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Show PX.. grabs toeomiMai eye, So opera WoirDd Cop Son by CHRISTOPHEH SMART Record staff writer It's no small potatoes it's World Cup ski racing and. Park ' City has been selected to host the first nonEtropean season . kickoff in the series history - At the Nov. 29 ceremonies in ' augurating the new Mam Street Trolley and Town Chair lift, Park , City Ski Area Vice President and Marketing Director Craig - Badami announced that two World Cup races will be held here during the 1986-87 season. ' It was a day of history the introduction in-troduction to Main Street of a long-awaited trolley, 'a chairlift", ; from the slopes of Park City Ski Area into Old Town (see story page inland not least, the announcement an-nouncement that the ski area would host the opening of the World Cup series. It will he the first time the 1 , World Cup series of ski racing has begun on snow not located in ' Europe. A men's slalom and giant slalom will be heid at Park ' City Ski Area Nov. 29 and 30, 1U86, respectively. And while that is a first for North America, Utah and Park ; - City, it will not he the first World , Cup event here. The Park City Ski Area played host to men's and - women' slaloms last March, A - women's slalom is scheduled for -March 11, IMG. The record crowds that lined the sun-splashed course last spr-, spr-, ing . and the way the resort & organized the events played a large role in the decision by the FIS Congress (Federacion Internationale Inter-nationale de Ski) to begin its 1986-87 season here, said resort spokesman Ed Bowers. When the World Cup opens here 1 mxi ski season,' international attention at-tention will be focused on Park City, said Bowers. And the open- ing, "is not just another race. It - will show the world we have the ' snow conditions for an early racing rac-ing season start;.' Outside the racins; world. Bowers said the World Cup open- -ing will bring attention to Park" ' City. "It will get Park City on people's minds.' After the World Cup has come and gone again,' ' when people think of skiing, they will think of Park City , he said. "They will remember it's a world-class resort," Bowers said, The opening of the World Cup ' here may be due in part, to traditionally tradi-tionally poor snow conditions hi Europe this time of year. Bowers noted that the U.S. Ski Team traditionally gets a slow start because events begin in Europe, The team members come home for Christmas only to re-pack their hags for Europe after the holidays. The Park City orrtining may change that. "This could give them the advantage." Bowers said. The U.S. Ski Team is based hi Park City . l&st spring's events on the -Park City Ski Area slopes were a . .success in the racers' eyes, Bowers recalled. Commenting on the crowds that cheered the Americans on, he said, 'The racers were really blown away.' ' |