Clubhouse Chronicles: The heritage and impact of World Cup for AVSC athletes

The 1976 Innsbruck Olympic downhill produced perhaps the most famous ski race in history as the Austrian superstar Franz Klammer overcame immense national pressure, a start position last of the favorites, and a run that was constantly on the edge of disaster to win over Swiss rival and defending Olympic champion Bernard Russi by 0.33 seconds. After an 8-year hiatus, Aspen hosted the first World Cup race after this Olympics race and its first World Cup downhill.

In 1976, I was a rail-thin 16-year-old with a huge passion for ski racing. The night before the first training run, I got a surprising call from Aspen Ski Club’s head coach informing me I was forerunning the World Cup Downhill. I was instructed to meet Andy Mills (AKA Milsy, Aspen hometown hero) at 8:30 at Lift 1A for inspection. Inspection of the most demanding and frightening downhill course I had ever run was an “Austrian inspection” – basically, I chased Millsy down the course with barely a stop. Thank goodness it was my home hill, and I knew most of the terrain! Next thing I knew I was at the top of Ruthie’s, inside the start arena, shoulder to shoulder with my idols, marveling at thighs larger than my waist and having the Salomon binding service rep crank my bindings down as far as they would go. Franz Klammer pulled up behind me and offered encouragement as I gathered my nerves and prepared to go. As a forerunner, I pushed out of the Roch Cup downhill start for the first time, with Olympic Champion Franz Klammer standing next in line.

Aspen has a vibrant history of hosting national and world-class ski racing dating back to the 1930s on trails laid out for the Roaring Fork Winter Sports Club (now Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club) by Andre Roch. In just over a decade, Aspen established itself as one of the premier destinations for competitive ski racing and established the Roch Cup in 1946. Perhaps the seminal event in the development of skiing in Aspen was hosting the 1950 FIS World Championships — the first FIS World Championships ever hosted outside of Europe. The 1950 World Championships introduced hundreds of the world’s best skiers to Aspen and to compete in North America for the first time. It was a powerful introduction to the West, and many competitors later moved to Aspen after seeing the quality of Aspen Mountain skiing and our community. This influx of talented skiers and dreamers would accelerate Aspen’s development and legacy.

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Then, as now, the opportunity for AVSC athletes and coaches to see the best in the world compete on their home mountains has been nothing short of inspiring, with the opportunity to experience skiing at its best. AVSC athletes are privileged to participate in the World Cup races not just as spectators — but as a part of the event, from the opening ceremonies and bib draws, as expert course slippers, course crew, and, for a lucky few, as forerunners. As forerunners, AVSC athletes get to share the start arena and a world cup course with the best in the world— rubbing shoulders with their heroes while closely observing the prestart warm-up routines that they can adopt as their own and, finally, the chance to ski on the same course at the same time as the best in the world.

Running the course gives them direct exposure to the bullet-proof surface typical of a World Cup Race —and the chance to see how top skiers navigate such terrain.

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But even as spectators, the Aspen community gets to witness the speed, power, and unimaginable athleticism it takes to race on a World Cup hill they’ve skied their whole life. A spectacle that you must see to believe. Athletes race by whistling and roaring like jets. Being slope side is where you get a real feel for speed. The sound of the skis arcing and rattling through the snow adds a certain education and perspective to the experience. Visualization is perhaps the best way to learn. Standing alongside a World Cup race allows local athletes to see up close the speed, skills, and technique of the best. After watching over a hundred runs, AVSC athletes mimic the technique they have observed.

The World Cup is not just a showcase of top-level ski racing but also a celebration of our community and the mountain culture that AVSC and our community hold dear. Putting on a World Cup is a huge undertaking. The Aspen Skiing Company takes the lead with thousands of ASC employee hours dedicated to the event starting in the fall and continuing until after the event is wrapped up. This takes teams from across the company well beyond the heroic efforts of the mountain ops teams. In addition to the snowmakers, cat drivers and race department and the events team, teams from IT, marketing, F&B, purchasing and more spend months working on the event. In addition to the Skiing Company’s considerable efforts, putting on the World Cup is likely Aspen’s largest community volunteering event. The event is only made possible with the volunteer efforts of over 300 individuals who will put in thousands of hours of hard work. Experiencing the buzz in town and the collaboration of people and community for a common cause brings out the best of Aspen.

The return of the World Cup to Aspen is a significant moment for our ski club and the local kids who aspire to become the next generation of ski racers. The event inspires, motivates, and educates our kids, bringing our community together like few things can.

We are proud to be part of this tradition and look forward to watching the best skiers in the world tackle the slopes of Aspen once again.

AVSC is holding a fundraiser for a chance to win VIP tickets to watch the event in style. Please visit http://www.teamavsc.org/World-Cup.

Mike Maple was an AVSC athlete in the 1960s and ’70s before becoming a member of the University of Colorado Ski team that won two NCAA championships. Mike’s children Wiley and Alex were AVSC athletes and Mike has served AVSC as a Board Member, President, contributor, and very regular race volunteer. He will be part of the volunteer race crew throughout the World Cup.