Skiing : Radical Changes Proposed for World Cup Series

The World Cup circuit, ski racing’s version of the big leagues, is heading into its classic races amid a schedule that is in shambles and radical new proposals by its founder, Serge Lang, who said this week that there are simply “too many races and too many competitors.”

Lang, president of the International Ski Federation’s World Cup committee, called for reducing the number of events by almost two-thirds. “We can’t change the weather (which has caused numerous postponements this season) but we can do something to reduce the number of races and to revive the interest of the sponsors and the public,” he said.

Among Lang’s proposed changes in the 20-year-old World Cup format:

--There would be only 12 or 13 races a year for both the men and the women, down considerably from this season’s totals of 38 for the men and 33 for the women.

--Racing would he held only on weekends, “to ensure full television coverage and many more spectators,” with men and women competing on alternate weekends.

--Only the 60 top-ranked racers would be allowed in the World Cup. Lesser skiers would have to work their way up from regional circuits.

--The top overall finishers at the end of the season would earn prize money (in addition to their individual contract deals).

--Racing might have to be confined to the downhill and slalom, eliminating the giant slalom and super-G disciplines.

--Organizers of the classic events, such as this weekend’s Hahnenkamm at Kitzbuhel, Austria, and the Lauberhorn at Wengen, Switzerland, set this year for Feb. 1-2, would have to alternate and hold their events every two years instead of annually.

Lang’s plan appears to be a sound one. Confusion has been the operative word for the World Cup lately--confusion caused by too many races, excessive travel, unreliable weather and constant scoring changes that have defied understanding.

What these reforms would do to the tentative move toward holding next season’s early races on the dependable snow of Utah and Colorado is not known. That was a step in the right direction but hardly a complete solution to the problem of dwindling interest. Lang just might have come up with it.

Meanwhile, back at Kitzbuhel, the men raced Friday in a World Cup downhill that was a makeup of an earlier postponed race. Peter Wirnsberger overcame poor visibility, a relocated starting gate, wind and fresh snow to win in 2:01.77, more than a full second faster than fellow Austrian Erwin Resch, who was timed in 2:03. Pirmin Zurbriggen of Switzerland, apparently recovered from his injuries, was third in 2:03.12, and Doug Lewis of Waitsfield, Vt., scored his first points of the winter by finishing fifth, 1.82 seconds behind the winner.

Today and Sunday, they will compete in the actual Hahnenkamm downhill and slalom, with Wirnsberger having closed within three points of World Cup overall leader Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg (109 to 106). Tuesday, it’s on to Parpan, Switzerland, for a makeup slalom.

At Puy St. Vincent, France, Traudl Haecher of West Germany won a Super-G race in 1:15.46 as the women’s overall leader, Maria Walliser of Switzerland, placed second in 1:16.09. The top American was Eva Twardokens of Reno, who finished ninth in 1:17.03.

Walliser, with 172 points, leads teammate Erika Hess by 20 as the women travel to West Germany for giant slaloms Sunday at Oberstaufen and Monday at Pfronten.

Skiing Notes The Hahnenkamm downhill will be shown (delayed) today on Wide World of Sports (Channel 7 at 4:30 p.m.). A tape of the recent World Cup men’s downhill at Schladming, Austria, will be shown on ESPN Sunday at 2:30 p.m. . . . Olympic giant slalom gold medalist Debbie Armstrong of Seattle underwent arthroscopic surgery for a torn ligament in her left knee this week at South Lake Tahoe and will miss the rest of the season, but she said: “It could have been much worse. Now, I’m going to concentrate on being 100% ready to go for next season.” . . . Mike Gallagher, head coach of the U.S. men’s cross-country ski team for six years, has announced his resignation, effective at the end of this season. . . . The Peugeot Grand Prix men’s pro ski tour stops at Boyne Highlands, Mich., this weekend, while the Women’s Pro Ski Racing circuit goes on its New Hampshire Spree through next Thursday. . . . Learn to Ski Days, sponsored by the Ski Industry of Southern California, will start Monday and continue through Jan. 31 at the three Southland ski areas that are still open--Goldmine, Mountain High and Snow Summit. By going to one of 30 participating ski shops, beginners may rent skis, boots and poles, and obtain an all-day lift ticket and lesson for a total of $15. For more information, call (714) 964-6073. . . . Rain and wet snow fell in the High Sierra late this week, but all resorts remain in full operation. Mammoth Mountain reported a base of 72 inches Friday, June Mountain 36 inches, Badger Pass at Yosemite 28 inches and Sierra Summit 28 inches.