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Show Park City strengthens its World Cup reputation by CHRISTOPHER SMART Record staff writer The Park City Ski Area has been selected by the FES World Congress as the site of a March 11, 1986 World Cup women's slalom, according to Craig Badami, vice president of the ski area. The FTS (Federation Internationale de Ski) World Congress met in Vancouver, British Columbia last week. Badami said the FTS was so impressed with World Cup events held here last March it decided to repeat the women's slalom in Park City. Both men's and women's slaloms were held here in March. Those races were won by Erika Hess of Switzerland and Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg. The races were a popular success locally, drawing large crowds. Apparently, FIS was impressed by the crowds, the mountain and the way the Park City Ski Area put on the events, Badami said "We have a lot of friends on the World Cup circuit." Badami added he is making arrangements with local lodges so that World Cup contestants can stay in Park City instead of Salt Lake during next year's race. Badami also said it is possible the 1986-87 World Cup racing season may be kicked off in Park City. The location of the opening of the World Cup season will be determined in an October meeting in Europe. Park City Ski Area could be selected as the site for the opening men's and women's World Cup slalom races, he said. Those events would be followed the next week by four World Series races including men's and women's slaloms and giant slaloms, Badami said. If that were to occur, it would be the first time the World Cup circuit would begin outside of Europe, Badami said. "It's even more than we had hoped for." The six races would span about a 10-day period during the last week of November and the first week of December 1986. |