Ski Racing - February 8, 2010

OUT OF THE GATE FORERUNNER 9 // WAXROOM 12 // GALLERY 14

RAISE NEARLY $100,000 FOR HAITI
WITH BIB AUCTION BY HANK MCKEE

World Cup Racers

In ski racing, numbers and bibs matter — and now, more than ever, thanks to an effort in which World Cup ski racers signed their race bibs from Kitzbuehel (men) and Cortina (women) and auctioned them off, raising in the neighborhood of $100,000 for Haiti relief.

As reports from the devastation in Haiti spread around the world last month, ski racer Aksel Lund Svindal hatched an idea: auction off autographed race bibs and use the funds to support the Red Cross in its effort’s on behalf of the island country.

“We want to help,” said Norway’s Svindal after presenting the idea to a very receptive audience at the team captains’ meeting at Kitzbuehel. The idea was met with enthusiasm not only from the racers i, but also the organizers, who instantly agreed to administrate the entire operation at no cost.

“We are glad that this auction has met with great interest,” said Kitzbuehel Ski Club President Michael Huber. “It is great that the athletes have acted for a good cause, using their popularity to help the earthquake victims.” Huber and his club took it a few steps further. “We will take full responsibility for all administrative costs,” said Huber. “Furthermore, the minimum price per start number will be 200 euros. We can guarantee this sum today.” “It is a great cause,” said Svindal, “the best cause out there. It’s going to be good. It’s a small drop compared to the challenges in Haiti, but it takes steady drops to make an ocean.” Within hours of the men taking action, the women followed suit in Cortina.

With an effort spearheaded by U.S. skier Julia Mancuso, an area was set up at the Cortina finish where athletes could sign and donate their race bibs.

The Kitzbuehel Ski Club set up the men’s auction on three European eBay sites while the women’s bibs were offered through the U.S. eBay site.

The men’s bib auction brought in $78,479 from 59 bibs from the 70th annual Hahnenkamm downhill. The bib from Didier Cuche, the race winner, brought in more than $16,000 while former World Cup overall champions Bode Miller and Aksel Lund Svindal also drove high-priced bids, Miller at $2,500 and Svindal approaching $3,000. American Ted Ligety topped a grand at $1,075 while bibs

At Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Lindsey Vonn signs a bib that will be auctioned on eBay to raise money for Haiti earthquake relief effort.

signed by European stars Michael Walchhofer, Benjamin Raich, Julien Lizeroux, Ivica Kostelic, Carlo Janka and Werner Heel all brought in strong bids. The overall figure for the women’s auction was about what Cuche’s bib brought in by itself, but a late surge drove Cortina super G race winner Lindsey Vonn’s number to $8,600, doubling in each of the last two days of bidding. Mancuso reported that roughly 50 percent of the bidding on the women’s bibs came from the U.S. with the remainder coming from Austria, Italy, Germany, Belgium, France and Switzerland. With no minimum bid guaranteed, some of the bibs remained were going for less than $20 for a couple of days, but bidding picked up as the countdown to the gavel continued. Mancuso, Maria Riesch, Leanne Smith, Fabienne Suter, Anja Paerson and Emily Brydon all topped $200. The racers will be polling one another to determine exactly which branch of the international Red Cross the money will be donated to, but Kitzbuehel Ski Club President Michael Huber said the entire amount would be sent — without any deduction — for the relief of the residents of Haiti, reeling after a series of devastating earthquakes. Mancuso said bids were sometimes accompanied by notes from well wishers. One example she shared: “I am so excited that I was able to both purchase a reminder of an exciting 2010 World Cup season while making a contribution to those desperately in need in Haiti. My wife and I plan to frame the bib and hang it over our fireplace at our Vermont weekend ski house.”