1.
GM PAN Ortisei
0.06

2.
GV Skier Somersaults off ramp (2 shots)
0.18

3.
GV No 1 jumps off ramp
0.22

4.
GV Noll does one spin off ramp
0.29

5.
SV&GV No 43 somersaults off ramp (2 shots)
0.35

6.
GV Skier somersaults and loses skis and falls
0.45

7.
GV PAN No 43 with twisting somersault
0.54

8.
GV No 16 in ballet event
1.14

9.
SV Skier rolls down slope and continues ballet to crash at bottom
1.28

10.
SV No 21 performs ballet movements
1.50

11.
GV No 43 performing ballet movements.
2.08



Initials ET/2221 ET/2242


SPORT: HOT DOG SKIING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Italy had its first taste of world-class hot-dog skiing over the weekend when the regional preliminary round for the world hot-dog championship was held at Ortisei - Val Gardena near the Austrian border.

Skiers from all over Europe and the U.S.A. flipped, rolled, somersaulted and pirouetted their way down the slopes heading for the $15,000 (about 6,500 sterling) prize money at the final of the championship in Cervinia, italy in April.

Last weekend's contest was the fourth in a series of five regional preliminaries.

The acrobatic event -- where the skier somersaults and twists in mid-air off a small ski jump -- was won by Henri Authier of France. He won the first Swiss regional preliminary in January.

In the ballet event -- where the skiers pirouette, jump and even do forward rolls in time to recorded music -- West German Ernst Garhammer headed off fellow-countryman Peter Lindecke to take first place.

The first ten in each section qualify for a place in the national finals to be held in March.

In hot-dogging the skiers use shortened, specially strengthened skis as they think up and perform complicated and unusual manoeuvres on--and above -- the snow.