Ski Racing - January 16, 2012

STARTHOUSE

Ramping up after this year’s holiday season didn’t take long in the world of ski racing. For the women’s alpine squad it was a bittersweet time. As editor Eric Williams reports, veteran Sarah Schleper brought her colorful career to an end, retiring with her 3-year-old son, Lasse, in her arms as she crossed the World Cup finish line for the final time. Schleper was one of the more popular athletes on the women’s tour for 16 years and always brought her “A” game with her. The tour and Ski Racing’s staff will miss her vivacious competitiveness and broad smile. On a far brighter note, Mikaela Shiffrin proved why she earned Ski Racing’s Junior of the Year award last season by acclamation. For one run, she was the fastest slalom skier that day, and landed on the podium in third. Julia Mancuso came within an eyelash of winning Bad Kleinkirchheim’s downhill, only to see Austrian star Elisabeth Goergl push her down to second. It was Mancuso’s third podium this season!

But it wasn’t just the alpine skiers who were scoring points. The newly formed women’s ski jumping team was soaring as well. Sarah Hendrickson, Lindsey Van and Jessica Jerome have been climbing multiple podiums, and the team finished the holiday season leading the jumping Nations Cup. In the marvelously successful FIS Tour de Ski Kikkan Randall continued her strong showing as well.

If you have not read David Dodge’s letter to the FIS regarding the unilateral new-ski-dimension decision (rubberstamped by the FIS Council), Ski Racing editors have published it in this issue beginning on the next page. It is well worth reading as it discusses issues backed by legitimate science, and implies that the data the FIS used to justify the mystifying decision was, at best, suspect.

Mikaela Shiffrin shouldn’t get used to those skis.

Despite work in the background by USSA representatives, the FIS remains intransient regarding its decision and provides no solid reasoning, scientific or otherwise, as to why GS skis were selected for the most dramatic change in radius. Sadly for the sport, mounting evidence points to a decision made with the influence of cronyism, egos and politics — and certainly not safety — in mind. Evidence is surfacing that further disparages the “science” on which the decision was based. Peter Shelton, a noted author and ski professional, uncovered some, which is found at: peterhshelton.wordpress. com/2012/01/05/messing-with-ski-shapes-part-two/#more-464.

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

SALES/MARKETING DIRECTOR OF MARKETING &

SARAH TUFF

STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIPS SENIOR EDITOR

CLAIRE ABBE HANK MCKEE

ASSOCIATE EDITOR
MARKETPLACE AND
CIRCULATION MANAGER

ERIC WILLIAMS
NANCY MERRILL

CONTRIBUTORS

EMILY COOK

C. J. FEEHAN BILL MCCOLLOM

ART

ART DIRECTOR

DAVE PESZEK
TIM REYNOLDS
SUSAN THEIS
RAND PAUL

PHOTOGRAPHER

JONATHAN SELKOWITZ

While the FIS is welcome to set the alpine World Cup circuit back under a sham of safety, the real shame is what the decision might do to alpine ski racing in nations that have competitors who can still participate in the sport into their 20s. There is no indication that the FIS professionals will have any consideration for juniors or those who are fortunate enough to be able to compete at FIS level events throughout much of their formative years. In the central European nations, FIS competition falls off dramatically because subsidized European national teams weed out all, save the athletes with the best potential, by the age of 16. Thus Switzerland, for instance, will have approximately 200 young athletes competing at the FIS level. The same is true of Austria and Germany. In fairness, it should be pointed out that the FIS has issued no edicts regarding how junior skis will be shaped. What we do know is that athletes competing in the world junior championships will be forced to use the unwelcome new-radius skis. (Mikaela, welcome to your new 188 centimeter GS Dart skis!) Perhaps Shiffrin can call on Chris-tin Cooper for some instruction. Anyway, we have a pretty good idea of what to expect going forward decisions based on egos and politics under the guise of safety. Importantly, Ski Racing’s editor-in-chief, Sarah Tuff, was able to sit down with FIS Secretary General Sarah Lewis and discuss her role as one of the most influential women in sport. Lewis, who revitalized the Continental Cup circuit and was FIS director before taking her current position, can be credited with a number of changes at the FIS, particularly in the area of professional staffing. While an ardent supporter of the organization, Lewis may indeed be in position to ameliorate the process by which the radius decision was ramrodded through totally-excluding key constituencies. There is much to read in this issue as we approach the heart of the World Cup season. Keep abreast daily with our iPhone and Android apps as well as by looking at our website for more detailed information. In the meantime enjoy what the editors have prepared. They have provided a nifty panoply of ski competition worldwide. — G.B. Jr.

SKI RACING
INTERNATIONAL, LLC
CHAIRMAN/CEO
GARY BLACK JR.
CONTROLLER
ADELE SAVARIA

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