U.S. Ski Teamers Beckmann, Fisher make World Cup debuts

U.S. Ski Teamers Beckmann, Fisher make World Cup debutsChristopher Beckmann and Erik Fisher, two young members of the U.S. Ski Team, made their World Cup debuts Saturday, a milestone in the career of any alpine ski racer. Fisher was 44th and Beckmann finished 53rd.

Both skiers won medals at the World Junior Championships last year in Italy. In the downhill there, Beckmann was second and Fisher was third. Both skiers are big. Beckmann is from upstate New York and Fisher from Boise, Idaho.

Beckmann raced using the start position earned by the injured Bryon Friedman. Fisher won his start spot in a training-run duel with Kevin Francis.

Beckmann said that forerunning Beaver Creek last season is the closest he’d come to a World Cup race before. He said inspection seems slightly more focused at the World Cup level.

Fisher qualified for the run in Friday’s training run, where he beat out Kevin Francis, with whom he was competing for the team’s last unassigned bib.

Fisher hails from Rowmark Ski Academy, but before that he learned to race at the Bogus Basin Ski Racing Alliance in Idaho. The last U.S. Ski Team athlete to come from that Intermountain Division program was Dane Spencer.

The mountain, just outside Boise, is famed for its long and winding access road, which Fisher has jumped across on skis.