Downhill Racer

American downhill skier David Chappellet arrives in Wengen, Switzerland, to join the U.S. ski team, along with fellow newcomer D. K. Bryan. Both men were sent for by team coach Eugene Claire to replace one of his top skiers who was recently injured during an FIS Alpine World Ski Championships competition. Raised in the small town of Idaho Springs, Colorado, Chappellet is a loner with a single-minded focus on becoming a skiing champion, and shows little interest in being a team player. After refusing to race at the Lauberhorn ski races because of a late starting position, he makes his European skiing debut at the Arlberg-Kandahar in Austria, where he finishes in an impressive fourth position. In the final race of the season at the Hahnenkamm race in Kitzbühel, Austria, he crashes.