BACK ON COURSE

Not since George Foreman has there been such a remarkable athletic comeback as Bill Johnson's present day return to international ski racing. At age 40, the Squaw Valley resident and Olympic gold medalist is back on course in hopes of making the United States Alpine Team in time for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

"Where we can we're allowing him into races so he can start building points," says Tom Kelly, Vice President of the United States Ski Association. "It's a tall order. He's on his own. We're just providing the opportunity."

It was in 1984 that the 23 year old Johnson broke the long established European domination of downhill ski racing. His first victory that season, on the famed Lauberhorn at Wengen, Switzerland, was an explosive surprise for a U.S. men's team which never before had captured first place in World Cup downhill competition. A month later at the XIV Winter Olympics in Sarejevo, Yugoslavia, the shockingly cocky newcomer irked his European competitors predicting victory that brought him instant comparisons to Namath and Ali.

"This course was designed for me, and everyone else is here to fight for second place," he told all who'd listen.

His scary brilliant gold medal winning run down the Bjelesnica course in Yugoslavia was something out of a Hollywood script writer's dream. Having skiing's most hallowed prize stolen by any American would have been hard enough for the Euros to take, but this particular Yankee made the loss almost too much to bear.

Open, raw, with a troubled past and defiant streak that offered no apologies, Bill Johnson's outrageous egotism brought wildly diverse reviews from peers, coaches, and fans. Austria's venerable champion, Franz Klammer, called the upstart a "nasenbohrer," or nosepicker.

"Everybody wants me to be an All-American, and I wish I was, but I'm not," he responded to critics.

The limelight didn't last long. The following year many U.S. team staff members, including Johnson's ski tech and trainer, moved on to other positions within the ski industry. Snubbed by teammates his quick temper nearly got him tossed off the team after a near fight with a coach. He fell at Val Gardena and underwent an operation to repair his left knee. A recurring back problem resulted in more surgery. More importantly, the results didn't come, and he was left off the 88' Olympic Team, unable to defend his medal. By the end of the decade he was through with amateur competition.

Sixteen years later, the ever recalcitrant, but somewhat mellowed Johnson continues to carry the confidence that once saw him dominate the toughest downhills in the world.

"Ski technology has changed more for the technical slalom and giant slalom events, but not so much for downhill. True, everyone is racing on a different ski, but basically downhill remains a sport for someone with no fear," says Johnson who has been training since last February.

He couldn't have picked a tougher test than on December 4th when he jumped into the starting gate at Beaver Creek for a Super Series super G. The course, called "Birds of Prey," is one of the most challenging in the world with extremely steep sections and knolls that throw skiers into the air at substantial heights. Battling overcast conditions and a tough gate in the middle section of the flats, Johnson finished 51st, nine seconds out. The following day on the same course he finished 46th out of 53 finishers.

"The Birds of Prey is not really the place to start a comeback, but you take what you can get," said a winded Johnson afterwards. "I finished my runs, however, improving each run, getting stronger."

Traveling race to race in his motorhome, with little sponsorship, and racing against an international cast of skiers, most of whom were in diapers when he won his gold medal, Johnson will need to rekindle the tremendous athleticism and mental focus found only in champions. Remarkably, many observers aren't counting him out.

"There's no fear in that guy. He's smart and confident," explains Barry Thys, a Squaw Valley neighbor who was a teammate of Johnson's during the 1980s on the U.S. Team. "There's been a lot of maturing. People forget he was once best in the world. If anything this is a very positive thing for him and a positive thing for skiing."