Close ski-ing in pro. slalom at Mount Hutt

Press, 11 August 1980, Page 32

Close ski-ing in pro. slalom at Mount Hutt

“It was a little bit close," remarked the Austrian skier, Christian Witt-Dorring, after winning the Skin Jeans professional dual slalom event at Mount Hutt yesterday. Witt-Dorring won top prize money of $6OO in what was the first serious professional ski race held in New Zealand.

To do so he had to beat the in-form Swiss, Kurt Zurbuchen, whose previously empty wallet contained a $lOOO cheque after his success in the Smirnoff Pro-am at Coronet Peak five days earlier. In the final at Mount Hutt Zurbuchen had to be content with second prize of $4O0 — but at first he looked set to repeat his Coronet effort. Zurbuchen actually won the first run down the 28gate course by a bare 0.15 s and when the pair swapped courses he again burst out of the start.

A good half-gate down at the awesome first jump of nearly three metres, WittDorring still managed to shoot ahead in the later stages and win by 0.29 s (0.14 s over all). “I took more risk over the second jump (a mere 1.3 m),” said the former Europa Cup champion. “Then he could not get enough speed on the flat to beat me."

Witt-Dorring, only third at Coronet Peak, jokingly said after that event that Zurbuchen should not be allowed to enter . the Mount Hutt race because he was too good. Now he’s changed his mind. “The Swiss can compete again . *. they’re not so fast.” Sixteen skiers from six different countries contested yesterday’s finals in head-to-head races for a total of $2250 after the original entry of 34 had been whittled down in eliminations on Saturday. Among the final 16 was the former national champion, Stuart Blakely, in his firs

appearance as a professions; after representing New Zealand in the Lake Placid Winter Olympics last February. Blakely eliminated the Swiss, Olivier Joumot, by a' margin of 0.19 s in the first round and took home a firstup cheque of $lOO after los-' ing to Zurbuchen in the quar-ter-finals.

In the first run against Zurbuchen, Blakely virtually lost all chance of winning when he had the misfortunte to leave a ski behind in the starting gate and incurred a 1.5 s penalty. : (The Swiss, Herve Durgnat, also apparently unfamiliar with the appropriate starting technique in the’ “pro. gates,” incredibly did the, same thing on both hisf “runs” in the quarter-finals). - Blakely, however, still enthused about his debut in pro. racing. “It’s so much fun ... and I haven’t the time for amateur racing now.”

Third place prize money of $250 went to the burly American, Bill “Bear” Kenning, who by virtue of his position as Mount Hutt race* department director set the course himself.

Results of the finals were: First round: B. Kenning (U.S.A.) beat J. Armstrong (N.Zj by default; M. Bonvin (Switzer-, land), beat U. Hasler (Switzer-, land), 1.25 s and 0.405; K. Zurbuchen (Switzerland) beat P.‘ Wallsten (Canada), 0.15 s and,’ 0.095; S. Blakely (N.Z.) beat O„ Journot (Switzerland), 0.44 s and minus 0.255; H. Durgnat (Switzerland) beat R. White (New Zealand). 1.27 s and 0.945; G. Johnson (U.S.A.) beat C. Womersley (N.Z.), 0.16 s and minus 4.045; C. WittDorring (Austria) beat M. Me. Grath (Canada), 1.5 s (penalty) and minus 0.08 s; J. F. Morerod (Switzerland) beat R. Smith (Australia), I.ss' (penalty) and minus 0.305.

Quarter-finals: Kenning beat Bonvin, 1.50 s (penalty) aha minus 0.405; Zurbuchen beat Blakely, 1.50 s (penalty) and . jninus 0.045; ■Johnson beat Durgnat, 1.5 s (penalty) and disqualification; WittDorring beat Morerod, 0.07 s and disqualification. Semi-finals: Zurbuchen beat Kenning, minus 0.05 s and 1.50 s (penalty); Witt-Dorring beat Johnson, 0.26 s and disqualification. Final: Witt-Dorring beat Zurbuchen, minus 0;15s and 0.295. Run-off for third and fourth: Kenning beat Johnson, 0.83 s and disqualification.