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Speed skiing:
racing the wind
CourtMy pWa
Kurt Harland (left). « 24-year-old Eugene resident rated as the 67th fastest skier in the world, races head to
head with Finland native Kalevi Hakkinen, 53, in an exhibition race.
Speed skiing is like no other type of ski racing. In the
more familiar slalom and downhill events, the object is
to weave through a set course in the fastest time without
missing a "gate.” Most of the challenge involves making
quicker turns than your opponents.
In speed skiing, there are no gates to go through. The
course is straight down the hill, and looks like a drag
strip on a snow-covered wall. The winner is the one who
passes through the timing lights at the bottom of the
course at the fastest speed, usually in the 120 to 130 mph
range.
By Ted Fuller
In comparison, top speed for recreational skiers on an
open run is probably about 30 to 35 mph. according to
Kurt Harland. a Eugene resident and speed skier with the
67th fastest speed in the world.
“It's just not possible or at all safe to go much faster.’’
he said. Snow conditions, equipment and other skiers
limit how fast recreational skiers can go. he added.
Speed skiers, on the other hand, have some of the best
equipment made, ski only when snow and weather con
ditions are exceptional (for safety's sake) and ski on clos
ed courses designed specifically for optimum speed.
Speed skiing courses are usually set apart from other
ski runs and are roped or fenced off to keep people from
straying onto the course. Meticulous grooming of the
course is required to make it as smooth as possible.
“Everything is magnified ‘at speed' (over 100 mph),”
Harland said. “Every little lump or dimple a skier hits
becomes a bone-jarring bump."
Even with the snow groomed and packed to a firm,
smooth surface, speed skiers have a hard time keeping
their skis down as they careen down the mountain.
One might think that speed skiing is a dangerous
sport. Broken legs, sprained wrists, twisted knees and
black and blue marks are a part of the sport. But Harland
claims that serious injuries are not that common in speed
skiing — rarely anything more serious than bruises.
There are exceptions, though.
Harland told of one speed skier he saw fall near the top
of the course.
"He just slid down the course," Harland said. "The
rubber suits are so slick (for less wind drag), there’s no
way to stop, so vou just slide down and enjoy the ride."
As the fallen skier got closer to the bottom of the
course, Harland knew something was wrong, he said.
‘i saw him suddenly start rolling around, squirming
as he kept sliding down the course," Harland said.
After stopping at the bottom of the course, the fallen
skier was rushed to a hospital. The friction between the
snow and the rubber suit built up so much heat during
the slide that the rubber had melted, giving him third
degree burns on most of his back.
But Harland also saw someone hit a rock at speed and
not get hurt, he said.
"It (the rocky bluff) was off to the side of the course,
fenced and padded, even though no one was expected to
get near it," he explained. "The guy who hit it was
shaken up, so they flew him off to the hospital to make
sure he was OK. I saw him an hour later walking around.
He was only bruised."
While Harland acknowledged that there is danger in
volved in speed skiing, he made it clear that the em
phasis of the sport is safe speed. Everyone who competes
must wear a helmet and their equipment must meet rigid
specifications. Everything is inspected to ensure safety
standards are met.
Also, every run a skier makes is closely watcned. it me
officials rule that a skier is going too fast, that he can't
handle the high speed, he is forbidden to make any more
runs that day. There are usually no arguments when the
officials order someone off the mountain.
"It's obvious when someone's not in control,”
Harland said. "Good speed skiers know their limits.
They don't take unnecessary risks."
Speed skiers always have the option of dropping out of
the competition, even if they are at the starting line about
to push off.
"It's a mental sport,” Harland explained. “If you
aren't mentally ready at the start, you’ll never make it to
the finish.”
At Harland's first professional race, Franz Weber, the
Austrian who holds the world record at 129 mph, decid
ed not to ski on the last day. Many skiers had fallen the
day before, and later Franz said that he had dreamt that
he would fall on the last day of competition. As it turned
out. no one fell on the last day, and six of the eight fastest
speeds ever run were turned in.
The world record holder's decision not to race and ad
mission of fear impressed Harland immensely, he said.
"1 think that was a very commendable thing to do,"
Continued on Page 10
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