Tourists hold key to job

Press, 17 December 1988, Page 88

Tourists hold key to job

By

TIM DUNBAR

Kate Rattray is hoping that droves of British tourists want to take lessons at a small ski area in Switzerland called Wildhaus this northern winter. Her livelihood depends on it. The New Zealand women’s ski-ing champion will be based at Wildhaus over the winter and as well as training and racing out of there she wants to work in the ski school to help pay for her trip. Unfortunately Wildhaus, which is close to Liechtenstein, is in the German-speaking part of Switzerland and Rattray says her German was not good enough (her French is rather better) to teach ski-ing in that language. tit is, however, on one

of the package tours from Britain and therein lies her hope of work. “The ski school said yes — as long as they get enough English tourists.” During the New Zealand winter Rattray worked on the Coronet Peak ski school and said she was ski-ing every day of the week. “I got absolutely exhausted.” Unfortunately she did not get the chance to go for her stage one ski instructor’s qualification because of the shortened season. “No, Mount Hutt was closed. I was furious!” Lack of the qualification will not make any difference to the double Olympian’s chances of employment at Wildhaus, though it might affect salary.

Rattray flew out of Christchurch yesterday for what she admitted would be her eighteenth straight winter, though adding that one of those years she was only overseas for two months. At least this year she has stayed home a bit longer and grabbed some sunshine. “It has been such a good summer, too,” she said. Initially she will be independent of the rest of the New Zealand team, staying with friends at nearby Grabs, but hopes to join the team at various stages later. “I couldn’t afford to pay the whole way with them.” The whole team should be together some time next month to undergo time trials to help selection for the 1989 world alpine ski-ing

championships in Vail/ Beaver Creek, Colorado, from January 29 to February 12. Rattray is not certain about taking part in the world championships, because of financial considerations. The cost of going to the United States from Europe and then back to Europe again would be prohibitive. “I might use my ticket to come back (home) via the States,” As tar as circuit races are concerned Rattray intends to concentrate on Europa Cup events with the possibility of a top-five finish — “if I ski well.” Through her giant slalom world ranking she is on the borderline of qualifying for free accommodation and food in Europa Cup. World Cup super-Gs might also be on the

agenda and that discipline has especial attraction now because of: being a one-run event. Rattray said that in World Club slaloms and giant slaloms only the top 30 now got second runs. “You can’t get placings and (F. 1.5. points if you’re not allowed a second run.” If she does get to the United States for the world championships she, has one specific goal. “In the Calgary Olympics I was twentyeighth in super-G. I want to beat that — say the top 20.” As she headed for Europe it seemed there would be no shortage of the white stuff. “I hear it has been snowing over there,” Rattray said. “It’s already looking better than the New Zealand winter.” l