Money woes mean no extra races at Beaver Creek

U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association officials said Wednesday they could not hold additional World Cup ski races in America following cancellations in Europe.
    "After a week of trying to support the FIS [International Ski Federation] by relocating the races to Colorado, we're simply not able to come up with sufficient funding to stage the races," USSA President and CEO Bill Marolt said. "We appreciate the patience and cooperation of the organizers at Beaver Creek and Aspen, who tried to make this work with us."

BEAVER CREEK, Colorado — U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association officials said Wednesday they could not hold additional World Cup ski races in America following cancellations in Europe.
    "After a week of trying to support the FIS [International Ski Federation] by relocating the races to Colorado, we're simply not able to come up with sufficient funding to stage the races," USSA President and CEO Bill Marolt said. "We appreciate the patience and cooperation of the organizers at Beaver Creek and Aspen, who tried to make this work with us."
    Races scheduled for Dec. 9-10 in Val d'Isere, France, and St. Moritz, Switzerland, were canceled because of the lack of snow. Officials had hoped to reschedule the super combined events — one run of downhill or super G and one run of slalom on the same day — for Beaver Creek or Aspen.
    However, Marolt explained, "The entire burden of covering the cost of producing a race and the television to go with it falls on whoever accepts the race. We made a lot of progress — and even had interest from European sponsors in addition to American sponsors, but in the end we just couldn't make it work financially."
    Guenter Hujara, director of the men's World Cup, said sponsorship negotiations came up $350,000 shy of being able to reschedule the races.  
    He made the announcement at the team captains meeting, after which coaches scrambled to tell their athletes that they wouldn't be extending their stay at the Birds of Prey course, where the orphaned men's and women's super combi races were expected to be rescheduled for next week.
    Hujara called the impasse one of the most frustrating situations he's ever been in because the Birds of Prey course, where nearly 3 feet (90 centimeters) of snow has fallen in 48 hours, is in such great shape.
    ''We all know we have more than excellent course conditions on this hill. Everything is ready. The course is ready. People are ready. Racers are ready. Everything is there, and we can't put races together for next week,'' Hujara said. ''It's not possible to finance, to find sponsors, to find enough money to have races in the World Cup on the men's and women's side in the coming week.''
    U.S. men's head coach Phil McNicol called it ''a tragedy,'' noting that the next scheduled World Cup stop, in Italy, is endangered by warm weather as well.
    There are four events scheduled at the Birds of Prey course in Beaver Creek this week. The super combi race which adds the times from a downhill and a single slalom run, is scheduled for Thursday with the downhill on Friday. The men will also will run a giant slalom on Saturday and a slalom on Sunday.
    Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal said Beaver Creek is a cherished stop for many European skiers.
    ''I like racing here, that's fine with me,'' Svindal said of staying an extra week. ''Actually, Beaver Creek is one of my favorite places.''
    Marco Buechel, of Liechtenstein, the winner of the only other downhill this season, in Lake Louise, Alberta, said: ''I always love to stay here and I love to ski ast. And staying a few extra days on this one, I don't mind at all.''
    Reigning Olympic combined gold medalist Ted Ligety said the current conditions in Colorado are unparalleled.
    ''The training up at Keystone's awesome for us. I've rarely had better slalom training than I had [this week],'' Ligety said.“Our staff was ready to take on the additional events and we had a tremendous commitment from our volunteers to try and make this happen,” explained Ceil Folz, president of the Vail Valley Foundation. “Unfortunately, the short timeframe relative to securing sponsorship support was the thing that ultimately derailed our efforts.”
    “All of our people at Beaver Creek were totally committed to helping make this happen,” added John Garnsey, COO of Beaver Creek Resort. “We have some of the best mountain operations people in the world and we were excited about the prospect of showcasing Beaver Creek through these additional races.”