CITY EVENT GETS THE POPULAR VOTE
Ski Racing magazine November 2011 –
Bode Miller – not too hot on the team event
Thumb through ski magazines from the mid-80s and early 90s, and you’d usually find –interspersed with the cigarette, Revo and rear-entry boot ads – a multi-page advertising nod to the Pro Ski Tour. In that heyday for the rebel American-based tour, the dual-race format was a staple of the pros, but shunned by the more elite World Cup.
Fast forward to last winter, when the World Cup tour hosted a head-to-head race (now called the City Event) in downtown Munich and actually awarded points. Leading into this season, the FIS has moved from its original handshake of the event to the equivalent of a full-on lip lock, by booking two City Events for 2011, with talks of adding a future third site in Quebec or New York City.
Ivica – a winner!
In it, Cooper aptly observed, “From its inception, hard-core [European] World Cup fans found dual-format racing to be an insult to their austere world of ski racing elegance. The bold, brash, head-to-head format, coupled with pro racing’s outright commercialism, was too much for the tradition-bound world of international ski racing. It was so…well… American.
“The racers, especially the World Cup veterans, acknowledge the drawbacks of the format itself – the flat hills, the short courses – but they understand the trade-off. For as much as they might yearn for a quick flush-combination or a slalom hill that bears no resemblance to a parking lot, they understand that the unique format of pro racing is what makes the tour a viable proposition.”
Her article continued, “The [dual] format is tailored so the drama fits onto small, easily accessible hills. An unspectacular stage, perhaps, but one that lends visibility to the sport. Spectators become familiar with the racers as the day progresses, seeing them perform not in a single blinding flash, but over and over again.”
That exact sort of drama sucked them in last January, when the Munich CE drew in 25,000 spectators. The current format borrows strongly from the old pro days, essentially pitching two racers against each other, but now on an 18-gate, 200 meter-long course that takes an average of 16 seconds. The biggest change from traditional World Cup is that athletes may race eight runs to reach the podium. The biggest controversy is that the starting list was gleaned from the previous day’s Top 16 men and Top 16 women from the WC overall list, combining all disciplines.
“Seems a bit unfair to just invite the Top 16, when WC points are awarded,” offers racing legend Phil Mahre. Arguably the biggest name to find success at both Pro and World Cup racing, Mahre retired from the White Circus in 1984 as three-time overall winner, before shredding the pros over four more winters.
“The calendar prior to these events will have a great impact as to who will be competing. If there are more speed events, GS, SG and DH skiers will have an advantage to qualify. If there are more GS and SL events then they’ll have the advantage.
“The head-to- head format takes a different mind set. You’re racing a person, not the clock, and mind games can be played. You only have to ski hard enough to advance. Fewer risks, more calculation, saving something for the later rounds. If you have to qualify, then it’s more like a standard race. Best time in qualifying usually gives you an easy round or two before the top guys advance and come together. Even in the Pros, when you’re dealing in 100ths, it made a difference. If you are behind, there’s a chance you’re going to get a snow shower every other turn from your competitor.” he told Ski Racing.
In all, the format is gaining traction with the racers…Ivica Costelic’s evening in Munich was a show of scrappy calm reminiscent of Bernhard Knauss. After his win, Costelic told Universal Sports, “It’s very elegant. You can sleep in the mornings, chill out, race in the afternoons. It’s really nice – it’s a new exciting system and it works really [well].”
Of course, as winner, he’d say this. Contrast to Bode Miller, who placed a nonchalant third. He told fisalpine.com, “From a competition standpoint, there is no way you can compare the Munich race to the rest of the World Cup. This is not a World Cup. It’s a great event, it’s awesome. It’s fun to ski. We all agree, it’s exciting and fun but it’s simply not a World Cup.”
But Miller may be in the minority. When Christin Cooper wrote her article so long ago, her husband, Mark Tache, had left World and Europa Cup racing for greater success on the pro tour. Currently, the couple splits their time between Bozeman, MT and Aspen; and while Cooper has made a tidy career as a network race commentator, Tache has stayed involved as a coach. In 2006, he was inducted into the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame.
Recently, Tache observed, “I see the dual format as a way to resurrect the World Cup and bring it back into the forefront of skiing again. The FIS needs to adapt much quicker than they are. Let’s face it, the sport is losing interest in every country and has not evolved with the times. Aside from the classic downhills, which will always be popular, the rest of the format has gotten tired and difficult to follow for the novice. But the addition of CE night duals in the last couple of years, combined with the ever-popular Schladming slalom, has given the WC a much-needed shot-in-the-arm.
“These events have proven to be wildly successful, drawing huge crowds and a party atmosphere that contributes to strong TV ratings. If WC is to ever compete with the X-Games and appeal to the next generation, then FIS would be well served to incorporate more night racing into the schedule. Traditional slalom used to be a discipline that all skiers could relate to and even gain some technical knowledge from, but it has morphed into something that is too obscure. In that format, most of the athletes look alike, compared to the dual format that makes the skiers go around the pole, which highlights the individual styles much better. Any skier could relate to the way Kostelic skied on his way to victory in Munich – it was a beautiful thing to watch.”
Phil Mahre agrees, adding, “The dual format presents itself to the public very well, because you can see the whole hill. Also, even the uneducated eye can see who’s winning, which brings excitement. Being able to bring the sport to the city is great, it could also build interest for the rest of the tour.”
It seems largely agreed that finite mini-wins each run is easy for spectators to follow.
Choosing the right gear, however, was a bit of a study for some racers. Contrasting the cookie-cutter equipment precision of typical World Cup races, the City Event showcased all manner of tech skis; downhiller Daniela Merighetti even used bent speed poles. The argument is still on the table that the event favors the tech racers.
“It would be ideal,” says Austrian men’s coach, Matthias Berthold, “to have head-to-head specialists running those races, but in order to do that a “dual world ranking list” would be helpful. The problem for that is, it is impossible to have a list like that just for two races a year, and how could it be done? I also think that people in big cities are coming to watch those races because they want to watch the big stars of our sport, for that it is perfect to have the Top 16 of the World Cup starting.”
The amiable Austrian has the experience to weigh in on the issue…In his younger days, Berthold spent six seasons racing World Cup, then switched circuits, where he won ‘Rookie of the Year’ in his first of six successful pro tours.
He continues, “For sure the format favors some athletes more than others, [but]head-to-head racing is a great format, exciting to watch for the spectators and fair to every athlete. Rules for World Cup dual races should be the same as it used to be on the Pro Tour….right now there are some small details that are different. It is very important that there is a clear explanation of the rules, plus perfect graphics for TV viewers to understand the rules and to have a clear overview of the total event.”
Mark Tache returned to the idea of tech vs. speed, saying, “I don’t think it will ever be a format that’s fair for everyone. Romed Baumann, considered to be a DH specialist, skied brilliantly in last year’s race and remember that Walchofer took a run off Bode in Munich. There are very few DH specialists today. Most of the DH athletes ski GS really well and can be competitive on the courses used in the dual format, which are shorter, and on easier hills and less demanding, Also, today’s equipment has tightened the field as well. All these components bring the field together adding to really tight and exciting races.”