IT’S A BRAND NEW GAME NOW

Hermann, is it the skis?

The story behind the story in the oft-delayed Olympic men’s downhill start has been the battle of the skis.

Constantly changing weather conditions at Hakuba have altered the insiders’ favorites at least twice.

In Alpine events, skis are almost as important as skiers.

Last week, before a series of storms deluged the downhill course, competitors wearing Atomic skis were brimming with confidence.

Why? Atomic skis are tailored for icy, hard-packed surfaces prevalent in Europe.

When athletes arrived in Hakuba, the downhill course was hard and fast, making Austrian Hermann Maier the favorite. Not only is he the best skier in the world, he also skis Atomic.

Atomic held a pre-Olympic party at the Austrian House in Hakuba Village and paraded their line of skiers on a neon-strobing catwalk.

It was totally Euro.

But then it started snowing, course conditions changed, and people started whispering.

When Austria’s Fritz Strobl won the last training run--on Blizzard skis--he became the inside favorite.

But when the downhill was postponed Sunday, and a new series of warm storms swept in from the West, the betting line moved again.

It seemed the new storm had a higher salt content, changing the makeup of the snow.

There was new scuttlebutt on the street.

“It’s a Salomon race now,” one insider said.

The new favorite to win Thursday’s rescheduled downhill?

France’s Jean-Luc Cretier, the highest ranked competitor skiing on Salomons.