Christina "Kiki" Cutter (born July 24, 1951[1]) was a world class alpine skier from the United States. She was the first American (of any gender) to win a World Cup skiing event by placing first in the World Cup slalom race in 1968 in Oslo, Norway.[2] Although she only competed on the World Cup circuit for slightly over three years, she held the U.S. record for most World Cup victories by a U.S. skier for eleven years (starting in 1968),[2] with five total World Cup victories, until Phil Mahre finally surpassed her total in 1979.
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Born in Bend, Oregon in 1951, Christina "Kiki" Cutter learned to ski at Bachelor Butte, now known as Mount Bachelor. She was a junior racer at Mount Bachelor and gained recognition for her abilities. In 1967, she won the U.S. National Downhill Championship. Soon after, she joined the U.S. Ski Team as a last minute addition to the official 1968 Olympics team roster,[3] Kiki competed with the team at the Grenoble Olympics in 1968 and the World Championships in 1970. In the 1968 games, she placed higher than any American woman and was the only American woman to ski in all three events—slalom, giant slalom, and downhill. Following the Olympic competition, her rise to stardom continued in Oslo, Norway when she won her first World Cup event.[4]
In the 1968 Alpine Skiing World Cup, Cutter was ranked ninth overall. After winning three races the next year (World Cup giant slalom title at Oberstaufen, Germany; World Cup slalom victories at Mount St. Anne, Quebec, and Waterville Valley, New Hampshire), worldwide standings placed her fourth in overall points and second in slalom. She went on to win another World Cup race at St. Gervais, France, in 1970.[1][5]
During her brief amateur career, Cutter had five World Cup victories, twelve podiums, and 25 top-10 finishes, all in the technical events, with one victory and two podiums in giant slalom and the rest in slalom.[1] After the 1970 World Cup season, Cutter raced professionally in the Women's Pro Tour until her retirement.
Cutter participated in two nationally-televised women's superstars competitions where she placed third and fourth.[2]
She helped create the Kiki Cutter World Cup Ski Racing Scholarship in 1993 to help develop careers for youth ski racers.[2]
Christina "Kiki" Cutter lives in Bend, Oregon. She is the founder, publisher, and president of the high-end lifestyle magazine periodical Bend Living.[6]
5 total victories: 4 slalom, 1 giant slalom.
| Date | Location | Race |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Feb-1968 | Oslo | Slalom |
| 03-Jan-1969 | Oberstaufen | Giant slalom |
| 15-Mar-1969 | Mont St. Anne | Slalom |
| 22-Mar-1969 | Waterville Valley | Slalom |
| 22-Jan-1970 | St. Gervais | Slalom |