Former Downhill Racer Paces Skiers

To be a downhill a racer is to hear the wind rushing by so fast it screams. To be a downhill racer is to know there are only 218 centimeters of fiberglass between mortal flesh and the earth whipping past at 75mph. To be a downhill racer is to use all your strength and concentration to reach skiing's outer limits. And only one women at Harvard can tell you what it's like.

"you loss your stomach"

To freshman speedster Jenny Hale the exhilaration comes afterward. The rush comes when you know you've skilled, "faster...faster... pushing it to the edge until you're almost not in control," At the bottom you're loose, you smile uncontrollably, and you can't wait to do it again.

you've 1000 miles up."

The exhilaration comes in part, from the release of cerebral tension. At the starting , you're afraid, but not really afraid," Hale says because the mind is busy scanning the course that takes the racer down a mountain in two minutes. "You're going over it, finding little places, and looking for extra speed."

And Hale know how to find the fast lane. The Coloradan look her speed to the United States Ski Association's Junior Nationals four times. She also deferred entry to Harvard a year, became one of the eight best downhill-ers in the Rockies, and last year competed on the North American Cup circuit with other Olyimpic-class skiers.

One wonders why Hale choose to come to Harvard. After you've been on Wide World of Sports, why race for a learn that has no coach, has no training facilities, and couldn't even field a full squad at three of the five AIAW Division II ski carnivals it managed to attend. Why not University of Utab or Wyoming or Vermont?

Hale had two reasons. The education advantages and prestige of Harvard was one. The other was her apparent liability to reach the pinnacle-to make the Olympic team. "I was too old to be looked at," Hale says. Last year the U.S. Development Team coaches were only looking for prospective stars 14 to 16 years old, she adds.

But Jenny says she enjoys racing here, "The team has more fun..because its not up against the big guns." So Jenny Hale goes out and races confidently with alpine captain Betsy Gillis and fellow freshman Liz Light-foot. Hale hasn't placed less than fourth in any race she finished this season.

Even though she likes skiing with Harvard, Hale misses the risk and speed of downhill racing. The hills aren't as big here in the East, and there has been no college downhill, only slalom and giant slalom, since 1975.Also, the strength needed to maintain control at high speeds requires training every day, and Hale doubts she'll have enough on-snow training to take on a downhill race in the next three years. There's a loneliness in knowing you may never put on your helmet and do that again.'