'Cool Runnings' sequel sets tongues wagging

It is not surprising that United States-born skier Errol Kerr has been getting a lot of attention lately driving around his home town of Truckee, California.

That's because of the Jamaican Ski Team logo emblazoned on the door of his 1996 Chevy Astro van.

Now training at Mount Hutt, Kerr has long held a dream of skiing for Jamaica and representing the country of his late father, who died when Kerr was aged 12.

His American mother met his father in Jamaica and they lived there for five years before moving back to the US when she became pregnant with Errol.

Two months ago, the FIS approved the US skicross team member competing for Jamaica at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. He acquired a Jamaican passport in May and with some top skicross results behind him began raising funding on the island for the bid.

This has all brought back talk about the movie Cool Runnings and the Jamaican bobsleigh team which first competed at the 1988 Calgary Winter Games.

"I think anybody who sees the jackets, that's all they can talk about," Kerr said yesterday from Methven.

"I mean people are talking about sequels to the movie and so on."

Jamaica's first ski team, comprising one ski racer, one coach (former US team mentor Raul Guisado) and a ski technician, will be at Hutt for the next fortnight, before heading south for the Japanese FIS series at Coronet Peak.

The 22-year-old said that it was "another fun thing" driving around at home.

"When people pass you they kind of look and point, and tap their buddy on the shoulder. If you stop they'll ask you if it's a joke or if it's for real.

"So I think once we get out there and start competing and get some publicity it'll be really exciting."

Kerr has been coming down to New Zealand since he was 14 years old, but as a member of Far West alpine ski teams would have attracted rather less attention.

"Yeah, it's a great training place. I've gone to Chile but I like it down here better."

As an alpine skier, Kerr won the national giant slalom title at Hutt in 2006, but believes he has a realistic chance of medalling or even winning gold in the new Winter Olympic sport of skicross (or skier-X) at Vancouver.

He has described it as like motocross on skis. Because he grew up racing BMX, winning a national title in that, he was able to quickly take to skicross (based on snowboarder cross) with all his jumping skills.

The rookie finished fifth in the skicross at the Winter X-Games in Aspen last January.

- © Fairfax NZ News