SKIING / BOB LOCHNER : Picabo Urged to Take Easier Street

If Picabo Street wants to diversify her portfolio and race in all four events, U.S. Skiing will support her efforts, but Alpine Director Paul Major said this week it might be better if she waited another year.

“It would mean a big change in her training routine,” he said from Park City, Utah. “I think she could manage it, given enough time to make the necessary adjustments. Maybe it would be more appropriate for her to do this in the 1996-97 season.”

After winning the World Cup downhill title with victories in six of the nine races this season, Street said, “My ultimate dream now that I’ve won a medal is to shoot for the overall title. . . . That’s my goal for the next two years.”

The 1994 Olympic downhill silver medalist hopes to be a contender in all four disciplines--downhill, super-G (in which she also excels), giant slalom and slalom--on the World Cup circuit and also in the 1998 Winter Games at Nagano, Japan.

“This year, I became one of the all-time greats,” said Street, who finished fifth overall. “I’ve reached the ultimate top again and must find new direction.”

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It was kind of a surprise to find Major in his office, this being April, the month in which everyone at U.S. Skiing is on half-pay to help shrink a budget deficit.

“All the coaches are working normally,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can to guarantee continued success at the top level.

“Our women’s team had more World Cup victories than the Austrian men’s team, and that’s a monumental accomplishment.”

Financial support frequently dries up in a post-Olympic year, and the cash drought this winter was intensified when many companies switched their backing to programs geared toward the 1996 Summer Olympics at Atlanta.

Hoping to make up the shortfall, U.S. Skiing has realigned its administration, freeing Mike Jacki, chief executive officer since late 1993, to concentrate on raising an additional $2 million for the coming fiscal year. Board Chairman Nick Badami will act as CEO temporarily.

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Major acknowledged that the performance of American technical skiers was marginal, at best, and the retirement of Eva Twardokens hasn’t helped prospects for next winter. He is hopeful, however, that 19-year-old Kristina Koznick, who finished 11th and 12th in World Cup slaloms in Europe, and veteran Matt Grosjean will move up in the slalom, and that Heidi Voelker decides to come back in the giant slalom.

The men’s speed contingent had a mixed season. Kyle Rasmussen won two downhills, but AJ Kitt’s late surge was spoiled when his Aspen downhill victory was nullified, prompting him to threaten retirement, and 1994 Olympic downhill gold medalist Tommy Moe injured his right knee on March 10 after failing to win a race.

“We have four young guys who should be great again,” Major said, including 21-year-old Daron Rahlves of Truckee, Ca., who finished fourth in a World Cup super-G. “AJ has resolved his frustration over Aspen and feels good about next season. And Tommy is spending three weeks in Hawaii, soaking up sunshine. He should be back on skis by late August.”