Prestige ski-ing races in N.Z.?

Press, 29 July 1989, Page 84

Prestige ski-ing races in N.Z.?

By

KEVIN TUTTY

The first World Cup ski-ing races scheduled for Australia next month are in jeopardy because of insufficient snow, and there is a possibility the races could be transferred to New Zealand. World Cup giant slalom and slalom races are scheduled at Thredbo in New South Wales on August 11 and 12 but the snow conditions at the Australian field are marginal. The majority of the international teams that will compete in the series are training at Mount Hutt at present in superb conditions. Those teams will compete in the F.I.S. series on Mount Hutt next week. Some of the teams, including the premier Swiss squad, have made no secret of the fact that they are thoroughly enjoying the snow conditions at Mount Hutt. There was speculation yesterday that the World Cup races might be transferred to Mount Hutt but the chairman of Leisureland Corporation, which controls the Mount Hutt Company, Mr John St Clair Brown, would not comment when asked if there were contingency plans to hold the World Cup races at Mount Hutt. Mr Neil Harrison, the chairman of the organising committee for next week’s F.I.S. series, said he would not like to comment on whether it would be logistically possible to hold the World Cup races in New Zealand. Even if the World Cup races go ahead in Australia, it seems the visiting European teams will remember the F.I.S. series in New Zealand more fondly.