Doug and Rollie Smith race moved to California

After months of negotiations, the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association has decided to move the sanctioned NORAM ski race formerly known as the Doug and Rollie Smith Memorial to Mammoth Mountain in California.

“Obviously, this is a big disappointment for the resort and the community, considering the history of this race,” Whitefish Mountain Resort president Dan Graves said. “The resort and the Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation worked for months to try and make the Doug and Rollie Smith happen.”

The Doug Smith Race was first held in 1948. It is the longest continually held downhill race in the nation.

The race is named for Whitefish skier Doug Smith, who was killed during World War II, and his brother Rollie Smith, whose name was added in 2006.

Negotiations between Whitefish Mountain Resort and USSA began in August when the resort asked for an increased site fee from the USSA to cover rising costs associated with hosting the event.

“The costs of major downhill events have been rising dramatically over the years, and we have to cover the vast majority of our costs with athlete-entry fees and the site fee that USSA provides to event venues,” Graves said.

A plan was worked out in which the Ski Foundation would guarantee the entry fees and USSA would create an additional per-competitor surcharge to fund an increased site fee.

Before the deal was finalized, Mammoth Mountain in California accepted a lower site fee to host the race.

“Our history is important to us. I’m optimistic that USSA will evaluate their funding so we can bring back this historic race in the future,” said Graves. “It’s a point of pride for us, because we’re one of the few resorts in the country with the terrain necessary to host a downhill ski race of this caliber.”