Third Time Is Not the Charm

Great, this year Tom Moe Sr. gets to the Olympics and sits around for a week.

Four years ago, his mad-dash, around-the-world travelogue nightmare to get to Norway in time for the men’s Olympic downhill was almost as thrilling as son Tommy’s amazing gold-medal run.

After that near fiasco, he vowed there would be no repeat scene out of “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” en route to Japan.

Tom Moe Sr., wife Tyra and Hudson, the couple’s 4-year-old son, took an early flight from their home in Palmer, Alaska, and arrived in Tokyo on Feb. 5.

“This one, I didn’t take any chances,” Tom Moe said.

In fact, just to be safe, Tommy Moe had a limo waiting to transport his family from Tokyo to Hakuba.

And for what?

Tom Moe could probably go home now, watch warmed-over, second-day CBS coverage of Picabo Street’s gold medal run in super-giant slalom, and still get back for the start of the downhill, whenever that glorious day might come.

Thursday, a day after the women’s super-G was raced under cloudless skies, the men’s downhill was postponed for the third time.

Thursday’s men’s downhill combined was also postponed.

In a familiar downhill scene, four forerunners completed a run before a combination of sleet, snow and rain descended on the Happo’one course. Racers were on race hold for 2 1/2 hours before officials called off the competition.

At 11:17 a.m., Hakuba time, International Ski Federation official Rolan Freideberg declared: “They will wait, if necessary, until dark to try to run this course because they know that they need to have it happen.”

Thirteen minutes later, the downhill was officially postponed after the afternoon weather reports arrived:

* Thunder and Lightning Advisory.

* Gale Advisory.

* Thaw Advisory.

* Avalanche Advisory.

Savvy spectators began leaving long before the cancellation became official, ignoring the pleas of “please come back,” from the public address announcer.

If you’re scoring at home, the downhill was scheduled for Sunday, but was postponed when a heavy storm swept through Hakuba just minutes before the scheduled start.

The event was rescheduled for Monday, then reslotted for Wednesday, then pushed to Thursday. Organizers moved the starting time up, from 10 a.m. local time to 9 a.m., in an attempt to beat an incoming storm. But the system arrived early and another day of Olympic alpine skiing was lost.

Organizers will try to race the downhill and downhill combined on Friday, and have postponed Friday’s scheduled running of the men’s super-G.

Thursday, Tom Moe and his wife sat in the downhill grandstands praying for sunshine.

Moe Sr. wore the same wolf parka, cap, shirt, pants and shoes he had adorned in Lillehammer, hoping to bring similar luck to his son Tommy, who had the 17th start position for Thursday’s proposed race.

Tom Moe’s wolf parka was sopping wet, and he was hopping mad.

Moe Sr. did not understand why the downhill had not been raced on Wednesday, when the clear skies and soft snow would have helped his son’s cause.

As it was, Street took advantage of the conditions and won the women’s super-G.

“They should have raced yesterday,” Tom Moe said. “It’s ridiculous, there’s no organization at all. I mean, I love Picabo, but this [the downhill] is what we’re here for.”

According to International Ski Federation rules, downhillers must be provided an additional training run if a race is delayed for more than 48 hours.

But that rule was waived this week, and the men were ready to race Thursday without having had an extra practice run.

“If you’re going to cancel the training run, why not take advantage of the weather?” Tom Moe said.

Well, at least Tom Moe is safely here.

Getting to Lillehammer took the Moe’s 46 hours because of a series of delayed flights and travel mishaps.

When Moe Sr. awoke the morning of his son’s race, he went to the bus stop and found 4,000 fans waiting for transportation to the downhill race.

It took 4 1/2 hours to get to the Kvitfjell. There, Tom and Tyra discovered they didn’t have tickets.

That crisis solved, Moe Sr. arrived in the stands two minutes before the start of the race.

Tommy Moe became famous that day, but so did his dad’s wolf jacket.

When pictures of Moe Sr.’s furry parka appeared in newspapers around the world, animal activists took dead aim.

“I got a bunch of hate mail, boy did I,” he said.

He received postcards that said, “Shame on You, Mr. Moe,” and others with grisly images of skinned animals.

Moe said the Eskimos in his state have been wearing wolf jackets for generations.

The jacket took another beating Thursday in Hakuba as Tom and Tyra sat in near-empty bleachers in the sleet.

No trouble getting a ticket on this day.