SOELDEN, Austria (AP) -- Organizers in Europe plan to take skiing indoors next month, when Olympic slalom champion Benjamin Raich will face French rival Jean-Baptiste Grange and other challengers in a new European championship.

Organizers from Austria, France, Switzerland and Italy revealed plans Sunday to hold slalom races for men and women on an indoor slalom course in Amneville, France, on Nov. 7.

Organizers said they already have registered 80 skiers from 12 nations.

"We have to react to the crisis in our sport," said Peter Schroecksnadel, president of the Austrian ski federation and leader of the European ski federation. "Some of the biggest ski schools are going bankrupt and the number of skiing days per year has diminished drastically over the past few years."

International Ski Federation president Gian-Franco Kasper had intimated that World Cup skiers could be suspended if they competed in the new competition, although he appears to have relaxed his stance.

"We're confident nobody will be suspended," said Schroecksnadel, Kasper's longtime rival. "We don't want a confrontation with the FIS. Before we announced the development of this federation we visited with Kasper, and everybody was informed of our intention to organize this race."

Amneville is located in northeastern France, near Metz and the Luxembourg border.

"It's one of the biggest ski domes in Europe," France Alpine director Yves Dimier said. "We have already held successful French championships there."

The Associated Press
October 25, 2009 13:20PM