Skier aims for world record,
stresses safety of speed skiing
By Ted Fuller
Of Hw fmtiM
Eugene. Oregon — Track Town. USA A
place where names like Prefontaine. Salazar
and Decker are uttered in hushed tones usually
reserved for deities and legends.
And rightly so. These are world-class
athletes, legends in their own time. But for
what? Running fast. How fast? Not very, if you
think about it.
A world-class miler runs just a little faster
than IS mph. A good half-miler. almost 20
mph. The fastest sprinters can run 100 meters
in 10 seconds flat, which works out to a blaz
ing 22.5 mph.
Big deal.
Former University student Kurt Harland
has gone five times as fast. Not running of
course, and not behind the wheel of a car
either. Harland has gone as fast as 116 mph.
Ami he thinks he can go faster — faster than
130 mph.
How? On snow skis.
Harland. 24, is a world-class speed skier.
He grew up in Eugene and has been skiing
since his parents taught him how in grade
school. His first real lesson came as part of his
ski instructor certification exams at Willamette
Pass two years ago. He raced in slalom and
giant slalom for South Eugene High School
and went on to state-level races three times.
Harland always has skied aggressively,
and as a kid he always skied fast, especially
with a bunch of friends.
"Looking back." he says in a serious tone.
"I see how dangerous and foolish it was to ski
that fast on those crowded slopes in such
mediocre conditions." With a confident smile
he adds, "But that’s why I love speed skiing —
it's fast and it's safe.”
last April. Harland finished his rookie
year on the professional speed skiing tour in
Europe, coming home with the 67th fastest
speed in the world. While he's not looking to
become a legend in his own time, he would
like to set a world record. He also would like to
make the sport of speed skiing as popular in
the United States as it is in Europe.
Harland got started speed skiing in the
spring of 1984 when he and a friend par
ticipated in an amateur event at Mount
Bachelor that was part of the Camel sprint
series. For $30 he got a day’s coaching, three
videotaped training runs and a series of safety
lectures.
“Throughout the clinic the emphasis was
on safe speed.“ he says.
Skiers provided their own helmet and ski
equipment, with the only stipulation being
that the skis had to be between 195 and 225
centimeters long. During the timed runs.
Hariand got up to 76 mph and was hooked.
Instead of attending winter term at the
University in 1985, Hariand toured Colorado,
California and Nevada on the International
Speed Skiing amateur tour. Like the Camel
sprint series, the ISS tour was open to the
public and provided coaching and safety lec
tures as part of the series. Being a regular.
Hariand got to know the organizers and began
helping with the clinics and running of the
events.
Hariand described his amateur tour ex
perience as a low-budget operation.
“I slept in my car a lot and had cold chill
right out of the can for breakfast."
Kurt Hariand
He must have been doing something right.
In February of this year he went up to
Whistler. British Columbia, to compete in the
final event of the Canadian amateur tour. He
won. beating the best of Canada's speed skiers
and qualifying for the pro tour in Europe.
One month later he left for Europe and
entered his first professional race at La Clusaz.
France. On his last run. Hariand had a chance
to break a personal record he had set the day
before. He didn't set a new mark and is still
kicking himself about it.
"I blew it.” he says candidly. "I had wat
ched six of the eight fastest runs in the world,
so I was pumped. I was going down, concen
trating on keeping my tuck."
He demonstrates, compressing his strong.
6-foot-1. 200-pound frame into the classic rac
ing position: knees bent 90 degrees, his chest
and thighs parallel to the floor, his elbows
tucked in. his hands in front of his face to
break the wind.
somenow me wina caugm my rigni
hand.'* he continues. "I’m going 120, 125.
and the wind just lifts the whole right side of
my body up out of the tuck and my right ski off
the ground. I realized what was happening
and was able to catch myself in time.*'
Harland’s intensity can be felt as he
relives the moment, repeating the gyrations
his body went through eight months ago
"I got my ski down on the snow and my
arm back in front in one motion, but as I got
back into my tuck, I hit my left hand with my
right,*' he continues. "Before I know it. my
left arm is behind my head, and my left ski is
off the ground. Again I catch myself and
realize that 1 have to regain control. So I stand
up out of my tuck, gather myself and get back
down again."
The intensity is gone from his face as he
sits down.
Continued on Pag* 10
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