Russia finds ski-ing

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33693, 16 November 1974, Page 12

Russia finds ski-ing

(By

ALGIS CHEKUOLIS)

Georgia is a high' land country: and tne Valley of Bakuriani, lying between the Black Sea and the Soviet-Turkish frontier, is 7000 ft above sea level.

Snow-covered peaks are all around, and the snow on the slopes is strong, plentiful, and not too hard. The latitude is the same as Naples and Bar* celona.

It was here I met the Georgian ski-ing team, a group of high-school pupils, university students, an architect, two physical education in* structors, and a welder.

They had been training for two weeks, there was another group ahead of them, and then 10 days of competition for the U.S.S.R. national championships.

Those working were on paid leave; and the students were freed from classes, making up for that partly by attending evening “elder helps younger” groups.

Their gear — skis, boots, poles, sports clothes, and even some apres-ski items — was provided by their clubs and the teams, from all parts of Russia, were equipped the same way. Those who came to Bakuriani had emerged victorious in club, city, region, and then republic competitions. Too busy Soon Bakuriani became too busy for me, so I left for the high-altitude resort Terskol, in the North Caucasus, Terskol was filled with vacationers of all ages and professions, many of them using gear rented at the hotel. The Soviet vacationer buys his package trip at his local trade union branch. The nominal price of a two-week stay in Terskol, everything included, ranges from 65 to 95 roubles (a rouble is about SNZI) on top of travel expenses. But few people pay the full price. A 30 to 100 per cent discount is available through the trade unions, the reduced rates being given mostly to lower paid workers, young people, advanced workers in factories and mines, those on night shifts, and chemical workers.

Foreigners pay more or less what they would elsewhere in the world, otherwise it would mean

heavy subsidisatiop on the part of the Soviet taxpayer.

‘Latecomers’

“How is it that our alpine skiers are still an insignificant force in international competition, in spite of such excellent conditions and organisation?” I asked Vladimir Zirianov, head coach of the Russian alpine skiing squad. "We are latecomers,” he said. “The first chairlift in the U.S.S.R. was built in 1964, arid the second in 1965. It takes time to acquire experience and to groom trainers. “And take a look at the map: our population is concentrated on flat land. There are no slopes near Moscow, Leningrad, in the Baltic area or in the Ukraine. This means no weekend alpine ski-ing. “I am quite aware that many of the skiers selected for the trip to Bakuriani are no better than week-end skiers in Switzerland or Canada. “We only placed fourth and 20th at the European championships this year. But this won’t last long.

We now have 30,000 youngsters, including girls, being taught this sport throughout the country. Overcrowding Zirianov went on to say that alpine ski-ing connoisseurs were unanimous that no place was left in Western Europe for a considerable expansion of the sport. The Alps were already overcrowded, and even their glaciers would be put to use in 1980.

The only place where the new hordes of alpine skiers could go was the Soviet Union.

“Alpine ski-ing has caught On in the Soviet Union, and is now expanding,” I was told by Ivan Chistyakov, assistant to the head coach of the U.S.S.R. squad.

“So far we are on the basics — building lifts and hotels, blazing trails, and learning the sport. “I hope that soon we will be able to meet our foreign counterparts on an equal footing, and also see them in action in contests conducted at our facilities.”