AIG insurance companies also support the ski areas' Heads Up slope safety awareness campaign.

FLIGHT FOR LIFE LANDING AND SAFETY SESSION KICKS OFF NATIONAL SAFETY WEEK AT VAIL THIS WEEKEND

Vail, CO (Jan. 10, 2001) - National Safety Week kicks off this weekend, Saturday, Jan. 13 with a week long list of exciting, interactive events at Vail such as a Flight For Life landing and safety session, beacon contest, giveaways and more. All activities are designed to educate skiers and snowboarders on the importance of Your Responsibility Code. National Safety Week runs from Jan. 13-19, 2001 and is a nationwide initiative sponsored by the National Ski Areas Association to encourage guests to consider skier and rider responsibilities while enjoying a day on the slopes.

“We educate our guests daily on the importance of Your Responsibility Code, but National Safety Week is a great way to involve the community, our employees and guests in creative ways that promote the code,” said Bob Cox, supervisor of Vail’s award-winning Yellow Jacket safety program, which will be leading the charge to promote National Safety Week in all of the base areas and on the mountain.

Throughout the week, skiers and snowboarders can participate in a variety of safety-related activities:

Saturday, Jan. 13
Flight For Life paramedics will land a helicopter at the top of Sun Up Bowl above the Slot gate for a public viewing of the vehicle and informative session that provides details on how the Flight For Life program works in conjunction with the ski area. The Flight For Life paramedics will hold interactive, safety demonstrations 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Subject to change based on weather and emergency calls elsewhere.) Also on Saturday, the Yellow Jackets have teamed with the Eagle County Sheriff’s department to give skiers and snowboarders a better idea of their speed on the slopes. A radar area will be set up on Lower Lodgepole from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to clock the speed of people going down the run.

Sunday, Jan. 14
Skiers and snowboarders can put their avalanche safety skills to the test as the Vail Ski Patrol sponsors a Beacon Contest on Ramshorn from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Skiers and snowboarders’ response time will be noted for how quickly they are able to find a buried beacon. Participants are asked to bring their own avalanche transceivers. Those interested in participating can stop by Patrol Headquarters at the top of the Mountaintop Express (Chair 4) 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to sign up. The top four winners with the best times will receive special prizes such as a gift certificate to Vendetta’s, gloves donated by Performance Sports, a special commemorative Blue Sky Basin CamelBak and more.

Monday, Jan. 15
Skiers and snowboarders can check to make sure their equipment meets safety standards at the daylong binding check at the Mid-Vail New Technology Center sponsored by Specialty Sports. In addition, Vail Snowboard Supply will host a safety strap giveaway at the Burton Yurt at the top of the Golden Peak Superpipe throughout the day.

Tuesday, Jan. 16
Learn how to reduce injury by keeping your body in shape by attending special health and fitness discussion at Mid-Vail and Eagle’s Nest, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pat Nolan from Edwards Sports Medicine will be on hand at the Look Ma Level at Mid-Vail and a representative from the Steadmen Hawkins Sports Medicine Clinic will give a presentation at the Market Place at Eagle’s Nest.

Wednesday, Jan. 17
Learn more about Vail’s ski patrol by visiting any of the patrol outposts throughout the day during the ski patrol open house. Visit any of the different outposts for cookies, hot chocolate and information on the important role the ski patrol plays at Vail on a daily basis. Visitors to the China Town, Eagle’s Nest or Patrol Headquarters locations also can view a special safety video while visiting the outposts.

Thursday, Jan. 18
Guests can find out more about ski safety and the code by visiting any on-mountain restaurant at Vail as Vail Mountain Dining sponsors a special safety day with different menu items and themes at each location.

Friday, Jan. 19
Friday is Kids’ Safety Poster Contest Day at Vail as entries from the contest will be displayed throughout the ski area at the base of each chairlift. The winning entries will be posted at the bottom and top of the gondola. The 2nd Annual Kids’ Safety Poster Contest at Vail included entries from children at local area schools. Winners receive free ski passes, special season passes to Adventure Ridge and much more.

Although each day has a special theme, a variety of activities will take place all week long such as daily safety talks by the ski patrol at Vintners and Chaos Canyon Kids’ Café. In addition to educating kids on the importance of Your Responsibility Code, the ski patrol will give more insight into what they do by bringing tools of their trade such as a toboggan to show how that is utilized on the job.

In addition to the special events during National Safety Week, the Vail Yellow Jackets will continue the Great Yellow Jacket Giveaway throughout the week. This new program has been designed to reward people for following the code. Yellow Jackets will reward skiers and snowboarders for skiing in control, following the code or helping others on the hill. Yellow Jackets will identify various people throughout the week who have skied responsibly and give them a coupon that registers them for a weekly drawing at the Street Beat Concerts. The weekly grand prize is a VIP day of skiing for 10 people including lift tickets and lunch on Vail Mountain.

Activities are subject to change throughout the week, so skiers and snowboarders are encouraged to watch TV8 or check out the daily grooming report for the Safety Week activity of the day.

MOUNTAIN HIGH INCREASES ITS PARTICIPATION IN NATIONAL SAFETY WEEK

Wrightwood, CA (Jan. 10, 2001) - Mountain High Resort plans to increase its annual participation in National Safety Week to include scavenger hunts, ski & snowboard races, safety oriented discounts and more. Produced by the National Ski Areas Association, National Safety Week is designed to creatively promote skiing & snowboarding safety plus increase the awareness of Your Responsibility Code.

"National Safety Week is a lot of fun plus it helps us accentuate the programs we have in place all season long," says Rick Strasser, a member of the resort's Risk Management department.

January 16th through January 19, 2001
Safety Week Discount: Wear a helmet and get $5.00 off an 8-hour lift ticket, regularly $35.00. To receive this discount, guests must present their helmet to any one of the resort's hosts and get a National Safety Week coupon prior to visiting the ticket windows.

January 13th through January 19th, 2001
Safety Poster Contest: Students of the resort's Children's Academy, local elementary schools and the mountain's After School Ski Adventure (ASSA) program will be asked to create a poster related to any one of the seven points in Your Responsibility Code. Contestants are allowed to use pencil, crayon, paint or other materials commonly found in schools. Posters may be created a single individual or as a project by no more than three. Categories will be divided into ages four to eight and nine to twelve. Winners in both categories will receive a 2001/2002 Anytime Season Pass.

January 13th, 2001
Scavenger Hunt: Search for safety related products with Patroller, Rick Strasser, and his Rescue Dog, Sequoia. Prizes will be awarded to the top finishers.

Meet the Ranger: Meet one of the rangers from the Angeles National Forest and discuss local winter recreation and safety.

January 14th, 2001
Safety Race: Race down a NASTAR style course on Easy Street, one of the mountain's beginner runs. To compete, participants must recite the seven points of Your Responsibility Code at the start, at the finish and one at each of the course's seven gates. Prizes will be awarded to the top finishers.

January 16th, 2001
Most Turns Contest: Awards will be given to those who can make the most controlled turns down Easy Street, one of the mountain's beginner runs. Open to skiers and snowboarders.

January 17th, 2001
Repair Special: Bring your skis or snowboard to the Repair Shop at the West Resort from 8:00am to 4:00pm for a 25% discount on hot waxes and edge sharpening.

January 18th, 2001
Scavenger Hunt: Search for safety related products with Patroller Rick Strasser, and his Rescue Dog, Sequoia. Prizes will be awarded to the top finishers.

January 19th, 2001
School Responsibility Code Relay Race: Race teams from other schools to win the Responsibility Code School Trophy.

Daily
1. Free visual equipment safety checks in the Repair Shop at the West Resort from 9:00am to 3:00pm, Monday through Friday.
2. Tips From the Pros: Meet with one of the mountain's Ski or Snowboard School instructors for a quick critique.
3. Tips From the Faultline Terrain Park Staff: Meet with a member of Mountain High's terrain park staff for safety tips on the use of terrain features.
4. Safety Prize Patrol: Special prizes will be given to persons skiing and snowboarding responsibly.

Mountain High's promotion of safety and Your Responsibility Code transcends this single week, however. On any given day you will find members of the resort's Ski Patrol, Safety Patrol, Trail Crew and Host program monitoring the slopes and promoting responsible riding. The area also teaches roughly 30,000 new skiers & snowboarders each season and every one of them is taught Your Responsibility Code. Says Brad Wilson, Director of Marketing, "We are proud to provide a safe and fun winter experience and hope everyone has a chance to visit their local mountains this season."

SQUAW VALLEY'S CELEBRITY SPORTS INVITATIONAL NETS $520,000 FOR CHARITY

Squaw Valley, CA (Jan. 10, 2001) - The Celebrity Sports Invitational returned to the Resort at Squaw Creek and the slopes of Squaw Valley last weekend raising $520,000 to benefit the Water Keeper Alliance and the Tahoe Forest Hospital.

The weekend's events included a snowshoe race, broomball competition and a dual slalom ski race, topped off by a Saturday evening Gala Dinner featuring both a silent and live auction and a special performance by Joe Walsh of the Eagles. Guests bid on over 50 items including a wide variety of celebrity memorabilia, vacations, artwork and unique experiences such as walk on roles in the popular TV series "The Sopranos" and "Friends," tickets to Vanity Fair's Academy Awards Party, golf with Billy Crystal and Larry David, whitewater rafting in Chile with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and much more.

The money raised during the event benefits the Water Keeper Alliance and the Tahoe Forest Hospital. The Water Keeper Alliance is a national organization that coordinates and directs the efforts of River Keepers, whose goal is to restore and protect rivers, tributaries and wetlands throughout North America. The Tahoe Forest Hospital raises money through voluntary contributions for the continued enhancement, expansion and development of superior health care services and facilities for the North Lake Tahoe community.

Celebrities that participated in the event included Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Peter Fonda, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Richard Dean Anderson, Jennifer Tilly, Taylor Dayne, Ingo Rademacher, Giancarlo Esposito, Ian Ziering, Alan Thicke, Al Joyner, Steve Mahre, Buzz Aldrin and many more.

MAIER FIRST, SCHLOPY FIFTH IN ADELBODEN GS

Adelboden, Switzerland (Jan. 9, 2001) - Hermann Maier of Austria took control on the first leg Tuesday and went on to earn his third giant slalom victory of the season, this time by more than a half-second, while Erik Schlopy (Park City, UT) bagged his fifth top-10 of the winter, finishing fifth.

Maier had a two-run time of 2:15.53 with World Cup GS leader Michael Von Gruenigen of Switzerland in second place at 2:16.06 and Swede Fredrik Nyberg in third at 2:16.25.

Schlopy, seventh on the first run, moved up to fifth with a total time of 2:16.75. He was the only American to reach the second run; almost midway through the season, he's 10th overall and fifth in GS points.

The men return to speed racing on the weekend in Wengen, Switzerland with two doublehills, Friday (a makeup from Bormio, Italy) and Saturday, plus a slalom Sunday, which works into a combined calculation.

WEATHER CLAIMS BOTH WORLD CUP SLALOMS

Les Arcs, France (Jan. 7, 2001) - Weather claimed both the men's slalom in Les Arcs and the women's in Maribor, Slovenia. Ironically, it was opposing conditions which took the toll. Heavy snow in the French Alps surrounding Alberville forced cancellation of the men's slalom in Les Arcs, while continued heavy rain and warm temperatures took their toll in Maribor. There was no immediate word on rescheduling, although insertion before the Jan. 29 opening of the World Alpine Ski Championships in St. Anton was unlikely.

HARDAWAY TAKES FIRST WIN

Deer Valley, UT (Jan. 7, 2001) - American Hannah Hardaway scored her first career World Cup win, taking the Gateway Freestyle Challenge moguls on the Olympic venue at Deer Valley. Finland's Mikko Ronkainen won the men's, his second career win and first in two seasons.

Ronkainen won with a score of 26.93 over American Evan Dybvig's 26.75. Qualifying-round leader Janne Lahtela was third in 26.51. Hardaway won over World Cup leader Kari Traa of Norway, scoring 24.31 to Traa’s 23.85. Minna Karhu of Finland was third.

It was a replay, of sorts, of the 1997 World Junior Championships in Finland where both Hardaway and Ronkainen made their junior breakthrough with titles.

Hardaway, who sat out the 1998 and 1999 seasons with consecutive knee injuries, took a huge jump from a previous World Cup best of eighth back in 1997 to her first career win.

"I really hadn't thought about this (winning)," said Hardaway. "I threw my heli (helicopter) at the top but had a little bobble. I tried to pick up some speed in the middle section."

Hardaway was battling strep throat but balanced rest with training all week. "I was really sick all week so I had to take a lot of time to rest. It was great to have my family here -- they know what's best for me."

Around 6,000 spectators jammed the Olympic venue for the final Olympic test of Deer Valley's Champion run.

"The crowd was great," said Hardaway. "They're here to support us. Some look at it as pressure, but I just look at the support."

Traa retained the FIS Freestyle World Cup tour lead with 196 points after her win a month ago in Tignes, France.

Ronkainen was a surprise winner, qualifying ninth but parlaying a pair of huge aerial maneuvers into his second career win. His heli-iron-cross at the top and triple-twister-spread at the bottom netted him the highest air score of the day, which no one could top.

It was a ready day for us, for all of us," said Ronkainen. It helps a lot if there is a really big crowd. It is very enjoyable to ski here."

Ronkainen said that his huge airs even caught him by surprise. "I didn't know every move I was going to do, bu I knew I had to ski clear and do two really big jumps."

For Dybvig, the podium finish was welcome but his fourth straight second place left him shaking his head. "I'm getting tired of second," laughed Dybvig, who was second a year ago at Deer Valley. "Maybe I'm saving it up for next year!"

World Cup champion Lahtela was bitterly disappointed with his third place finish, having dominated qualifying. He posted the fasted run of the day by over a half-second, the highest turns score, but the only the seventh highest air score to drop to third, .42 points away from the win. He still retained the World Cup lead after his win in Tignes, with Ronkainen closing the gap 192-180.

The World Cup now moves to Mt. Tremblant, Quebec next weekend before shifting to Whistler-Blackcomb, British Columbia for the FIS World Freestyle Ski Championships Jan. 14-21.

FLETCHER WINS PSL IN KREISCHBERG

Kreischberg, Austria (Jan. 7, 2001) - It appeared jet lag wasn't a problem for Rosey Fletcher (Girdwood, AK) as she won a snowboard World Cup parallel slalom Sunday on the soft slopes of Kreischberg. France's Mathieu Bozzetto won the men's race.

It was a long weekend for Fletcher, who competed Friday in a Chevy Truck U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix parallel giant slalom in Breckenridge, Colo. She then flew over to Europe to race in the World Cup season's second parallel slalom. Fletcher defeated Slovakia's Jana Sedova in head-to-head action in the finals.

"We just got here last night from the Grand Prix at Breckenridge, so we didn't sleep a lot but maybe that's why it worked fine for me - I just didn't put too much pressure on me," said Fletcher, who finished fifth in Friday's Grand Prix PGS.

France's Isabelle Blanc, last season's parallel champion took third over Sweden's Sara Fischer by winning both runs in the finals. Karine Ruby, Blanc's teammate and a favorite to win the PSL, failed to make the finals. Fletcher was the lone American woman in the race.

Bozzetto, who won the first PSL in Ischgl, Austria, defeated Austrian Dieter Krassnig for the victory. German Markus Ebner finished third ahead of Sweden's Richard Richardsson.

The top American was U.S. Snowboard Team racer Anton Pogue (Hood River, OR), who tied for 17th. Chris Klug (Aspen, CO), the only other American racing, placed 31st.

"It was not easy today with the soft snow and the longer it went the more bumps came up, which is really hard for the legs," said Bozzetto. "Usually you just concentrate to keep your speed but there were a lot more things to think about today and I was really tired when I got to the finish."

Bozzetto led Krassnig by .57 seconds after the first run. He almost gave away the win when he rode into a banner and almost took the entire sign down the hill with him. However, Krassnig had problems on the lower section of the course and gave the victory back to Bozzetto.

The World Cup continues Jan. 10-11 at Schoenried, Switzerland with giant slalom and parallel slalom races.

MEN
1. Mathieu Bozzetto, France
2. Dieter Krassnig, Austria
3. Markus Ebner, Germany
4. Richard Richardsson, Sweden
5. Nicolas Huet, France
6. Andreas Prommegger, Austria
7. Daniel Biveson, Sweden
8. Roland Fischnaller, Italy
9. Dejan Kosir, Slovenia
10. Felix Stadler, Austria
11. Stefan Kaltschuetz, Austria
12. Stephen Copp, Sweden
13. Tomaz Knafelj, Slovenia
14. Walter Feichter, Italy
15. Gerhard Unterkofler, Austria
16. Alexander Maier, Austria

WOMEN
1. Rosey Fletcher, Girdwood, AK
2. Jana Sedova, Slovakia
3. Sara Fischer, Sweden
4. Isabelle Blanc, France
5. Carmen Ranigler, Italy
6. Margherita Parini, Italy
7. Daniela Meuli, Switzerland
8. Birgit Herbert, Austria
9. Claudia Riegler, Austria
10. Marion Posch, Italy
11. Katharina Himmler, Germany
12. Heidi Renoth, Germany
13. Aasa Windahl, Sweden
14. Anna Kaltiainen, Finland
15. Dagmar Mair Unter Der Egg, Italy
16. Katja Reinauer, Germany

KASS WINS SECOND GRAND PRIX

Breckenridge, CO (Jan. 7, 2001) - It was a battle of amplitude vs. technical tricks Sunday as Danny Kass (Hamburg, NJ) overtook Todd Richards (Encinitas, CA) to win his second straight Chevy Truck U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix superpipe event at Breckenridge. Barrett Christy (Vail, CO) had a near-perfect stylish run to win the women's competition.

Kass won with a score of 44.60. Richards took second with a 43.80 and JJ Thomas (Golden, CO) was third with a 42.90. Ross Powers (S. Londonderry, VT), the 1998 Olympic bronze medalist, took fourth (40.70) and U.S. Snowboard Team rider Ricky Bower (Park City, UT) finished fifth (39.80).

The best battle of the day was no doubt between Kass and Richards. Twelve years separates the two as Kass is just 18 and Richards is 30.

Richards, who qualified second Saturday behind Kass, was the leader after the first of two runs. In his first run, he pulled his patented Wet Cat, an inverted 900, and went straight into a second 900. He mixed up these technical tricks with huge straight airs and stomped every landing.

Richards, who finished third Saturday night in the Yahoo! Sports Outdoors Big Air & Style big air, is no stranger to the Breckenridge superpipe as he rides for Team Breck and won the Vans Triple Crown event in the pipe in early December.

Kass busted a couple of huge airs in his first run but ended up flailing in the bottom half of the pipe. He received a zero from the straight air judge as all of his airs were inverted, but everyone was thinking "if he can land those in his second run, he'll win." Kass ended up doing just that in his second run, going bigger every hit and sticking the landings. He started with a backside McTwist and went into a rodeo 720 Stalefish. From there, he dropped a large Haakon flip Indy grab and then boosted what may be the biggest ever air to fakie to end the run.

It was a toss-up with the fans and media as to who won. Richard's first run was clearly more technical than Kass', but Kass' airs were so huge (he received a perfect score of 10 from the amplitude judge) that they made up for the lack of standard straight airs.

"I was just hoping I was gonna land the run," said Kass. "I just wanted to go as big and as fast as possible. At the top, I was just thinking about going large and not falling, hopefully. I didn't know what was gonna happen."

Kass has quickly upped his bank account total as he won $10,000 for Sunday's win and took home the same amount for a victory Dec. 16 at the Grand Prix at Okemo Mt., Vermont.

In the women's contest, Christy won with a score of 36.70, just edging U.S. Team rider Tricia Byrnes (Stratton Mt., VT), who finished second with a 36.40. Kelly Clark (Mt. Snow, VT), another U.S. Team member, was third with a 35.20. Teammate Gretchen Bleiler (Snowmass Village, CO) was fourth (32.60) and Austrian Caroline Ehrenstrasser was fifth (31.90).

Christy also won $10,000 and added another victory to her already impressive resume, which includes several U.S. Open, X Games and Grand Prix podiums. She won with her second run as she mixed it up and kept it clean. The run included a frontside 540, back-to-back 360s and a 720. Christy was amped to land the 720 as that trick caused her to sit down in her first run.

"The seven gave me a hard time the first run, but luckily I barely made it the second run," said the '98 Olympian. "

Christy, like Richards, also takes well to the Breckenridge superpipe as she placed second in the Triple Crown event.

With the second place finish, Byrnes is still well in the hunt for the overall Grand Prix title as she won the superpipe event at the Okemo Mt. Grand Prix. The overall winners take home a new Chevy Truck.

The superpipe was in unbelievable condition for the event. It got better every day of the week and peaked at the perfect time for the finals Sunday. Riders were stoked with the 17-foot transitions and the pitch of the pipe, which Breckenridge steepened this season.

"These pipes are so fun," said Christy. "When the pipes are this good, it's easy to want to show up and ride."

The large crowd of fans was not only stoked with the top-level riding, but also with the spring-like weather conditions as temperatures were in the 30s and the sun, which was strong all day with not a cloud in sight, made it feel even warmer.

The Chevy Truck U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix next stops at Mammoth Mountain, Calif. Feb. 8-11 for superpipe and snowboardcross events.

PACK, COOK ON PODIUM IN DEER VALLEY

Deer Valley, UT (Jan. 6, 2001) - Swiss aerialist Evelyne Leu earned the first World Cup win of her career and Canadian veteran Nicolas Fontaine took the men's event by 10 points Saturday at the Gateway Freestyle Challenge at Deer Valley resort. Joe Pack (Park City, UT) and Emily Cook (Belmont, MA) gave the U.S. Ski Team two podium performances as each finished in third place - the first podium of Cook's career.

"It was a good day. We could've done better, for sure, but we had three skiers who had personal bests," said Aerials Head Coach Matt Christensen. He referred to Cook's first podium, Kelly Hilliman (Tonawanda, NY) finishing fourth and Corey Hacker (Boston, NY) in eighth place in the men's contest.

"And I'm really impressed with the women's team. I think Joe got under-scored on his second jump, but he was still third, and he's still second on the Grand Prix [World Cup points]. ...We've still got 1-and-2 on the Grand Prix and four guys in the top 10, so that's good. I'm psyched," the coach said.

With World Cup leader Eric Bergoust (Missoula, MT) on the sidelines after having problems with his landings Friday in the qualifying round - and having to settle for 13th, Fontaine received 235.62 points for the victory. Steve Omischl, another Canadian, was second at 225.68 and Pack took third at 224.05. Hacker (Boston, NY) was eighth and Jerry Grossi (also Park City) took ninth.

Leu won with 194.70 points and Jacqui Cooper of Australia, the World Cup leader, took second art 172.59. Cook finished third with 166.3 and Kelly Hilliman (Tonawanda, NY) was fourth (165.00). In addition, Tracy Evans (Park City, UT) was seventh and Brenda Petzold (Andover, MA) eighth.

"I love this place, I LOVE this place," Pack said. "It's everything - the great conditions, the people are fired-up, they have great volunteers...it's so much fun to be here."

He was bummed about not being second, "but I wheelied my [first] landing pretty hard, so...still, another podium. I'm happy. I'm feeling the flow a little. I led qualifying [Friday] with 251 and had almost 225 today, so I'm not seeing the consistency I'd like, but...I'm still happy."

Cook was even more jubilant. "Storybook season so far," she gushed. "My first podium - I'm excited. I'm exhausted - but I'm excited, too."

Seventh after the first round, she kept her original starting spot - third, from qualifying - instead of reversing the top-10 order for the final round. "I'm glad they didn't reverse it and I went third from the end; I think that was better for me. I knew I had a good jump left, so..."

At the end, she and Hilliman stood side-by-side, watching as Cooper went into her second jump. If she did well, she'd bump Hilliman off the podium. She did well and Hillman slid to fourth.

"This was the greatest event. The crowd was awesome," she said. "The site is so perfect. At the beginning of the week, I told somebody, 'We should be here at Deer Valley every day.' It's just perfect."

Her goal, she said was to hit 160 points "and I got 165, so I did better than I wanted. I knew if I got 160 or so I'd be up there."

WORLD CUP AERIALS
Gateway Freestyle Challenge
Deer Valley, UT - Jan. 6 (10 made finals)
Men
1. Nicolas Fontaine, Canada, 235.62 points
2. Jeff Bean, Canada, 226.68
3. Joe Pack, Park City, Utah, 224.05
4. Xiaotao Ou, China, 223.37
5. Stanislav Kravchuk, Ukraine, 219.54
6. Andy Capicik, Canada, 213.96
7. Steve Moischl, Canada, 200.69
8. Corey Hacker, Boston, N.Y., 190.44
9. Jerry Grossi, Park City, Utah, 180.22
10. Christian Rijavec, Austria, 165.97
-
11. Brian Currutt, Park City, Utah
13. Eric Bergoust, Missoula, Mont.
14. Mariano Ferrario, Park City, Utah
17. Parker Schmidt, Steamboat Springs, Colo.
19. Jaret Peterson, Boise, Idaho

Women
1. Evelyne Leu, Switzerland, 194.70
2. Jacqui Cooper, Australia, 172.59
3. Emily Cook, Belmont, Mass., 166.63
4. Kelly Hilliman, Boston, N.Y., 165.00
5. Alisa Camplin, Australia, 162.58
6. Veronika Bauer, Canada, 161.52
7. Tracy Evans, Park City, Utah, 156.79
8. Brenda Petzold, Andover, Mass., 155.22
9. Natalia Orekhova, Russia, 154.89
10. Hilde Lid, Norway, 127.61
-
12. Sarah Horvitz, Somerset, Mass.
14. Kate Reed, Montrose, Colo.

World Cup Standings (Best 3 of 4 results)
Men
1. Bergoust, 296 points
2. Pack, 276
3. Omischl, 264
4. Capicik, 260
5. Currutt, 240
6. Fontaine, 236
7. Ales Valenta, Czech Republic, 212
8. Grossi, 200
9. Rijavec, 196
10. Dmitri Dashinski, Belarus, 192
-
12. Britt Swartley, Blue Bell, Pa., 164 (* - Injured, out for the season)
23. Ferrario, 84
26. Hacker, 72
33. Matt Chojnacki, Aurora, Colo., 40 (* - Retired)
34. Scmidt, 36
35. Peterson, 28
--
Women
1. Cooper, 296
2. Bauer, 268
3. Camplin, 252
4. Petzold, 244
5. Alla Tsuper, Belarus, 244
6. Tatjana Kozachenko, Ukraine, 224
7. Lid, 220
8. Orekhova, 220
9. Hilliman, 212
10. Deidra Dionne, Canada, 212
-
13. Cook, 180
23. Evans, 76
26. Horvitz, 56
27. Reed, 48

NEF BATTLES TO VICTORY IN MARIBOR GS

Maribor, Slovenia (Jan. 6, 2001) - Sonja Nef of Switzerland battled her way through deep ruts on the second run Saturday to collect her fourth World Cup giant slalom victory of the season while Sarah Schleper (Vail, CO) had the second-fastest final run and moved up 13 places to seventh with Kristina Koznick (Burnsville, MN) 17th

In windy, overcast and 55-degree (13 C.) weather, Nef had a two-run time of 2:37.97 with Karen Putzer of Italy in second place at 2:38.21. Third place went to defending World Cup champion Renate Goetschl of Austria (2:38.33) with first-run leader Corinne Rey-Bellet of Switzerland fourth (2:38.49) and Croatian Janica Kostelic fifth (2:38.91).

Schleper, 20th on the first run, finished seventh in 2:39.34 with Koznick 29th on the first run and moved up to finish 17th with a time of 2:39.93. Caroline Lalive (Steamboat Springs, CO) failed to qualify for a second run.

"Sarah had an incredible run - and it wasn't without a mistake," said U.S. Coach Marjan Cernigoj. "She almost fell on the top, so she lost time, but she pulled it together. She was attacking."

He added, "It was very tough conditions for the last girls. There were very big ruts. Nef [racing 29th on the second run] had an incredible run to get the win; everyone at that point in the race was dropping back, but she fought through the ruts..."

Although Maribor often runs into rain or unseasonally warm weather, Cernigoj was impressed by the organizers' ability to stage the race in the sloppy conditions.

"It was pretty much phenomenal they were able to hold this race. Only Maribor, which has had so much practice with poor conditions, could do it," he said. "They had only five days in December to make snow, but we had 30 or 40 centimeters [12-15 inches] for the length of the course. The warmup area had maybe three inches of snow and was very flat - 12-15 gates at most, but they did it.

"Everything was against them. It was very windy. All the banners were blown off and the start of the second run was delayed about 10 minutes because the start shack was blown over," he said.

The women race a slalom Sunday and move to Flachau, Austria, by week's end for three races - downhill, GS and slalom (plus a combined calculation).

CAFE de COLOMBIA WORLD CUP
Maribor, SLO - Jan. 6
Women's GS
1. Sonja Nef, Switzerland, 2:37.97
2. Karen Putzer, Italy, 2:38.21
3. Renate Goetschl, Austria, 2:38.33
4. Corinne Rey-Bellet, Switzerland, 2:38.49
5. Janica Kostelic, Croatia, 2:38.91
6. Denise Karbon, Italy, 2:39.11
7. Sarah Schleper, Vail, Colo., 2:39.34
8. Allison Forsythe, Canada, 2:39.38
9. Nicole Gius, Italy, 2:39.46
10. Tina Maze, Slovenia, 1:39.60
11. (tie) Silvia Berger, Austria, and Mojca Suhadolc, Slovenia, 1:39.75 each
13. Lilian Kummer, Switzerland, 1:39.80
14. Silke Bachmann, Italy, 1:39.83
15. Tanja Poutiainen, Finland, 1:39.85
16. Anna Ottosson, Sweden, 1:39.86
17. Kristina Koznick, Burnsville, Minn., 1:39.93
18. Maddalena Planatscher, Italy, 1:40.04
19. Alexandra Meissnitzer, Austria, 1:40.13
20. Anita Wachter, Austria, 1:40.19
21. Kumiko Kashiwagi, Japan, 1:40.29
22. Brigitte Obermoser, Austria, 1:40.36
23. (tie) Anja Paerson, Sweden, and Christel Saioni, France, 1:40.50 each
25. Regine Cavagnoud, France, 1:40.57
-
Did not qualify for 2nd run: Caroline Lalive, Steamboat Springs, Colo.

VON GRUENIGEN NAVIGATES FOG TO VICTORY IN LES ARCS

Les Arcs, France (Jan. 6, 2001) - Swiss racer Michael Von Gruenigen had the fastest first-run time Saturday despite fog and sloppy conditions and went on to win a World Cup giant slalom. Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) moved up from 12th in the first run to finish eighth with Erik Schlopy 11th and Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA) 21st.

Von Gruenigen was timed in 2:43.67 for his victory with Austrian Benjamin Raich finishing second in 2:45.29. Marco Buechel of Liechtenstein finished third in 2:45.80 with Kjetil Andre Aamodt of Norway fourth (2:45.97) and Swiss Urs Kaelin fifth (2:45.98).

Miller, grabbing his fourth top-10 of the season, finished in 2:46.28. Schlopy's two-run time was 2:46.42 and Rahlves came in 21st in 2:48.30.

"It was a very demanding course, not much room for mistakes," Miller said. "The fog made it tough; there were some places where I couldn't see."

Coach Jesse Hunt echoed Miller, noting, "The conditions were crazy. It doesn't want to turn into winter over here. We're at 2,000 meters and it's still raining.

"The race was really tough. The snow was soft and chopped up and the guys did a great job of hanging in there," he said. "Daron was third [fastest] on the second run, so he moved up eight places, and Bode and Schlopy really did well, too. I think Erik skied conservatively, but that's good, given these condtions; I'm psyched with the consistency they're showing and how they're skiing so well tactically. They keep scoring points and moving up."

The start of the race's first run was delayed about 30 minutes after a night-long rain created soupy conditions. The rain stopped a short time before the race got underway.

Miller and Schlopy came into the race after skiing well in two invitation-only exhibition races in Sestriere, Italy, earlier in the week. In a best-two-runs-of-three slalom format, Miller had the fastest single run but Schlopy edged him by .01 for two-run total time, and the twosome won the team event with two Finns in second place. The next day in a GS, Von Gruenigen won with Schlopy fourth and Miller seventh.

"The Austrians and Norwegians didn't show, but everyone else was there - the Italians, Swiss, Finns, Slovenians...a really good field," Hunt said. "Von Gruenigen's skiing so well. He's got such balance and has the confidence, and you could see it again today."

The men compete Sunday in slalom - with more rain forecast during the night before possibly turning to snow by dawn - before moving on to Adelboden, Switzerland, for their annual GS Tuesday before a downhill/slalom/combined lineup Jan. 13-14 in Wengen, Switzerland.

CAFE de COLOMBIA WORLD CUP
Les Arcs, FRA - Jan. 6
Men's GS
1. Michael Von Gruenigen, Switzerland, 2:43.67
2. Benjamin Raich, Austria, 2:45.29
3. Marco Buechel, Liechtenstein, 2:45.80
4. Kjetil Andre Aamodt, Norway, 2:45.97
5. Urs Kaelin, Switzerland, 2:45.98
6. Fredrik Nyberg, Sweden, 2:46.23
7. Hermann Maier, Austria, 2:46.25
8. Bode Miller, Franconia, N.H., 2:46.28
9. Heinz Schilchegger, Austria, 2:46.33
10. Frederic Covili, France, 2:46.40
11. Erik Schlopy, Park City, Utah, 2:46.42
12. Lasse Kjus, Norway, 2:46.46
13. Vincent Millet, France, 2:46.59
14. Didier Cuche, Switzerland, 2:46.84
15. Christoph Gruber, Austria, 2:46.87
16. Hans Knauss, Austria, 2:47.26
17. Joel Chenal, France, 2:47.58
18. Jeff Piccard, France, 2:48.04
19. Paul Accola, Switzerland, 2:48.05
20. Raphael Burtin, France, 2:48.20
21. Daron Rahlves, Sugar Bowl, Calif., 2:48.30
22. Thomas Grandi, Canada, 2:48.69
23. Davide Simoncelli, Italy, 2:48.72
24. Alessandro Roberto, Italy, 2:48.79
25. Jernej Koblar, Slovenia, 2:50.36
-
DNF-2: Thomas Vonn, Newburgh, N.Y.
DNF-1: Casey Puckett, Aspen, Colo.
Did not qualify for 2nd run: Chip Knight, New Canaan, Conn.

HINCKLEY, HOWELL WIN HUCKFEST

Breckenridge, CO (Jan. 6, 2001) - Everybody in attendance had a blast under the lights, but nobody was more stoked than Ben Hinckley and Dresden Howell (Salt Lake City) as they both won the big air event Saturday night at the Yahoo! Sports Outdoors Big Air & Style, an exhibition event part of the Chevy Truck U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix.

Almost 6,000 fans came out in the night air to watch some of the best big air specialists in the business huck themselves off the huge kicker in Breck's Freeway Terrain Park. The crowd and competitors were amped as temperatures were mild and the wind, which was howling during the afternoon, calmed down in time for the event.

Hinckley topped the field with his first of two jumps as he laid down a Rippey Flip, a 540 backflip, and stomped the landing. He led the field after that jump and nobody was able to better it the rest of the night. Local boy Chad Otterstrom (Breckenridge) was the closest to overcome Hinckley as he busted a clean 900 tail grab on his second run. However, the judges were more impressed with Hinckley and he picked up the win and a check for $3,500. Otterstrom took second and Team Breck rider Todd Richards (Encinitas, CA) finished third.

"When I was dropping in, I was like 'I'm gonna point it and give a 110%'," said Hinckley. "You have to give it a 100% and it works out every time. I can't believe this. I'm psyched."

Hinckley didn't back down in his second jump as Mark Sullivan, the public address announcer, asked the crowd "do you want to see a lawn dart (straight backflip)?" Hinckley pleased everyone by throwing down a solid lawn dart, complete with a grab.

"Right then I just wanted to have fun and stoke the crowd out, 'cause that's what it's all about," said Hinckley.

After his second jump, Otterstrom was bombarded in the finish area by his hometown fans. The pig pile got fairly large with people that thought Otterstrom overtook Hinckley for the win.

The 30-year old Richards continued his strong season with the third place finish. Earlier in the day, Richards qualified second for Sunday's Grand Prix superpipe finals. In early December, he won the Vans Triple Crown superpipe contest at Breckenridge.

Howell won the winner's check for $2,500 with a backside 540. Juanita Platz took second with a backflip and Jaime Macleod (Andover, NH), who won the Yahoo! event (slopestyle) Dec. 16 at Okemo Mt., VT, was third.

"I'm really, really happy," said Howell, who claimed Saturday's win was the biggest of her career.

The actual competition wasn't the only thing happening on the hill as everyone was having a super fun time. A streaker actually ran into the finish area halfway through the contest and fireworks helped light up the run for the competitors.

The Chevy Truck U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix concludes Sunday at Breckenridge with the superpipe finals.

STAHLKLOO WINS 3rd STRAIGHT SBX

Kreischberg, Austria (Jan. 6, 2001) - For the second day in a row, Sweden's Pontus Stahlkloo took home a win in World Cup snowboardcross on a short course at Kreischberg Saturday. German Sandra Farmand won on the women's side.

A lot of European resorts have been suffering from lack of snowfall, but organizers were able to build a short, but suitable snowboardcross that held up for two straight days.

Stahlkloo, like Friday, cruised through all of the qualification rounds and finals to win his third SBX event in a row. German Markus Ebner was second, Austrian Werner Ebenbauer was third and teammate Alexander Maier was fourth.

"It was a bit tighter today," said Stahlkloo. "Especially in the final heat I had some guys behind me who wanted to pass. With the best time in the qualification I was very confident. Some people were probably disappointed with their result yesterday, tried too hard and crashed."

Farmand and France's Karine Ruby have switched back and forth all season as the only two women to win snowboardcross events. Farmand defeated France's Emmanuelle Duboc in the finals. Ruby, who won Friday's first SBX, was third and Austrian Ursula Fingerlos was fourth.

"I made a mistake yesterday and was very angry so I really attacked today," said Farmand. "I spent all night thinking about the section of the course where I lost it and obviously this was good. The big advantage today was that you knew the course and I attacked in parts where I didn't even think it was possible yesterday."

No American men or women competed at the Kreischberg snowboardcross events. The weekend concludes Sunday with a parallel slalom race.

SWITZERLAND'S DANIEL MAHRER TAKES FIRST PLACE AT LOON MOUNTIN IN FORD DOWNHILL SERIES

Lincoln, NH (Jan. 6, 2001) - In a day of thrilling victory, Switzerland's Daniel Mahrer races to win The Ford Downhill Series at Loon Mountain. Coming into today's event Mahrer was tied for first place with Team USA member Kyle Rasmussen. After the first run, Mahrer commanded a .05 second lead, and won the race, edging out Rasmussen by a total .18 second. The airdate is February 11, 2001 on CBS.

"Last year I experienced some back problems," said Champion Mahrer. "Now I feel very good and confident. I also changed my skis, and that has helped my results." Mahrer's teammate William Besse had an incredibly fast second run today, helping to clinch Switzerland's overall first-place team standing.

Team USA follows in second place. "As a team, we put an emphasis on the second run today, said Kyle Rasmussen. "Both Tommy and I stepped up the speed, but it was not fast enough."

"We were very excited to host this event, and our guests really enjoyed watching the racers, especially Tommy Moe," commented Loon Mountain General Manager Rick Kelley. "All the athletes were so generous to take the time to sign autographs throughout the day."

The Ford Downhill Series now moves to Sunshine Village in Banff, Alberta, Canada on January 27th.

SNOWBASIN NAMES OLYMPIC COURSE

Huntsville, UT (Jan. 5, 2001) - Snowbasin Ski Area announced yesterday that "Grizzly" would be the name of the men's Olympic downhill course. Snowbasin officials felt that Grizzly was descriptive of the challenging turns, pitches and vertical feet skiers and racers would have to conquer before finishing the course.

Grizzly will be officially dedicated during the 2001 Café de Columbia Downhill World Cup at Snowbasin Feb. 24-25, 2001. This World Cup will be the first time racers compete on the new men's Olympic trail and is the test event before the 2002 Olympic downhill competition takes place at Snowbasin.

The name Grizzly has local meaning to the Northern Utah area and also ties into Ogden's "Spirit of the West" celebration being planned for Snowbasin's World Cup event. As local legend has it, a grizzly bear nick-named Old Ephraim roamed in the area back in the early 1900s and was finally put to rest by Frank Clark in 1923. Old Ephraim was a gigantic, ruthless bear that outsmarted sheepherders and hunters for years. Snowbasin has named different parts of the course using the rich history tied to Old Ephraim and the western spirit tied to Ogden. Different names on the course include:

Ephraim's Face, Trappers Loop, John Paul Traverse, Muzzleloader Jump, Slintlock Jump, Off Track Canyon, Bear Trap, Slingshot, Hibernation Hole, Buffalo Jump, Arrowhead Jump, Rendezvous Face, Three Toes

Racers preparing for the World Cup will be given the challenge to tame the Grizzly course. The men will conquer a slope of over 70 percent grade as they leave the Mt. Allen ridgeline at 9,350 feet. Racers should reach the finish line of the 9,895-foot (3,016 meters) long course in less than two minutes. At the timberline, the men's course runs parallel to the women's, and together they will slide through a series of gulches ending the race at a common finish line. The racers will finish at 6,391 feet (1948 meters), for a total vertical drop of 2,959 feet (902 meters) on the men's course.

Wildflower, the women's 10,302-foot (3,140 meters) long course, brings together a blend of wide open gliding paths and steep, technical areas that will show both the beauty and power of the sport. This steep and challenging run begins at 8,720 feet (2655 meters) and drops 2,319 feet (707 meters) to finish on slopes that at times reach a 58 percent grade.

Snowbasin will host four test events in 2001: men's Super Series on Feb. 9-11, men's downhill World Cup on Feb. 24-25, disabled World Cup on Feb. 26 to March 4 and the women's Super Series on March 16 to 18.

Both Grizzly and Wildflower are open for the public to experience. Visitors will be able reach Snowbasin via the new Trappers Loop Connector Road and spend 30 more minutes on the slopes instead of in the car. Ticket prices are $43 for an adult all-day pass and $25 for a child's all-day pass.

GATEWAY WORLD CUP BACK AT DEER VALLEY

Park City, UT (Jan. 5, 2001) - Hometown hero Joe Pack (Park City) is hoping history repeats this weekend as the freestyle World Cup schedule resumes with two events during the Gateway Freestyle Challenge on the 2002 Olympic venue at Deer Valley.

Pack, aerials bronze medalist at the 1999 World Championships, wowed the crowd a year ago when he won the Gateway World Cup a year ago at Deer Valley. Coming off the third victory of his career a month ago at Blackcomb, B.C., he's among the favorites Saturday during the aerials competition.

In addition to Pack, the aerials field will include World Cup leader and reigning world champion Eric Bergoust (Missoula, MT), who hopes history definitely doesn't repeat: he injured an ankle in training and missed the Deer Valley event last season. He won the first two World Cup events of the season last August in Australia and was second behind Pack Dec. 2 in Canada.

On the women's side, defending World Cup champ and 1999 World Championships gold medalist Jacqui Cooper will be returning to Park City, where she trained for a few years in the latye Nineties; like Bergoust, Cooper won both events in Australia. Alla Tsuper of Belarus, who won in Blackcomb and took a Bumps&Jumps event at Winter Park, Colo., looks to maintain her momentum.

Sunday, it's moguls at Deer Valley. World Cup and world champion Janne Lahtela - who won at Deer Valley a year ago - and Sami Mustonen lead the powerful Finnish men's team (including Lauri Lassila and Mikko Ronkainen). They'll face Canadians Pierre-Alexandre Rousseau and Stephane Rochon plus a U.S. delegation that includes Evan Dybvig (Tunbridge, VT), Alex Wilson (Buffalo, NY), Toby Dawson (Vail, CO) and, among others, '98 Olympic champion Jonny Moseley (Tiburon, CA), who is coming back from two years away from international competition.

Among the women, Hannah Hardaway (Moultonborough, NH), Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA) and Donna Weinbrecht (Killington, VT) are among the top U.S. skiers who will challenge Kari Traa of Norway, Finn Minna Karhu, Sweden's Marja Elfman and Aiko Uemura of Japan. Defending World Cup moguls champion Ann Battele (Steamboat Springs, CO) was not expected to compete while she continues rehabilitating a torn rotator cuff suffered in preseason training.

MOUNTAIN CREEK LAUNCHES "UNCOMMON GROUND"

Vernon, NJ (Jan. 5, 2001) - Mountain Creek will hold the grand opening of "Uncommon Ground", the longest terrain park in the eastern region with more than 8,500 feet of snowpark terrain, this Saturday, January 6th. The opening will feature a full day of activities complete with the Mountain Creek Snowboard team providing pointers to the public on some of the 50 new terrain park elements including custom-built handrails and two half pipes, the newest of which is over 500 feet long. "Uncommon Ground" broadens Mountain Creek's total terrain park coverage to nearly 25% of their 43 trails. The entire terrain park is lit for night riding and boasts a 10,000 watt sound system. This Intrawest-owned resort boasts over 15 miles of trails on four mountain peaks with 100% snow making and night skiing.

The new 500-foot halfpipe is excavated into the ground rather than on top of it, translating into more riding and a longer season. Unlike most pipes, this new feature is located front and center of the Base Area, providing perfect viewing of tricks and contests for all visitors.

"These are some of the best conditions we have seen in years," said Marc Tremblay, Vice President/General Manager Business Development. "We expect Uncommon Ground to become the largest snow park playground for visitors of the region."

Freestyle riders and skiers will find over 50 terrain park elements including, table tops, hip jumps, quarter pipes, rollers and this year 15 new handrail elements including three 30 foot rainbow rails. "Uncommon Ground" is for everyone from novice to pro level riders, and includes safety features such as a bridge to ease traffic patterns and separate beginner areas.

KEMPPEL TIES X-C TITLES RECORD

McCall, ID (Jan. 4, 2001) - Three-time Olympian Nina Kemppel (Anchorage, AK) tied the record, earning the 14th national title of her career Thursday as she won her second race in 24 hours at the Chevy Truck U.S. Cross Country Championships. Justin Wadsworth (Bend, OR), a two-time Olympian, ended a seven-year title drought a short time later.

On a sun-splashed, 30-degree day, Kemppel overtook ex-Czech World Cup racer Katerina Hanusova, who races for the University of Nevada Reno, to win by 8.5 seconds in 15:44.3. Third place went to Wendy Wagner (Park City, UT) in 16:01.3 with Jessica Smith (Anchorage, AK) fourth and Barb Jones (Bozeman, MT) fifth in the field of 152 racers.

"Fourteen - not bad," Kemppel said. "It wasn't the race I wanted, though. It was a tough day for me; I just didn't put it all together. [Wednesday's sprint] was a totally tiring day. ...This was a day your mind's got to be a little stronger."

With an eye toward World Cup races next week (Jan. 10-14) on Utah's 2002 Olympic trails at Soldier Hollow, Kemppel said she trained up to three hours a day over the past week, so she was feeling it a bit, but it should help have her in better condition in the World Cup events.

"I still had moments out there where it went really well," she said, adding that she was pleased with her pickup in double-poling on the relentlessly flat course.

Wadsworth - racing on backup skis after having 13 pairs disappear as he flew back from Continental Cup races in Quebec two weeks ago - finished his two-lap race in 27:48.4. Kris Freeman (Andover, NH) took the silver medal in 28:00.8and Marcus Nash (Fryeburg, ME) was third (28:02.3). Denver University racer Pietro Broggini was fourth with Carl Swenson (Boulder, CO), Wednesday's 1.4-km sprint winner, fifth in the throng of 202 skiers.

The winners agreed: the mostly flat trail was slow, so many racers got out of the prepared track so they could ski faster. "We had to ski quite a bit out of the tracks today," Wadsworth said. "In this sunshine, the tracks slowed down. They didn't glaze at all...outside the track was much faster."

"My thoughts were to just ski my own race and I knew I'd be okay. I'm in great shape," Wadsworth said in collecting his third U.S. title, his first since 1995 in Lake Placid, N.Y. Noting he had continued weight workouts until a week ago to help with his double-poling, he added, "I expected to actually win by more than this, but I'll take it...

"To tell the truth, since '95, my focus hasn't been on winning national championships, but I wanted to do well here and use this as a building block for next week. This is a good step."

The win is a confidence booster, he said, as he prepares for the World Cup races at Soldier Hollow. He trained with the Norwegian men's team on the trails during the summer "so I know I'm in good shape. ...When I race next week, I'm gonna remember, 'I'm in as good shape as these guys.' I know I am."

Freeman, who was third in the sprints, said he felt two days of intensive racing but "I love courses like this. I do a lot of double-poling over the summer. I'm pretty strong with it. I usually do better on double-pole courses...

"It was actually faster than I thought it would be," he said. "I was really happy with the way the sun came out just as we were starting and sped it up a little bit. It slowed down a lot for the guys after, I think."

The championships resume Saturday with mass-start, skating races, the men's 30-km and the women's 15-km. At the end of the racing, selections will be announced for the World Cup starting spots next week and for the World Junior Championships later this month in Poland.

CHEVY TRUCK U.S. CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
McCall, ID - Jan. 4
Classic Technique
Men's 10-km
1. Justin Wadsworth, Bend, Ore., 27:48.4
2. Kris Freeman, Andover, N.H., 28:00.8
3. Marcus Nash, Fryeburg, Maine, 28:02.3
4. Pietro Broggini, Italy, 28:14.1
5. Carl Swenson, Boulder, Colo., 28:18.4
6. David Chamberlain, Bethel, Maine, 28:21.4
7. Rob Whitney, Anchorage, Alaska, 28:31.3
8. Andrew Johnson, Greensboro, Vt., 28:42.4
9. Tomas Dohnal, Albuquerque, N.M., 28:44.8
10. Wolf Wallendorf, Germany, 28:46.5
11. Justin Freeman, Andover, N.H., 28:53.7
12. Magnus Eriksson, Sweden, 28:53.9
13. Nathan Schultz, Boulder, Colo., 29:07.0
14. Tobias Schwoerer, Germany, 29:10.8
15. Patrick Weaver, Lenox, Mass., 29:12.5

Women's 5-km
1. Nina Kemppel, Anchorage, Alaska, 15:44.3
2. Katerina Hanusova, Reno, Nev., 15:52.8
3. Wendy Wagner, Park City, Utah, 16:01.3
4. Jessica Smith, Anchorage, Alaska, 16:14.3
5. Barb Jones, Bozeman, Mont., 16:15.1
6. Unni Odegaard, Norway, 16:19.5
7. Maria Wik, Sweden, 16:34.4
8. Tasha Betscherman, Canada, 16:35.7
9. Tessa Benoit, South Pomfret, Vt., 16:38.2
10. Tara Hamilton, Anchorage, Alaska, 16:38.7
11. Christa Case, Grass Valley, Calif., 16:39.7
12. Caiutlin Compton, Anchorage, Alaska, 16:44.3
13. Karin Camenisch, Denver, 16:45.1
14. Nina Karvonen, Finland, 16:45.3
15. Aelin Peterson, Fairbanks, Alaska, 16:46.9

SIX NAMED TO U.S. FREESTYLE TEAM

Park City, UT (Jan. 4, 2001) - Tim Warner (Waterford, MI), who won all four moguls and dual moguls events, heads a group of six skiers added to the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team following selection events. All will compete in January World Cups at Deer Valley, Utah, and Sunday River, Maine, the Ski Team announced Thursday.

The athletes - three men and three women - were named based on pre-Christmas selection events at Utah's Snowbird resort, according to Head Coach Jeff Wintersteen.

The new Ski Team members: Men - Jeret Parker (19; Boise, ID - aerials), Travis Ramos (21; South Lake Tahoe, CA - moguls) and Warner (22; Waterford, MI - moguls). Women - Jana Lindsey (16; Black Hawk, SD - aerials), Lindley Hord (25; Steamboat Springs, CO - moguls) and Shelly Robertson (21; Reno, NV - moguls).

Warner, who won both moguls selection events as well as both duals events, is new to the Ski Team, along with Parker and Lindsey. Ramos, Hord and Robertson were on previous U.S. teams and regained a spot with their skiing.

The freestyle World Cup schedule resumes Jan. 6-7 with aerials and moguls - the two Olympic contests - at Deer Valley, the 2002 Olympic venue. The North American swing concludes Jan. 26-28 with additional aerials and moguls events at Sunday River.

AMERICAN SKIING CO. REPORTS SUCCESSFUL HOLIDAY PERIOD

Newry, ME (Jan. 4, 2001) - With the return to normal winter weather patterns over most of ski country, skiers and snowboarders flocked to American Skiing Company (NYSE: SKI) resorts over the Christmas holiday period. For the seven-day period ending December 31, total system-wide skier visits were up approximately 16 percent over the comparable period in the prior year. American Skiing Company officials also said total revenues for the week were up approximately 24 percent, giving the Company the single largest week of revenue in its history.

"We view that as a promising recovery after two disappointing Christmas holiday seasons," said American Skiing Company chairman Leslie B. Otten. "We believe that it demonstrates the resilience of the market."

Normal snowmaking temperatures helped New England resorts to open all mountain areas and provide quality conditions. Many resorts, including Sunday River and Mount Snow, completed trail openings on snowmaking trails ahead of schedule. Killington, VT, boosted its snowmaking capacity by 30 percent this year, allowing it to open trails faster.

As expected, The Canyons in Utah also posted solid gains. As a result of last March's opening of the resort village at the base of the mountain, the addition of "Dreamscape," its eighth mountain peak and a new "Cabriolet" gondola lift, which transports day visitors to the village core, The Canyons shattered its previous Christmas attendance record. Heavenly saw solid gains year-over-year. The resort improved performance due to the largest snowmaking system in the western United States and its new gondola, which transports guests in the downtown South Lake Tahoe, CA/Stateline, NV community directly to the slopes.

"Heavenly's gondola has already served approximately 21,000 visitors since it opened two weeks ago," said Otten. "More than 10,000 non-skiing sightseers bought tickets to ride the new lift during the holidays. Access to the mountain from downtown has had a positive impact on both visits and the pace at the existing base lodges. In the long term, we believe the gondola will play a significant role in the resort's growth."

On the real estate front, Steamboat, Heavenly and The Canyons all saw strong interest from prospective vacation home purchasers over the holiday week. "It's important to remember that this information is a snapshot of the Christmas holiday period," said Otten. "We still have part of the second fiscal quarter to go. Still, we believe that the Company's performance during the Christmas holiday week bodes well. We've got our first major milestone successfully behind us, and the rest of the season looks promising. Reservations for the remainder of the season are up significantly, real estate projects are showing solid interest and ski conditions at our resorts are outstanding."

American Skiing Company's second fiscal quarter of 2001 closes on January 28, 2001.

KEMPPEL, SWENSON WIN U.S. SPRINTS

McCall, ID (Jan. 3, 2001) - Nina Kemppel (Anchorage, AK) moved to within one of the the U.S. record for cross country championships Wednesday as she earned her 13th national title, winning the women's sprint at the Chevy Truck U.S. championships while Carl Swenson (Boulder, CO) picked up his fourth title. The two winners were 1994 Olympic teammates.

On the first day of the championships at Ponderosa State Park, Kemppel held off Tessa Benoit (South Pomfret, VT) with Aelin Peterson (Fairbanks, AK) third and Wendy Wagner (Park City, UT) fourth. Kemppel earned $1,200 for the victory, the "lucky 13th" of her career; that puts her one behind Martha Rockwell, who competed into the mid-'70s and Nancy Fiddler, who retired after the '93 season.

In the men's race, Swenson took charge at the start of the 1.4-km loop and led all the way - as he did in each of his four heats. The silver medal went to Rob Whitney (Anchorage, AK) with Kris Freeman (Andover, NH) in third and David Chamberlain (Bethel, ME) fourth.

"I wanted to lead right from the start," Swenson said. "That cuts out any chance of a problem - there's no tactics, no messing around. Just stay out front...

"So much can happen in a sprint and I didn't want to give anyone a chance to make it happen."

Kemppel - who, like Swenson, is a Dartmouth College graduate - said she went to the front, although leading all the way hadn't been her race plan. "See, that's the difference between Carl and me. He's a real sprinter; I'm not."

She said a tough quarter-finals heat "was a real wake-up." She struggled and realized she needed some time skiing in a pack to fine-tune her race strategy.

Benoit graduated last spring from the University of Vermont and is training with Sverre Caldwell, her Stratton Mountain School coach while racing with the Fischer Salomon factory team. "I feel like I'm skiing well, technically, so this was experience for me in sprinting, and it was good, definitely," she said.

Skiing at 5,300 foot elevation is a step up in altitude, she said. "This last round, I could definitely feel it in my body...but it's good to get that first race out of the way."

Meanwhile, Peterson - once one of the most promising juniors in the nation but out of skiing for five years - was cautiously jubilant about her bronze medal. After several years as a equity trader in Milwaukee, the former Northern Michigan University racer returned to her home in Fairbanks and began training.

"I think, right now, the sprints and the shorter races work well for me because I just don't have the endurance base any more. When I quit, sprinting wasn't even an event...and now it'll be in the Olympics next year," she said.

The championships continue Thursday with classic technique races - men's 10-km and women's 5-km- and conclude Saturday with the men's 30-km freestyle and the women's 15-km. At stake during the three-race championships are start slots for the World Cups next week at Utah's Soldier Hollow and selection to the U.S. team for the World Junior Championships, which start late this month in Poland.

CHEVY TRUCK U.S. CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
McCall, ID (Ponderosa State Park) - Jan. 3
Freestyle Sprints (8 made semifinals)

ASCUTNEY ENJOYS SUCCESSFUL CHRISTMAS WEEK AND RECORD-BREAKING DECEMBER REVENUE

Brownsville, VT (Jan. 3, 2001) - Consistent snowmaking temperatures, occasional small snowstorms, the debut of the mile-long, high speed North Peak Express quad, and a major New Year’s Weekend snowstorm were the ideal ingredients this holiday season to allow Ascutney Mountain Resort to smash last season’s revenue figures for both the Christmas holiday week and the month of December.

For the period of December 25, 2000 to January 1, 2001, the resort saw combined ticket and ski school revenues increase almost 40 percent over the same period in 1999. For December, ticket and ski school revenues beat last season’s totals by 55 percent. The resort’s slopeside village, comprised of hotel rooms and one-, two- and three-bedroom condominiums, was just shy of 100 percent booked from the day after Christmas through New Year’s Day.

"Winter has finally returned to New England’s ski industry, and we are coming off the best Christmas Week and December ever," said Steve Plausteiner, president and co-owner of the resort. "I am amazed. The mountain was about 50 percent open, but almost all our key trails were open thanks to both natural snowfall and snowmaking efforts, and the new North Peak Express lift truly has been a wonderful Christmas present for everyone. More importantly, this new snow and positive momentum will carry us into January and through the rest of the season. For the first time in quite awhile, early season skiers and snowboarders are really excited about being out on the mountain."

In addition to the debut of the new North Peak Express quad lift the Saturday before Christmas Day, Ascutney also credits the success of the Christmas vacation week to the efforts of its added value resort amenities, including bonfires, tubing, outdoor ice skating, kids’ parties with Cheddar the Mouse mascot, holiday buffets and a sports and fitness center with indoor heated pool and hot tub, all of which add to the vacation experience.

After the successful Christmas Week, Ascutney is looking ahead and will continue to expand its open terrain.

SUBARU'S MASTER THE MOUNTAIN RETURNS TO LOVELAND

Georgetown, CO (Jan. 3, 2001) - On Saturday and Sunday, January 6th & 7th, the National Ski Patrol (NSP), the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA), and Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) bring the Subaru Master the Mountain program back to Loveland Ski Area for the sixth consecutive season.

The Subaru Master the Mountain program is geared toward safe skier and snowboarder enjoyment. Activities will include free ski lessons by PSIA instructors, mountain tours led by National Ski Patrol members and a Subaru Learning Lane where skiers and snowboarders receive free tips on improving their ability.

"Safety and the skiers responsibility code has been and remains a major focus at Loveland and this event is a great way for us to convey that message to our guests in a fun interactive manner," explains Loveland's Director of Ski Patrol, Ron Kidder.

Master the Mountain is free to all skiers and snowboarders with a valid lift ticket. Activities begin at 10:00 a.m. on both days with registration starting at 9:00 am. Prizes and free give aways will be distributed throughout the day. The first 25 Subarus will receive VIP parking during the day's events.

CELEBRATE STELLA WITH IDAHO'S FIRST LADY

Sandpoint, ID (Jan. 3, 2001) - Join Patricia Kempthorne, Idaho’s First Lady, and other state and local officials as Schweitzer celebrates Stella with a ribbon-cutting, champagne-popping ceremony. “I am very excited to participate in the dedication of Stella and I think the excitement that Schweitzer Mountain is generating for the state of Idaho is wonderful,” commented Patricia Kempthorne, Idaho’s First Lady.

The ceremony begins at 9:30 a.m. at Stella’s loading station, followed by a full day of skiing, snowboarding and festivities. “If you haven’t been to Schweitzer yet this winter, this is the time to meet Stella, our new Garaventa Ctec high-speed six passenger chairlift. Not only is she the first six pack in Idaho, Stella is a one of a kind in the entire ski industry,” commented Tom Fortune, Schweitzer General Manager.

Everyone is invited and the celebration will continue throughout the weekend. Here is a schedule of festivities:

For more information, call Schweitzer Mountain at 208.263.9555, or find visit www.schweitzer.com.

350 READY TO RACE IN McCALL

McCall, ID (Jan. 3, 2001) - World Cup start spots and a ticket to the World Championships will be on the line starting today as the 2001 Chevy Truck U.S. Cross Country Championships open on the hard tracks at Ponderosa State Park.

About 350 skiers - a little shy of the record 360-plus who registered a year ago to test the 2002 Olympic trails at Soldier Hollow, Utah - are expected for three days of racing. In addition, the Chevy Truck U.S. Disabled championships, which were rolled into the U.S. title races in 1986, will dovetail again with the able-bodied championships races.

Thursday - Men's 10-km classic, women's 5-km CL; sit-skiers: 5-km for men, 2.5-km for women

Saturday - Mass starts: Men's 30-km, women's 15-km; sit-skiers: men's 10-km, women's 5-km

In addition to national titles, race results will help determine start spots for World Cup races Jan. 10-14 at Soldier Hollow; 15 men's places will be filled and up to a dozen women will be selected to compete. World Championships berths - for the races Feb. 16-25 in Lahti, Finland - will be filled, too. Selection for World Junior Championships (Jan. 30-Feb. 4 in Karpacz, Poland) also will be made from these championships.

"The trails are in good shape. There's plenty of snow and it's going to be a good set of races," said Nordic Director Luke Bodensteiner. "There's a lot at stake."

"These are quite nice tracks," said U.S. Coach Christer Skog during his first look at the trails, which border Payette Lake and include a new 7.5-km loop cut specifically for the races Saturday. Added two-time Olympian Justin Wadsworth (Bend, OR), "It'll be a challenge; the trails are flat out along the lake and then there's some climb, so these will be a good test. Four loops [on the new trail for the men] will be pretty rugged."

The championships are being held for the first time in McCall, a high valley community about two hours north of Boise which previously has held the U.S. nordic combined championships (1952) and national biathlon championships (1988).

VAIL TO HONOR SKI AREA FOUNDER WITH SPECIAL DEDICATION OF PETE'S EXPRESS CHAIRLIFT

Vail, CO (Jan. 3, 2001) - Almost a year to the day since Blue Sky Basin first opened to the public, Vail will host a special ceremony in honor of the ski area’s founder Pete Seibert as the resort dedicates the Pete’s Express Lift in Blue Sky Basin on Friday, Jan. 5 at 10:30 a.m. at the base of the new chairlift. The celebration will continue in the afternoon with an apres ski reception at the Colorado Ski Museum from 3:30-5:30 p.m.

“This is another opportunity to thank Pete for all of his efforts on behalf of Vail over the years,” said Bill Jensen, Vail chief operating officer. “It is Pete’s initial vision of a world-class ski area that has led us here today. Portions of Pete’s Bowl opened last year during the inaugural season of Blue Sky Basin and this season we’re happy to dedicate a lift in honor of Pete and introduce even more intermediate terrain to skiers and snowboarders in Pete’s Bowl.”

Jensen, Seibert and a number of ski industry dignitaries will be on hand to dedicate the lift promptly at 10:30 a.m. at the base of the Pete’s Express Chairlift. Skiers and snowboarders should leave any of the base areas no later than 9 a.m. to make their way back to Pete’s Bowl. The new terrain accessed by Pete’s Express in Pete’s Bowl adds 125 acres of intermediate to advanced terrain to the overall Blue Sky Basin adventure skiing experience.

With the new terrain in Pete’s Bowl, Blue Sky Basin offers 645 acres of terrain, 18 designated trails and three high-speed quads. Skiers and snowboarders will find 53 percent expert terrain and 47 percent intermediate throughout the area.

The celebration will continue in the afternoon with an apres ski reception at the Colorado Ski Museum from 3:30-5:30 p.m. where Seibert will be on hand to meet with skiers and snowboarders. He also will be selling and signing copies of his book “Vail-Triumph of a Dream.” Free refreshments will be served throughout the event.

WOMEN'S TELEMARK WORKSHOP RETURNS TO VAIL

Vail, CO (Jan. 3, 2001) - The popular Women’s Telemark Workshop returns to Vail this Saturday, Jan. 6, 9:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Golden Peak base area. Women who’ve never telemarked before or those just looking to tune up their style can sign up for this day-long, intensive workshop presented by the Vail and Beaver Creek Cross Country Ski Schools.

“This is a great way for women who’ve never telemarked before to give it a shot, or for more experienced telemarkers to brush up on their technique,” said Jean Naumann, director of the Vail and Beaver Creek Cross-Country Centers. “The class sizes tend to stay pretty small, so we’re able to give a lot of individual attention to the skiers. And, having all-female classes really creates a comfortable environment for women to learn and interact with others.”

The workshop is $57 for those who have a ski pass or lift ticket and an $87 registration fee includes a one-day lift ticket. Telemark skiers also can rent equipment on a first come, first served basis at the Golden Peak Snowell 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or the Beaver Creek Cross-Country Center 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Both centers will offer a special $22 rental rate for women in the workshop. Rental equipment can be picked up the afternoon before the seminar. The special rental packages feature Garmont women’s telemark boots.

The Women’s Telemark Workshop is the third event in the season-long Telemark Workshop Series at Vail and Beaver Creek. The schedule includes:

To register for this week’s Women’s Telemark Workshop or for more information on the Telemark Workshop Series, please contact the Beaver Creek Cross-Country Center at (970) 845-5313.

WIN AN INVITATION TO THE 2001 ESPN X-GAMES AT SQUAW VALLEY USA

Squaw Valley, CA (Jan. 1, 2001) - $30,000 and a trip to the 2001 Winter X-Games is at stake at Squaw Valley USA when the resort hosts The Paul Mitchell X-Qualifier, January 16-17, 2001.

The Paul Mitchell X-Qualifier, the only official qualifying competition for the 2001 ESPN Winter X-Games, hits the slopes of Squaw Valley January 16-17. This popular event features the best men & women skiercross competitors and big air huckers in the world vying for an invitation to compete at the 2001 X-Games, the largest winter alternative sports competition. This event showcases much of today's younger talent, those that have not had the opportunity to participate in the larger events and make their mark.

The poster for the event reads; "Do you have what it takes? Prove it." And that is just what this year's skiers will be doing at Squaw Valley USA. The international roster of competitors includes names like JP Auclair, Logen Towsey, Tanner Hall, Steele Spence, Chris Davenport and Kaj Zackrisson. The skiercross is open to both men and women and the big air competition is open to men only. The qualifier will be nationally televised on ESPN and ESPN 2.

For more information, please call 530-583-6985 or visit www.squaw.com. Information and registration forms for the X-Games Qualifier can also be downloaded from www.globaleventmanagement.com or by calling 530-583-4638.

PRESS RELEASES & NEWS FLASHES

January 1-10, 2001

INDEX