National Park skier sets her sights on national title

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 241, 3 May 1988, Page 45 (Supplement)

National Park skier sets her sights on national title

By James Graiiam Hurtling down a ski slope at 130kph may sound scary to most, but not to Marie Lynghaug-Seator of National Park. Since friends first urged the ski-shop manager to give speed-skiing a go in 1986, her achievements in the sport have been numerous. In her first year, at only her third attempt, she set a then New Zealand women's record of 131.62kph at Turoa. Spnrred on by her success, Marie went to Europe to get experience. "I competed in events from the top of Finland to the bottom of France," she said. Her highest placing there was a second in the Swedish Cup, reaching a speed of 125kph. She said she had hoped to reach the 130kph mark while in Europe, but the

weather made it difficult. "In Finland the temperatures we competed in were around minus 20." Despite the cold, she was the only New Zealand woman to get a professional ski ranking in 1987. The points she eamed placed her 18th. When the 1987 New Zealand speed ski championships were transferred from Turoa to The Remarkables, near Queenstown, Marie decided not to compete because of the marginal conditions on offer. It was a decision that saw her lose the speed record. Virginia Bush set a new New Zealand record of 135kph. However, she did pick up some consolation by winning the National Park centenary people's race at Whakapapa in August. That race was a combination of slalom and giant slalom

events. Marie will begin her build-up to this year's National Championships in June with the prospect of regaining her record very much in mind. "I'm looking for the 140 mark, something to keep it there for a few years," she says. She says she plans to "take it easy" until June, because she places more emphasis on being ski-fit rather than doing a lot of pre-season fitness work. Marie is disappointed in the number of women speed skiers. They make up only about 10 percent of those in the sport. She realises not everyone is suited to speed skiing. "Apart from being a fairly good free skier, you have to be a reasonably gulsy sort of a person."