Our History
The World Pro Ski Tour (WPST) was founded in 1969 by U.S. ski coach Bob Beattie as one of the earliest professional alpine ski racing circuits, designed to transform the sport into a spectator and television-friendly event with real financial rewards for athletes.​
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Origins in the Late 1960s
In the mid-1960s, Bob Beattie had already changed ski racing by co-founding the World Cup with Serge Lang and Honoré Bonnet in 1966. However, because the World Cup restricted professionals and banned cash prizes due to Olympic amateurism rules, Beattie saw an opportunity to launch a new kind of tour. In 1969, he created the International Ski Racers Association (ISRA) and introduced the World Pro Skiing Tour, which allowed athletes to compete for prize money and sponsorships.​
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The Dual-Format Revolution
Beattie’s tour featured parallel racing on dual courses, a head-to-head elimination system that made the sport faster and more exciting for television audiences. Early competitors included U.S. Olympians Billy Kidd and Spider Sabich, along with European champions such as Jean-Claude Killy, who became a major draw for the tour’s early seasons.​
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The Golden Years (1970s–1980s)
During the 1970s and 1980s, the WPST reached immense popularity, drawing major television contracts from ESPN and NBC, and sponsors such as Chrysler and Coors. The prize purses were unprecedented for ski racing, drawing many elite skiers away from the World Cup circuit. Stars such as Andre Arnold, Otto Tschudi, and Hansi Hinterseer became household names, while American racers like Billy Kidd, Hank Kashiwa, and Lonny Vanatta dominated various seasons.​
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Revival and Modern Era
The WPST was revived several times over subsequent decades, with Ed Rogers leading a late-2010s revival featuring major U.S. resorts and CBS Sports Network broadcasts. In 2019, the Bob Beattie Ski Foundation announced a strategic alliance with the tour to re-energize professional dual-format racing worldwide, reaffirming Beattie’s legacy in making ski racing both professional and entertaining.​
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Legacy
Bob Beattie’s World Pro Ski Tour fundamentally reshaped alpine ski racing by introducing prize money, TV-friendly formats, and professional independence for athletes. Today’s WPST continues as a modern successor to his original vision, blending elite competition with spectator appeal.