World Cup at Sugarloaf, 1971


Looking over race venues, 1971 Sugarloaf World Cup

Looking over race venues, 1971 Sugarloaf World Cup
Item 76141   info
Ski Museum of Maine

The World Cup Alpine Ski Racing series was conceived in 1966, the brainchild of ski racing leaders including French Journalist Serge Lang, Alpine Ski Team Director Bob Beattie of the United States and France’s team director Honoret Bonnet.

As designed, the series would be held at different areas and the racers accumulated points during the season would determine the winners.

Checking details, 1971 Sugarloaf World Cup

Checking details, 1971 Sugarloaf World Cup
Item 76148   info
Ski Museum of Maine

Giant Slalom, Slalom and Downhill each would have a season-long male and female winner.

There also would be an overall male and female winner based on the total of all points in all of the disciplines.

The first race of the first season was held in Berchtesgarden, Germany, on Jan. 5, 1967.

Seventeen races were held at 10 different ski resorts throughout Europe and the U.S. that first season.

In 2012 races were held at more than 24 resorts each for men and women.

Leaving the start gate at the Sugarloaf World Cup, 1971

Leaving the start gate at the Sugarloaf World Cup, 1971
Item 76136   info
Ski Museum of Maine

In the fall of 1968, Jean and Norton Luce of the Sugarloaf Mountain Ski Club received a phone call from Roger Peabody, executive director of the United States Eastern Amateur Ski Association, asking if the Ski Club and Sugarloaf Ski resort would be interested in hosting a World Cup ski race.

At the time the only U.S. area east of the Rockies that had been host was Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire.

Jean and Roger then contacted John Christie who was general manager of the Sugarloaf Ski Resort. His answer was an enthusiastic "yes."

Scorekeepers, Sugarloaf World Cup, Sugarloaf, 1971

Scorekeepers, Sugarloaf World Cup, Sugarloaf, 1971
Item 76147   info
Ski Museum of Maine

For such a big undertaking, many partners were needed.

Sugarloaf Mountain Corporation and the Sugarloaf Ski Club met with representatives of the Sugarloaf Area Association, the Maine Department of Economic Development and the Ski Maine Association.

They all agreed this would be an event that would put skiing in Maine in the spotlight and it should be heartily pursued.

Brandishing trophies, Sugarloaf, 1971

Brandishing trophies, Sugarloaf, 1971
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Ski Museum of Maine

Since there was a World Cup Alpine Race scheduled for Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, in March of 1969, Jean and her husband, Norton, traveled there to get a clearer understanding of what the club was getting into.

1971 World Cup Parade of Nations, Carrabassett Valley

1971 World Cup Parade of Nations, Carrabassett Valley
Item 76151   info
Ski Museum of Maine

By May 1969, a formal bid had to be submitted to the United States Ski Association, which would submit it to the World Cup Ski Racing governing body, the FIS.

The Europeans had to be convinced that a little ski area -- by European standards -- in a remote part of Western Maine would have the resources to pull off this event.

Bartender school at the Red Stallion Inn, Sugarloaf, 1971

Bartender school at the Red Stallion Inn, Sugarloaf, 1971
Item 76162   info
Ski Museum of Maine

Among the details was finding lodging for the many national teams and the support personnel who came with them.

Lodging was arranged in hotels and motels from Eustis to Farmington, a 50-mile radius.

Also, many Sugarloafers who had winter homes in the area were asked to house volunteer workers.

Women's US Ski Team, Sugarloaf, 1971

Women's US Ski Team, Sugarloaf, 1971
Item 76165   info
Ski Museum of Maine

Sugarloaf decided to call the event the "Tall Timber Classic," a celebration of the logging heritage of the area.

The awards banquet meal was to include the famous Maine lobster, although another Maine dish – moose – also was put on the menu after a rather large moose was killed on a highway.

The trophies also incorporated the logging theme. Snow and Neally, a Bangor logging implement company, made trophies of wooden axes with silver-plated heads. Each carried a gold, silver or bronze medallion.

Flagpoles, 1971 Sugarloaf World Cup Ski Races

Flagpoles, 1971 Sugarloaf World Cup Ski Races
Item 76134   info
Ski Museum of Maine

Three tall tree trunks flagpoles were erected in front of the Area Base Lodge and tree climbers scrambled to the top each day to attach the flags of Maine, the U.S., and of the governing body of the races, the FIS.

Crowds gathered at the daily ceremonies to watch the tree climbers.

Reading the news at the Sugarloaf World Cup, 1971

Reading the news at the Sugarloaf World Cup, 1971
Item 76149   info
Ski Museum of Maine

The budget grew from an early projection of $25,000 to the final accounting of more than $50,000.

The Dead River Company and Bass Shoe sponsored the event and help also came from the state.

High speed action, Sugarloaf 1971 World Cup

High speed action, Sugarloaf 1971 World Cup
Item 76145   info
Ski Museum of Maine

The Narrow Gauge trail where the races were held, named for the Narrow Gauge Railroad that previously served the logging industry, required a major renovation for the downhill and giant slalom.

It had to be widened, and safety nets and communications and timing cables had to be installed along the trail.

It was transformed from a narrow winding trail to a world-class race trail.

Do Not Jump, Carrabassett Valley, 1971

Do Not Jump, Carrabassett Valley, 1971
Item 76156   info
Ski Museum of Maine

Somerset Telephone Company in North Anson donated many hours of labor and supplied communications gear.

The communications infrastructure also provided a link from Sugarloaf to the outside world.

During the planning, Sugarloaf Ski School Director Harry Baxter took over as the new general manager as John Christie left to work at Mt. Snow Vermont.

Isabelle Mir, Sugarloaf, 1971

Isabelle Mir, Sugarloaf, 1971
Item 76164   info
Ski Museum of Maine

After two years of planning, the big day came when Maine and Sugarloaf welcomed the best men and women Alpine Ski Racers in the world.

Twelve teams from across the globe with over 100 racers and scores of support staff descended on this remote ski resort in the western mountains of Maine.

The Valley, as it was known, was abuzz with excitement. Famous names in the ski racing world such as Austrian star Karl Schranz and French female racer Isabelle Mir drew the press to them.

Tyler Palmer at the Sugarloaf World Cup, 1971

Tyler Palmer at the Sugarloaf World Cup, 1971
Item 76158   info
Ski Museum of Maine

US Ski Team member Tyler Palmer of New Hampshire and Maine's entries to the races, Tim Skaling and Gail Blackburn, both ski team hopefuls and products of the Sugarloaf Ski Club, were hoping to do well at the races being run in their backyard.

The most famous American ski racing family at the time — Bobby, Barbara, Lindy and Marilyn Cochran from Richmond, Vermont –– who had learned to race on their small family ski hill -- were present.

Their father, Mickey, later worked for the US Ski Team.

British racer, 1971 World Cup, Sugarloaf

British racer, 1971 World Cup, Sugarloaf
Item 76138   info
Ski Museum of Maine

Because of a snow drought in Europe that year — this was before artificial snowmaking –– many scheduled World Cup races were being canceled or moved.

The Arlberg Kahndahar, the oldest and most prestigious Alpine Ski Race, was moved to Sugarloaf, the first time the race was held outside of Europe.

Othmar Sailer, the mayor of St Anton, the area that had been scheduled to host it, presented the trophy at Sugarloaf.

The addition of this new downhill race added two new races to the schedule.

Sugarloaf would now be hosting four downhills, two for men and two for women, and one giant slalom for each gender, plus several training days before the downhills.

Senator Muskie at the Sugarloaf World Cup, 1971

Senator Muskie at the Sugarloaf World Cup, 1971
Item 76152   info
Ski Museum of Maine

This was a daunting task for an outdoor sport that was at the mercy of the weather for the duration.

But, the weather held for three days of training and all four downhills, and they went off without a hitch.

Stefano Anzi of Italy won the Tall Timber Classic Downhill and Bernhard Russi the Arlberg Kahndahar Downhill.

On the women's side, Annemarie Proell of Austria won both downhill races.

Ski racing legend, Sugarloaf world Cup, 1971

Ski racing legend, Sugarloaf world Cup, 1971
Item 76140   info
Ski Museum of Maine

Snow – more than 16 inches – fell while the women raced the giant slalom.

About 100 course volunteers scraped the snow off.

Michele Jacot of France won the race.

Edmund Bruggman, Carrabassett Valley, 1971

Edmund Bruggman, Carrabassett Valley, 1971
Item 76143   info
Ski Museum of Maine

The first run of the men's giant slalom, scheduled for the same afternoon, was postponed because a rented trailer that was being used as a wax room for the Swiss Racing team, caught on fire, burning all the skis.

The Giant Slalom for men was postponed a day while arrangements were made for equipment to be readied for the Swiss team.

In a display of sportsmanship, other nations' racers lent spare skis to the Swiss.

One such Swiss racer, Edmund Bruggman, who had borrowed skis from Italian Gustavo Thoeni, came in second place in the race. Gustavo Thoeni, who won, said that he had kept his best pair of skis for himself.

Giant Slalom Course, Sugarloaf, 1971

Giant Slalom Course, Sugarloaf, 1971
Item 76166   info
Ski Museum of Maine

The races ended, the competitors and their entourages went home.

The various agents of the national and international press corps departed.

The hoopla was over but the memories remained for the hundreds of volunteers who helped stage the event.

1971 Sugarloaf World Cup Proclamation

1971 Sugarloaf World Cup Proclamation
Item 76157   info
Ski Museum of Maine

Sugarloaf and the Sugarloaf Ski Club received many accolades for the successful orchestrating of this international event.

Maine and Sugarloaf have never hosted another Alpine World Cup Ski race.

The Eastern United States has not hosted one since 1991.

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