Kiki Cutter facts for kids

Christina "Kiki" Cutter (born July 24, 1949) is a famous former alpine ski racer from the United States. She made history by becoming the first American to win a World Cup event. This big win was a slalom race in Oslo, Norway, on February 25, 1968.

Kiki Cutter competed in the World Cup for less than three years. Even so, her five career victories were the most for the U.S. alpine team for eleven years. Another great skier, Phil Mahre, finally passed her record in 1979.

Early Life and Skiing Start

Kiki Cutter was born in Bend, Oregon, in the central part of Oregon. She learned to ski and race at Mount Bachelor. This mountain was known as "Bachelor Butte" until 1983. Kiki was one of six children. Her parents, Dr. Robert and Jane Cutter, moved to Bend in 1948. Kiki was the first child in her family to be born in Oregon.

She quickly became a recognized junior racer at Mount Bachelor. Her talent was clear, and she won the U.S. junior downhill championship in 1967 when she was just 17 years old.

Kiki Cutter's Racing Career

In 1968, Kiki Cutter, then 18, and Judy Nagel, 16, were not originally on the World Cup or Olympic teams. However, they were invited to Europe in January, a few weeks before the Olympics. They competed to earn spots on the U.S. Olympic team, and both succeeded!

Kiki competed with the team at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. She also raced in the World Championships in 1970. At the 1968 Olympics, she finished higher than any other American woman. She was also the only American woman to compete in all three events: slalom, giant slalom, and downhill.

After the Olympics, Kiki's success continued in Norway. She earned her first World Cup victory at age 18. She finished ninth overall in the 1968 season. The next year, 1969, was even better. She won three more World Cup races: a giant slalom in Oberstaufen, West Germany, and two slalom victories in Canada and the U.S. She finished fourth in the overall standings and second in slalom in 1969.

Kiki won her fifth and final World Cup race in St. Gervais, France, in 1970. During her short but amazing amateur career, Kiki had five World Cup wins and reached the podium 12 times. She also had 25 top-10 finishes. All her best results were in technical events, mostly slalom, with one giant slalom win. After the 1970 World Championships in mid-February, Kiki retired from international competition at just 20 years old. She later raced professionally on the women's Pro Tour in North America for several years.

World Cup Season Standings

Kiki Cutter's performance in the World Cup seasons:

Points were only given for finishing in the top ten.

Olympic Results

Kiki Cutter's results at the 1968 Winter Olympics:

Personal Life and Later Activities

From 1971 to 1973, Kiki Cutter was married to Bob Beattie. He was the coach of the U.S. Ski Team and later became a well-known skiing promoter and TV commentator.

Kiki also took part in two nationally televised "Superstars" competitions. These events featured athletes from different sports competing in various challenges. She placed third and fourth in these events. In 1993, she helped create the Kiki Cutter World Cup Ski Racing Scholarship. This scholarship helps young ski racers develop their careers. In the late 1980s, Kiki appeared in advertisements for Ray-Ban sunglasses.

Today, Kiki Cutter lives in her hometown of Bend, Oregon. She is the founder, publisher, and president of Bend Living magazine.

Images for kids

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  The Olympic rings, a symbol of the Olympic Games where Kiki Cutter competed.