A Very Harsh Winter Appears Likely for U.S. Ski Team

It’s off to Europe now for the Alpine World Cup troupe, and the going isn’t likely to get any easier for the U.S. ski team, which left its star performer in Vail, Colo., on crutches.

With Picabo Street out for the season and Hilary Lindh still hampered by a sore back, the only question remaining is whether the once-potent American men’s speed squad has recovered enough from injuries and just plain slow skiing to provide at least one or two shining moments in an otherwise bleak winter.

The answer was supposed to have come last weekend at Whistler Mountain, Canada, but both of the scheduled races were wiped out by a snowstorm, then by fog, followed by more snow.

Here is the outlook for the top three American male skiers going into the downhill and super-giant slalom today and Sunday at Val d’Isere, France:

--Tommy Moe, 26, the 1994 Olympic downhill champion, says he is “100% again” after struggling last season to recover from reconstructive surgery on his right knee in March 1995, but his willingness to take risks is still to be determined.

--AJ Kitt, 28, missed nearly all of last season after injuring his left knee during training at Val d’Isere in early December, then broke his collarbone in a motocross accident last spring, but he says: “I heal quickly.”

--Kyle Rasmussen, 28, the cowboy from Angels Camp, Calif., finished no higher than sixth last season after winning two World Cup downhills the previous winter, and now he says he wants to “get some good results early.”

They’ll be needed. After five events, the only U.S. racer in the men’s overall standings is slalom specialist Matt Grosjean, who is 54th with nine points.

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The first Freestyle World Cup meet of the season produced significantly better results for U.S. skiers.

Liz McIntyre, the 1994 Olympic silver medalist, came back from a knee injury that kept her out nearly all of last season to win the parallel moguls event last weekend at Tignes, France. Anne Battelle was second, and Donna Weinbrecht, five-time World Cup champion and 1992 Olympic gold medalist, tied for fifth.

In the men’s race, Garth Hager led a 2-3-4 American finish.

Additionally, Steve Roxberg placed second in acro-skiing (formerly ballet), and Eric Bergoust was fourth in the aerials competition.

Skiing Notes

The American Snowboard Tour, with $155,000 in prizes, gets under way this weekend at Hunter Mountain, N.Y., and will make stops at Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain on Feb. 6-8 and at Snow Summit on Feb. 21-23. . . . The International Snowboard Federation World Tour will visit Bear Mountain on Feb. 14-16 and Heavenly on Feb. 25-March 2. . . . Alpine Meadows is welcoming snowboarders this season for the first time.