SKIING WORLD CUP : These Legends Go Down Hill, but Not as Fast

From out of the past they skied, blending into a montage of Winter Olympics in the modern era.

The names were familiar, at least to anyone born before 1960: Franz Klammer, Cindy Nelson, Pepi Stiegler, Nancy Greene, Steve Podborski, Kiki Cutter, Anderl Molterer.

And, for those in the post-modern era, there was Billy Johnson, now an official, certified Legend.

Johnson, whose antics were already legendary as early as 1984 when he won the Olympic downhill gold medal, finished sixth Tuesday in a little affair called the Legends Downhill.

The first bit of news that should be reported is that neither Johnson nor any of the other 28 racers, ranging in age to 60, was hurt. For Johnson, 30, that was a victory in itself, but he entertains no thoughts of making a comeback.

“After two back surgeries and injuries to both knees, I’ve had enough,” Johnson said. “And today only confirms why I retired.

“I could probably still make the round of 32 in giant slalom on the U.S. Pro Tour, but that’s too much of a grind.”

Johnson, who retired after the U.S. Alpine Ski Championships 13 months ago, hasn’t made the “millions” he predicted would result from his Olympic victory, but he does have a job or two.

“I’m associated with Crested Butte in Colorado as a skiing ambassador,” he said. “I represent the resort at events such as this and ski with notable visitors.

“Also, I’m involved with Visa in its sponsorship of the 1992 Winter Olympics.”

Johnson, who lives near Truckee, Calif., with his wife, Gina, and their 6-month-old son, Ryan, still hopes to promote a pro downhill circuit for seniors.

However, this concept evoked a snort from Nancy Greene Raine, 47, the 1968 Olympic giant slalom gold medalist, who said: “Who’d want to watch us old folks race? And what other resort except Vail would go to all this trouble for us?”

Vail and its Beaver Creek subsidiary are going to considerable trouble this week, also staging a giant slalom for the Legends today, a celebrity shuffle with former President Gerald Ford as host Thursday, and three World Cup women’s races--downhills both Friday and Saturday and a giant slalom Sunday.

In Tuesday’s race, with handicaps assigned according to the year each Legend retired, the winners were Andreas Wenzel, 32, and Judy Nagel-Johnson, 39.

Wenzel, the 1980 World Cup overall champion from Lichtenstein, needed a speedy second run to overtake Stiegler, 53, by an 0.37-second margin. Klammer, 37, 1976 Olympic downhill champion, was another 0.04 behind in third.

In their own little battle of gold medalists, Johnson, with a zero handicap, was 0.17 behind Klammer but actually had a faster total time than the Austrian, who benefited from the fact he retired five years earlier.

Nagel-Johnson (no relation), who was a member of the 1968 U.S. Olympic team, won by 0.30 over Vail’s Nelson, 35. Germany’s Marina Kiehl, 26, was third, another 0.40 back.

With Cutter, who finished fifth, Nagel-Johnson formed a potent 1-2 punch for the U.S. women’s team in the late 1960s. She has been married to Bob Johnson for nearly five years and lives in Bothel, Wash., after spending time in Idaho, where she raised quarter horses.

The World Cup women’s teams arrived Tuesday from Canada, where they competed in a downhill, giant slalom and slalom last weekend at Lake Louise.

Defending champion Petra Kronberger of Austria, who says her “heart is in downhill,” should wrap up her second consecutive overall title either Friday or Saturday. She has 293 points to 176 for runner-up Carole Merle.

American chances are slim in the downhills, but Eva Twardokens of Santa Cruz, Calif., who finished eighth in the giant slalom at Lake Louise, could conceivably break through for a top-three finish Sunday before a sympathetic crowd.

One possible candidate for next year’s Legends downhill is Switzerland’s Peter Mueller, whose comeback from a severe knee injury has been less than complete.

Mueller, 33, was ninth in the downhill Friday at Aspen for his first World Cup points this season.

Asked about his plans for next winter, the 1987 World downhill champion said: “I don’t know. I hope I know enough not to make the same mistakes next weekend at Lake Louise that I made (Friday). Then I will see if I have the necessary motivation to train in the summer. If so, perhaps I will make another season.”

Andrea Mead Lawrence is not racing this week, but she qualifies as a 100% legend, even without her most recent honor, the 1991 AT&T; Skiing Award.

Lawrence, 58, won gold medals in the slalom and giant slalom at the 1952 Winter Olympics, but her involvement with skiing and the environment didn’t stop there.

This year, she began her third term as a member of the Mono County Board of Supervisors. In 1971, she helped to form Friends of Mammoth, a citizens’ group concerned with development and land use in Mammoth Lakes.

The award, given to Lawrence last Thursday night in Aspen, is awarded annually to “an individual whose commitment to excellence and dedication to skiing has profoundly enriched the sport.”

Past winners were Bob Beattie, Stein Eriksen, Jimmy Heuga, Marc Hodler, Billy Kidd, Serge Lang, Warren Miller and the late Willy Schaeffler. Lawrence was selected for the ninth award by a ski industry committee over Phil Mahre, three-time World Cup champion and 1984 Olympic slalom gold medalist.