Point Of Fact

? How many ski lifts are there in the U.S.?

?Not including rope tows, there are more than 400 lifts, representing an investment of some $20 million. Some 70 to 100 major new lifts go into operation every year.

? What state is skied the most?

? Vermont, with an attendance of 1,141,000 skiers last season.

? What is the percentage of accidents among skiers during the course of the season?

?About 7,000 accidents are reported by the Ski Patrol annually, but the actual number is estimated at above 35,000. Assuming there are 3� million skiers, the accident rate is 1%. Most reported injuries are sprains, one third are fractures (about 2,000 arms or legs a year) and most of the unreported are frostbite, scratches and bad cases of sunburn.

? Who was the first American Olympic ski champion?

?Gretchen Fraser, who won a gold medal in the 1948 slalom at St. Moritz, Switzerland. The only other American winner was Andrea Mead Lawrence, who took two gold medals in the slalom and giant slalom at the 1952 Olympics in Oslo. The best finishes for American men were by Tom Corcoran, when he came in fourth in the slalom at Squaw Valley last winter, and Brooks Dodge, fourth in the 1956 Olympics slalom.