THE U.S. ski team has suddenly emerged with a couple of stars that have chances at bringing home medals from the World Cup finals this week at Bormia, Italy.
Daron Rahlves broke out with a vengeance two weeks ago with back-to-back downhill victories in Norway. Rahlves, who became the first American man in five years to win a World Cup race, did so for the first time on March 3 in dramatic fashion coming from the 24th position to take the top spot. Ironically, the downhill races took place in Lillehammer on the same course that Tommy Moe took Olympic gold in 1994.
Kristina Koznick of the U.S. won a women’s Alpine slalom race this past Friday in Sestriere, Italy, to confirm her timely return to form for this week’s finals. Koznick finished on the podium six times between 1997 and 1999, but had made a poor start this season, failing to break into the top five in any of the first six slalom races of the campaign.
However, it started to come around for Koznick last month with a fourth-place finish in Santa Caterina and a second place at Are, Sweden, before getting to the top of the podium with a time of one minute, 42.50 seconds.
The second downhill run for Rahlves took place on March 4 in Norway as sunshine and ideal conditions helped him to take first place again with a time of 1 minute, 28.88 seconds, just .18 seconds ahead of the runner-up. Rahlves, who had never won on the World Cup before, had his best finish on this very same course in 1995 coming in 4th in a super-G.
“The first was definitely more rewarding because I knew I finally got there,” Rahlves, the 26-year-old from Truckee, Calif., said after the race on Saturday. “To do it a second time to back it up is even more rewarding.”
Rahlves had said that endurance and strength might be the key that got him to move up the World Cup ladder. He had suffered nagging injuries in recent years, including a dislocated hip in 1997.
The three victories were a much-needed shot in arm to the U.S. ski team that had been having a miserable year until two weeks ago.
Okemo Mountain Resort, located in the Green Mountains of Vermont, has received state approval it was denied last fall for its long-range plan to spend about $100 million for a major expansion to neighboring Jackson Gore.
The Environmental Commission approved the master plan for the development last week, noting that the resort had made its ambitious expansion project more environmentally sensitive of the Coleman Brook gorge and other higher elevation areas nearby.
Jackson Gore, located on the northern boundary of the ski area, will be built on land Okemo bought a few years ago as well as additional land leased from the state.
The Mountain Creek Ski area, located in Vernon Valley, N.J., has planned a Spring Fling Festival celebration this weekend with “Skim the Pond” contests, outdoor barbecue and snow volleyball competition. Call (973) 827-2000 for more info.
