| OCR Text |
Show Wasatch Canyon Reporter Deer Valley Hosts Pro Mosul Event by Dave Peck Forty-four mogul specialists celebrated New Years day this year by competing for $20,000 in prize money at Deer Valley’s first pro mogul event. The event kicked off the Sprint Bumps and Jumps series, a three-event tour which is the last bastion of professional mogul skiing in an era where sponsors would rather promote monster truck events and lumberjack saw-offs. An icy course on Deer Valley’s Big Stick run weeded out the best tech- with events, and winning many of them. Compare that schedule to the three events Chuck Martin of | Vermont taking home the $6000 first Poa ze Dispelling the ancient adage that western skiers are helpless on offered this year and you understand why most of the skiers in this race also hold multiple jobs in their respective resorts. A notable example is Steve nicians, Balen hard lL LL J UL snow, defending Sprint champion Nelson Carmichael of 6 fe He NE OF THE : FEW PRO BUMPS Steamboat Springs fin- | THAT GAVE. WAY second. ished Dave Hilb of | died vague | PHOTO BY JIM HOLLAND round, with the top sixteen skiers advancing into a dual format, elimination final round. The judges seemed to stress amateur/World Cup technique, as tight turns and clean air took precedence over pro skiing’s signature speed and huge air. Many big-name skiers missed the cut, including Shane Mcconkey, current extreme-skiing icon, and Dean “the Machine” Murphy, a local legend who expatriated from Snowbird. Murphy is a throwback to the halcyon days of mogul skiing, when he earned a respectable salary by entering twenty-eight Vail, another soft snow maven, ripped the course into third place, beating out Canadian Christian Marcoux in the consolation round. Marcoux is the only skier on the tour to regularly throw quadruple tricks in his runs. The format on the Sprint tour has the entire field ski a single qualifying Michonski, who worked at his restaurant in Vail until three A.M., then drove the eight hours to Deer Valley to race. His skiing was predictably off due to lack of sleep and Honda lag, and the normally solid Michonski finished a distant forty-second. Deer Valley did a respectable job of course maintenance, given the sparse cover and artificial snow. The bumps were on the small side for a pro event, and the resounding snaps, crackles, and pops of deflecting skis bore witness to the firmness of the snow. Some competitors found the boilerplate to their liking. “This is the best course I’ve ever skied on the pro tour,” exclaimed Zach Stone after surprising himself with a respectable twenty-first place finish, just out of the finals. “That’s because you’ ve only skied two pro events,” grumbled a more seasoned but less fortunate competitor. | Spectator attendance was unimpressive, partly due to the wind and gray skies. One could conjecture that New Year’s hangovers played no small part in the lack of support. In order for freestyle skiing to survive in this country, both spectator dedication and sponsorship support are crucial. Budweiser and Coors both wrenched large budgets from the mogul tour two years ago, leaving the skiers high and dry. Show your respect and support for this exciting sport by watching the NBC broadcast of the New Year’s Day event, which airs Saturday, January 13 at noon MST. | OLYMPIC GOLD: WHERE DO | PICK UP MY CHECK? 7 = = 2 BY KRIS SEVERSON Olympic Rebate Check by Kris Severson If you have been holding your breath waiting by the mail box for your Olympic rebate check to arrive I’d exhale and get on with your life. Though the 2002 Olympic Games stand to make — Imillions for the city of Salt Lake, tax paying cit{izens of Utah will not see much of it. In concord with the International Olympic Committees’ “Host al : a a a 4 — City Agreement”, the Salt Lake Olympic disbursed into the hands of the citizens of Utah. Mike Korologus, Salt Lake City Olympic Committee board member, says, “the Commit e e t has already established an organization to handle all post-Olympic facilities and excess funds.” A fifteen member board of directors to the Utah Athletic Foundation has already been appointed. The U.A.F., a private organization, Committee is obligated by contract to direct any __ will be given ownership of the Olympic venues surplus funds to the, “promotion of sport.” in March 2002 after completion of the Games. will be under ‘mandate from the state to They This means that although the opportunities for |Olympic entrepreneurial ventures abound, direct — ensure the fulfillment of the contract maintaining the integrity of Olympic sports in Utah. This _. |pay backs from television rights, ticket sales and mandate will control the U.A.F. from turning the jofficial Olympic revenues will not be directly state funded facilities into capitalist | endeavors such as the “Utah Olympic Theme Park.” The contract also implies that the foundation cannot use any surplus moneys to build a new road to Kanab or improve the governors rose garden either. Tom Kelly of US Skiing says, “Salt CANYON DESIGNS. Lake will divide the surplus funds in | Designers of Handcrafted Gold and Silver Jewelry much the same way Los Angles did. Canyon Employees Holiday Specials sJewelry * Cool Tunes Approximately half went to the LA Snowbird Resort Center P.O. Box 920070, 84092 801.742.2122 DiscountPresent Pass Athletic Foundation Page 8 pools and tracks and such, a quarter went the national governing bodies of sports like US Skiing or US Swimming, and the rest went to the US Olympic Committee.” Officially, 65% will go to the U.A.F.,, 25% will go to the USOC and its national governing bodies of sports, and 10% will go to the IOC for the future promotion of the Olympic Games. . to build swimming Interpretations _ | | = _ | | of worthy athletic endeavors will be the responsibility of the U.A.F.. They _may see fit to give money to build an Olympic size badminton arena yet refuse your proposal to sponsor your Olympic beer chugging event, or an International Dutch Oven competition. None the less, citizens will be able to access the Olympic facilities. Programs to skate on the Oquirrh park speed skating oval or jump at the Utah Winter Sports park are already available. If you or your children aspire to pursue one of the winter Olympic sports, because of the Games Utah is now the winter sports training capital of North America. Although citizens may not see monetary pay backs from The Games, the multi-million dollar additions to the state have already added to the quality of life in Utah. |
