Snow ruins ski-ing

Press, 15 September 1976, Page 40

Snow ruins ski-ing

By

KEVIN TUTTY

The downhill event, the first on the programme at the New Zealand ski-ing championships at Mt Hutt this week, will be cancelled if the weather does not clear today.

Monday and yesterday were to be training days for the downhill, with the .race to be run today, but cloud and snow prevented training on either day. Two days must be allowed for downhill training to enable the racers to accustom themselves to the course. This is essentia] because the top ski-iers reach speeds near 145 km/h. If the downhill is cancelled, the organisers will hold two slaloms and two giant slaloms. The first slalom and giant slalom will determine the national combined champions. All four races will count for Reizenstein Cup points. The racers were able to train on the course on Sunday, but only on sections of

it. They have yet to have an unhindered run over the full 2 km course.

The course has already claimed a victim. A Methven skiier, David Fleming, had the misfortune to break a leg 10 metres short of the finish on Sunday. Stuart Blakely, a member of the New Zealand Olympic team, is also in doubt for the downhill. He injured a foot during a physical training session.

The organisers, with the help of the racers, parents, friends and employees of the Mt Hutt Ski and Alpine Tourist company have put about 300 man hours into course packing only to have it ruined by overnight snowfalls. On Monday there were 110 people packing on the course. Today they will have to start over again.