Bacardi pro-am on again

Press, 19 July 1979, Page 8

Bacardi pro-am on again

Last week-end’s snowfalls which brought the announcement that Coronet Peak would open its season on Tuesday this week should ensure that the 1979 Queenstown Winter Festival is a success. So little snow fell in the region last season that the on-the-mountain activities had to be cancelled and only the down-town section of the Festival Week could take place. Things look much better this time and one of the most spectacular events should be the Queenstown pro-am which has been sponsored by Bacardi Rum for the third successive year. As the talented Canadian professional racer, Paul Carson, told “The Press” two years ago the beauty of parallel slalom racing was that it could be run at the bottom of the mountain and people did not have to ski to watch the race. “They can

really relate to this man-to-man stuff.”

The pro-am is set down for August 2 and 3 and involves head-to-head competition on a knockout system down a 400 m course, which includes two bumps. The courses are set only 3.7 m apart and the eventual winner will have thoroughly earned top prize money rit will take a total of nine successful runs to do it. Last season five of the world’s top professional racers —- all placed in the top 12 on the 1977-78 circuit — came out to Coronet Peak from North American for an Air New Zealand-sponsored tournament, and the pro-am. Tragically they could not be seen in action because of the snow shortages. The professionals would probably have raced against New Zealand’s top amateurs, but it seems that in the future this will not be possible.

According to Mr Richard Johnson, the convener of the New Zealand Ski Association’s racing committee, the national body has ruled that the amateurs cannot ski against “those who compete for money on the world professional circuit.”

But the racing ability of quite a few professional instructors and coaches in New Zealand is such that the amateurs are certain to face some formidable opposition in the Bacardi Rum event.

The New Zealand team is coming straight to Coronet Peak from the F.I.S. series at Mount Hutt and among the racers expected to shine are Stuart Blakely, Scott Kendall and Mark Vryenhoek. Julian Morris, a finalist in 1977, has remained in North America during its summer. Any money won by the amateurs, incidentally, goes straight into the N.Z.S.A. coffers.

From the racing point of view, the other highlight of the week will be the annual Coronet Cup on August 4 and 5 and there is the pleasing possibility that the United States women’s B team will contest the event after the F.I.S. series. This team of Holly Flanders, Jamie Kurlander, Cindy Oak, and Roxanne Toly is not scheduled to return home til August 7. Ms Flanders (fifteenth), Kurlander (22) and Toly (25) are all talented down-

hill racers and finished high up on the World Cup circuit.

Definite starters for the event will be the 1977 champion, Anna Archibald, and Fiona Johnson, who won the previous two years. Miss Johnson was an astounding tenth in the combined at the Swiss nationals over the northern winter.

Among the novelty events on the Festival Week programme are the Sheep Dog Derby, with the spectacle of dog and master loping down Coronet Peak, and the Peak to Park relay which involves a w’eird variety of transportation down the mountain.

Sunday, July 29. — Peak to Park relay race, 11 a.m.; Gun Club “demo,” midday; hang-gliding; “kid’s” dual slalom.

July 30. — Sheepdog derby; cross-country race.

July 31. — Obstacle race, “ treasure hunt, freestyle. August 1. — Swiss day down-town day, golf tournament, 12.30 p.m.; waiters’ race, ski diving, ski school rally race, freestyle.

August 2. — Bacardi Rum Pro-am dual slalom race;

August 3. — Bacardi Rum Pro-am.

August 4. — Coronet Cup, junior and senior football.

August 5. — Coronet Cup.