Skiing / Bob Lochner : Attracting New Skiers Is Goal of National Program Jan. 20

After booming in the 1960s and ‘70s, skiing has leveled off in popularity during the ‘80s because of changing demographics, rising costs and environmental constraints on construction of new resorts, to cite just a few of the reasons.

What’s needed to break out of this plateau, according to Ski Industries America, the sport’s trade association, are new skiers--people who have never experienced the chills and thrills of sliding downhill or gliding cross-country. And if you’re in that category, boy, have they got a deal for you.

By act of Congress, Jan. 20 has been declared National Skiing Day, marking the start of Let’s Go Skiing America Month, which continues through Feb. 19. The deal is that a week from Friday, first-time skiers will be allowed to ski completely free at selected ski areas around the country, including the following in California:

SOUTHLAND--Bear Mountain, Kratka Ridge, Mountain High, Ski Green Valley, Ski Sunrise, Snow Summit and Snow Valley.

SIERRA AND NORTH (Alpine)--Alpine Meadows, Badger Pass at Yosemite, Boreal, Dodge Ridge, Donner Ski Ranch, Heavenly Valley, Iron Mountain, Kirkwood, Lassen Park, Mammoth Mountain-June Mountain, Mt. Reba at Bear Valley, Mt. Shasta, Northstar, Sierra Summit, Squaw Valley and Sugar Bowl.

SIERRA (Nordic)--Kirkwood, Northstar, Royal Gorge, Squaw Valley, Tahoe Donner and Tahoe Nordic.

The package includes a free lift ticket or trail pass, free equipment rental plus an introductory lesson, and to get in on it, beginners must call the ski area of their choice before Jan. 20 to make reservations.

Participants in the program will then be eligible for further discounts on future ski outings through Feb. 19. After that, they’re on their own.

Phil Mahre moved into third place in the U.S. Pro Tour standings by winning the slalom Sunday at Heavenly Valley. The 3-time World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist, who has successfully adapted his technique to the jumps and side-by-side courses of pro racing, has 140 points after 4 events, just behind Swedes Jorgen Sundqvist, with 160, and Niklas Lindqvist, with 150.

Mahre moved up partly because his brother, Steve, who had been third with 90 points, didn’t race at Heavenly. However, both twins will be in action this weekend at Telluride, Colo.

There are only 2 more weeks of World Cup competition in Europe before the circuit takes a break for the World Alpine Ski Championships at Vail, Colo., Jan. 29-Feb. 12.

The men will be at Kitzbuhel, Austria, Saturday and Sunday for the Hahnenkamm downhill and slalom, then go to Adelboden, Switzerland, Tuesday for a giant slalom. The 1-2-3 positions in the standings are occupied by familiar names--topped by Pirmin Zurbriggen, the Swiss 3-time Cup winner, with 160 points, followed by Luxembourg’s Marc Girardelli with 112 and Italian Alberto Tomba with 78.

The women will continue their seemingly impossible pursuit of Swiss leader Vreni Schneider Saturday and Sunday in a downhill and slalom at Grindelwald, Switzerland. Schneider, with 9 victories so far this season, has 232 points, 114 more than runner-up Ulrike Maier of Austria. Yugoslavia’s Mateja Svet is third with 84.

Skiing Notes

Last weekend’s Heavenly Valley pro races will be shown on ESPN Sunday at 2 p.m., PST, followed at 2:30 by “Ski World,” with daredevil skier Sylvain Saudan as principal guest, and at 3 by a World Cup men’s race.

More than 20 U.S. Senators and other assorted government officials are expected to compete in the third annual Senators’ Ski Cup this weekend at Park City, Utah. It’s a benefit for the Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City. . . . Aspen, Colo., will stage its weeklong Winterskol, an annual midwinter event since 1952, starting Monday.

The Four-Hill ski-jumping tournament wound up last Friday at Bischofshofen, Austria, with a surprising victory by Mike Holland of the United States. The 27-year-old resident of Norwich, Vt., was eighth overall for the 4 meets. Risto Laakonen of Finland finished first. . . . The U.S. Cross-Country Ski Championships begin Sunday and continue through Jan. 21 at Giants Ridge in Biwabik, Minn. . . . The World Cup Freestyle circuit stops at Lake Placid, N.Y., this weekend.