From 1967-69 Kiki Cutter was America’s greatest World Cup skier. In 1968 she won a slalom in Oslo, becoming the first American to win a World Cup event. She eventually won five World Cup races, four in slalom and one in giant slalom. Her five World Cup victories was the best by an American until surpassed by Phil Mahre in 1979. In 1967-68, Cutter placed second in the World Cup slalom and was ninth overall. In 1968-69 she again was second in the World Cup slalom standings, and improved to fourth overall. During her career she had 12 World Cup podiums and 25 top 10s. In 1970 she turned professional and skied on the Women’s Pro Tour for a few years. In 1993 Cutter developed the Kiki Cutter World Cup Ski Racing Scholarship to help support careers of young ski racers. A native of Bend, Oregon, she settled back in her hometown where she published Bend Living a high-end lifestyle magazine. Cutter was briefly married (1971-73) to Bob Beattie, a former US ski team coach and one of the co-founders of the Alpine skiing World Cup.
United States