Kiki Cutter
Encyclopedia
Christina "Kiki" Cutter was a world class alpine skier from the United States
. She was the first American (of any gender) to win a World Cup
skiing event by placing first in the World Cup slalom
race in 1968 in Oslo, Norway.
Although she only competed on the World Cup circuit for slightly over three years, she held the U.S. record for most World Cup victories by a U.S. skier for eleven years (starting in 1968), with five total World Cup victories, until Phil Mahre
finally surpassed her total in 1979.
, Oregon
in 1951, Christina "Kiki" Cutter learned to ski at Bachelor Butte, now known as Mount Bachelor
. She was a junior racer at Mount Bachelor and gained recognition for her abilities. In 1967, she won the U.S. National Downhill Championship. Soon after, she joined the U.S. Ski Team as a last minute addition to the official 1968 Olympics team roster, Kiki competed with the team at the Grenoble Olympics in 1968 and the World Championships in 1970. In the 1968 games, she placed higher than any American woman and was the only American woman to ski in all three events—slalom, giant slalom, and downhill
. Following the Olympic competition, her rise to stardom continued in Oslo, Norway when she won her first World Cup event.
In the 1968 Alpine Skiing World Cup
, Cutter was ranked ninth overall. After winning three races the next year (World Cup giant slalom title at Oberstaufen, Germany; World Cup slalom victories at Mount St. Anne, Quebec, and Waterville Valley, New Hampshire), worldwide standings placed her fourth in overall points and second in slalom. She went on to win another World Cup race at St. Gervais, France, in 1970.
During her brief amateur career, Cutter had five World Cup victories, twelve podiums, and 25 top-10 finishes, all in the technical events, with one victory and two podiums in giant slalom and the rest in slalom. After the 1970 World Cup season, Cutter raced professionally in the Women's Pro Tour until her retirement.
She helped create the Kiki Cutter World Cup Ski Racing Scholarship in 1993 to help develop careers for youth ski racers.
Christina "Kiki" Cutter lives in Bend, Oregon. She is the founder, publisher, and president of the high-end lifestyle magazine periodical Bend Living.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She was the first American (of any gender) to win a World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
skiing event by placing first in the World Cup slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
race in 1968 in Oslo, Norway.
Although she only competed on the World Cup circuit for slightly over three years, she held the U.S. record for most World Cup victories by a U.S. skier for eleven years (starting in 1968), with five total World Cup victories, until Phil Mahre
Phil Mahre
Philip Mahre is a former champion alpine ski racer, widely regarded as one of the greatest American skiers of all time...
finally surpassed her total in 1979.
Skiing career
Born in BendBend, Oregon
Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
in 1951, Christina "Kiki" Cutter learned to ski at Bachelor Butte, now known as Mount Bachelor
Mount Bachelor
Mount Bachelor, formerly named Bachelor Butte, is a stratovolcano atop a shield volcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascade Range of central Oregon.The Mount Bachelor ski area has operated on the mountain since 1958....
. She was a junior racer at Mount Bachelor and gained recognition for her abilities. In 1967, she won the U.S. National Downhill Championship. Soon after, she joined the U.S. Ski Team as a last minute addition to the official 1968 Olympics team roster, Kiki competed with the team at the Grenoble Olympics in 1968 and the World Championships in 1970. In the 1968 games, she placed higher than any American woman and was the only American woman to ski in all three events—slalom, giant slalom, and downhill
Downhill
Downhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
. Following the Olympic competition, her rise to stardom continued in Oslo, Norway when she won her first World Cup event.
In the 1968 Alpine Skiing World Cup
1968 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The second World Cup season began in January in West Germany and concluded in April in the U.S. Jean-Claude Killy of France repeated as the overall champion, and announced his retirement from World Cup competition. Nancy Greene of Canada repeated as the women's World Cup overall champion.For the...
, Cutter was ranked ninth overall. After winning three races the next year (World Cup giant slalom title at Oberstaufen, Germany; World Cup slalom victories at Mount St. Anne, Quebec, and Waterville Valley, New Hampshire), worldwide standings placed her fourth in overall points and second in slalom. She went on to win another World Cup race at St. Gervais, France, in 1970.
During her brief amateur career, Cutter had five World Cup victories, twelve podiums, and 25 top-10 finishes, all in the technical events, with one victory and two podiums in giant slalom and the rest in slalom. After the 1970 World Cup season, Cutter raced professionally in the Women's Pro Tour until her retirement.
Personal life
Cutter participated in two nationally-televised women's superstars competitions where she placed third and fourth.She helped create the Kiki Cutter World Cup Ski Racing Scholarship in 1993 to help develop careers for youth ski racers.
Christina "Kiki" Cutter lives in Bend, Oregon. She is the founder, publisher, and president of the high-end lifestyle magazine periodical Bend Living.
Race victories
5 total victories: 4 slalom, 1 giant slalom.| Date | Location | Race |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Feb-1968 |  OsloOslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King... |
Slalom |
| 03-Jan-1969 |  OberstaufenOberstaufen Oberstaufen is a municipality in the district of Oberallgäu in Bavarian Swabia, Germany, situated on the B 308 road from Lindau to Immenstadt.-History:It is first mentioned as Stoufun in AD 868... |
Giant slalom |
| 15-Mar-1969 |  Mont St. AnneMont-Sainte-Anne Mont-Sainte-Anne is a ski resort in the city of Beaupré, Quebec, Canada, located about northeast of Quebec City. The mountain has a summit elevation of 800 metres above sea level and a vertical drop of 625 m . There are 66 trails covering on three different sides of the mountain... |
Slalom |
| 22-Mar-1969 |  Waterville ValleyWaterville Valley Resort Waterville Valley is a ski resort in the White Mountain National Forest of New Hampshire. The resort's motto is "Altitude without the Attitude". Built on Mount Tecumseh, with a summit elevation of above sea level, the ski trails extend to a high point on the south ridge of the mountain at ,... |
Slalom |
| 22-Jan-1970 |  St. GervaisSaint-Gervais-les-Bains Saint-Gervais-les-Bains is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The village is best known for tourism, and has been a popular holiday destination because of its beauty and location since the Early 1900's.... |
Slalom |