41.   Even worse off were cross-country ski areas, which depend entirely on natural snow for business.

42.   My skis were prepared perfectly for the first two laps.

43.   Nowen paid tribute to her service man and said her skis were brand new.

44.   Reigning slalom world champion Deborah Compagnoni, a silver medalist in Nagano, was disqualified when it was discovered the skis she used were too narrow in the middle.

45.   Skis are wider, and more than a foot shorter, than the old standard used for slalom racing.

46.   Then it gets very steep, very fast at the bottom and you need long skis to be able to stay on course.

47.   World Cup leader Martina Ertl of Germany was disqualified after the first run because her skis were too narrow.

48.   Among skiers who have risen to great heights in Alpine races on Atomic skis are Annemarie Moser-Proell and the German Olympic champion Markus Wasmeier.