Ski racers at nationals 'for experience'

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 255, 20 September 1988, Page 1

Ski racers at nationals 'for experience'

Nick Kwasniak, a ski instructor involved in a controversy over racers at last week's Nationals, has denied that Turoa Ski Academy director Tim Clark told him that two independent racers were not to associate with the official team at Mt Hutt. But he supports the view that young ski racers should be encouraged to participate in the Nationals. Claims had been made by parents of academy racers that Mr Clark had told M r Kwasniak that the independent racers were not to associate with the official Turoa team at Mt Hutt. Mr Kwasniak said the academy had offered advice that the racers would be better not to go to the event.

He says thc racers have every right to attcnd. "All that the parents were trying to do was get their kids involved in ihe national event," said Mr Kwasniak. He said the pro.blcm with the Academy was not that the racers were left out of the team, but that they were not actively encouraged to go. He said ihe nationals were not an "elite event", that the races were open to "all New Zealand registered racers of J2, J1 and senior" status. "At no time was anyone trying to get them pushed into thc top team," he said. Mr Kwasniak said while they didn't expect the skiers to be "world beaters", they wanted them to have the experience of racing in the event.