SKIING / BOB LOCHNER : Profits Finally Are Falling From the Sky at Southland Areas

For one of the few times since the drought began in the mid-1980s, all eight Southland ski areas have managed to cash in on at least part of the peak Christmas-New Year’s holiday period.

And they are still going strong this weekend as more snow falls in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains, adding fresh powder to bases that already ranged from 18 to 48 inches.

Snow Summit, Bear Mountain and Snow Valley at Big Bear have been operating since November, as has Mountain High near Wrightwood, mainly by making their own snow. But the post-Christmas storms dropped enough natural snow to enable Ski Sunrise, Mt. Baldy, Kratka Ridge and Mt. Waterman to join the party.

Mammoth Mountain, which reported 30 to 60 inches on its slopes Friday, and Tahoe Basin resorts are also in full swing.

Not that he needs it at the moment, but Dave McCoy, who installed a $5-million snow-making system at Mammoth last summer, also plans to cover much of June Mountain with similar equipment in the near future.

McCoy, who bought June more than five years ago, said recently: “There’s an old snow-making system (at June Mountain), which is only on Chair 2. We would (also) very much like to have snow-making on the Face . . . and Chair 7, which would (provide) a very good skiing experience. I would like to think that we could do some of this next year, to make (the season) longer right off the bat, and be open more months, just like we are at Mammoth.

“June has its own clientele, you might say--people that wouldn’t ski anywhere else but there. So, we have to satisfy them, too. And the June Lake community is getting behind us, really getting interested in winter sports.”

June Mountain is just west of the town of June Lake, which is about 30 miles north of Mammoth Lakes, off U.S. 395. In the past it has generally been busiest in the summer and fall, catering to fishermen and hunters. McCoy hopes to even the score.

The World Cup Alpine circuit resumes this weekend at Kranjska Gora, Yugoslavia, where the men will compete in a slalom and a giant slalom, Alberto Tomba’s two favorite races.

The Italian tops the standings after 10 events with 640 points, 59 more than runner-up Paul Accola of Switzerland. Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg, the four-time overall champion coming back from off-season knee surgery, is a somewhat distant third with 319.

Sunday, the women begin two days of racing--also in a slalom and a giant slalom--at Oberstaufen, Germany, with two-time champion Petra Kronberger of Austria leading the pack. She has 351 points to 281 for her closest pursuer, Katja Seizinger of Germany, and 280 for third-place Vreni Schneider of Switzerland.

Before the holidays, both the men’s slalom and downhill were snowed out at St. Anton, Austria, as was the women’s slalom at Serre Chevalier, France.

The U.S. Pro Tour is taking this week off after a successful showing at Schladming, Austria, just before New Year’s.

More than 3,500 of his hometown fans cheered Bernhard Knauss to victory in the giant slalom last Monday, after about 6,500 watched him take the slalom the day before. The sweep gave Knauss, who has 205 points, a 30-point lead over second-place Torjus Berge of Norway.

The Austrian also has earned the most money, a total of $46,831 to $36,211 for Nygren.

Skiing Notes

The third and final event in the $150,000 Tournament of Champions will be held today at Heavenly Valley, on Lake Tahoe’s South Shore, with 1984 Olympic downhill gold medalist Bill Johnson, ’76 Olympic downhill champion Franz Klammer and other slightly senior racers expected to compete. . . . The World Cup freestyle tour continues next Friday through Sunday at Blackcomb, Canada, north of Vancouver, B.C. Donna Weinbrecht of West Milford, N.J., scored her third mogul victory in four meets this season at Morzine, France, just before Christmas. Nelson Carmichael of Steamboat Springs, Colo., made it a U.S. sweep of this new Olympic event by taking the men’s moguls. . . . Shortly after approving a $250,000 exhibition downhill Jan. 28-30 at Bormio, Italy, the International Ski Federation reversed course and called the whole thing off. . . . A.J. Kitt, who finished fourth in the season’s second World Cup men’s downhill last month at Val Gardena, Italy, will get his next shot next weekend at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.