Black Diamond: Third time’s a charm – all hail Vail

Yes, Vail’s two previous World Championships were charming.

But how far the event has have come since Vail’s inaugural World Championships in 1989. Today virtually all the major events are being run on two spectacular Beaver Creek tracks, Birds of Prey and Raptor. Back in 1989 Beaver Creek hosted only a lame-man’s downhill on its frontside, famous for a bizarre snow-gun built canyon known as Rattlesnake Alley, which at least added some interest to what was otherwise a devilishly dull course.

West Germany’s Hans-Joerg Tauscher won the downhill, his only career win, but not before Stephen Lee, an excellent speedster from Down Under, became the subject of a full-page picture in the Denver Post when both of his Marker bindings released on a bump. The shot showed him with the two skis perfectly situated off of the jump save for two inches between the bottom of his boots and the skis. Needless to say the Marker people were infuriated, as was Lee. It was, however, the best conversation topic to come out of the men’s downhill.

The women fared better than the men, as far as tracks went. They were racing down Giant Steps on the front side of Vail. The course was at least a challenge, though Swiss downhill giant Maria Walliser, crushed the field by almost two seconds to take the gold.

The 1989 World Champs also marked the winding down of Tamara McKinney’s brilliant career. The Squaw Valley tech doyen was the only bright light of the U. S. Ski Team, capturing bronze in the slalom and gold in the combined. McKinney still is the only American alpine athlete to medal at a home World Championships. The Swiss continued to dominate as they had in 1987 at Crans Montana, taking medal count honors with 11.

Real racing arrived at Beaver Creek in 1997 when the resort completed what was to become a classic downhill, Birds of Prey. The course, designed by Bernard Russi, received accolades from the get-go and was the course of choice for the 1999 World Championships.

Lasse Kjus, a member of the attacking Vikings, was the hero of the ’99 World Champs. Kjus won two gold and three silver medals, a mark that still stands for an individual at a world championship. In the speed events, Austrian legend Hermann Maier took both the downhill and the super G on what was to become one of his favorite speed tracks.

On the distaff side it was all Austria. Their ladies swept both the downhill and the super G and darn near took the broom to the GS, but Norway’s Andrine Flemmen captured the silver spot holding the Austrian women’s team to eight of nine medals in the first three events.

The ’99 World Champs had other firsts, too. Australia’s Zali Staggall became the first athlete from Down Under to win a medal in world championship skiing, taking gold in the slalom. The tall, modelesque skier also became the only athlete to have two medal presentation ceremonies for the same medal. During the first ceremony, Staggall was celebrated not with the Advance Australia Fair — but with the Azerbaijan anthem. The horrified organizing committee staged a second presentation with the correct anthem between runs of the men’s slalom the following day.

It was a pretty tough championship for the host team. The best American effort was Chad Fleischer’s sixth spot in the super G. The team also garnered two eighth places and one 10th. Not a great showing.

The 2015 World Champs open with great promise. The race crew in Beaver Creek is world renowned for building the best and fairest tracks in the sport. This event will also capitalize on years of experience and continuity. Many of the organizing committee cut their teeth getting ready for the 1989 World Champs. Today, those same folks are running the show.

The U.S. is fielding its strongest World Championship team in history, led by multi-medalists Ted Ligety, Lindsey Vonn, Bode Miller, Julia Mancuso and teenage phenom Mikaela Shiffrin. Between the five they have 21 Olympic and World Championship medals, more than any other team we’ve seen.

With 26 years, two World Championships and countless World Cup events under its belt, and a powerhouse U. S. Ski Team, Vail/Beaver Creek 2015 should, indeed, be the charm!