CARRABASSETT VALLEY – Picabo Street says she and teammate Hilary Lindh are anxious to start 1995 the same way they finished 1994: winning World Cup ski races.

Lindh, the 1992 Olympic downhill silver medalist, has won two of the three downhills contested so far this season. She was second in the other race, behind Street, downhill silver medalist in the 1994 Olympics.

“I’m so excited to see what’s going to happen. I’ve got such a good feeling,” Street said as U.S. Ski Team members prepared for North American Championship Series races at Sugarloaf-USA before heading to Europe.

“I’m anxious to get to Europe,” Street said. “I think we’re going to keep it going, just trade tit-for-tat, win for win, right through the season.”

Lindh has 280 of a possible 300 points after the three downhills, almost twice as many as Germany’s Katja Seizinger, the three-time defending World Cup champion. Seizinger has 146 points and Street 129.

Street, who also won the combined silver medal in the 1993 World Alpine Ski Championships in Japan, also has posted the two best super-G results of her brief career, placing sixth at Vail and then third at Lake Louise, Alberta two days after her World Cup downhill victory.

That downhill victory helps set the stage for more success, the Sun Valley, Idaho resident said, “because I got that 800-pound monkey off my back. No more `When am I going to win?’ I feel great physically and mentally – and I’m ready.”

The NorAm schedule at Sugarloaf includes two super-G races Monday and a giant slalom Tuesday. The men’s NorAm circuit comes to Sugarloaf next Thursday for a super-G.

“This is great, heading for Europe from the East Coast,” Street said. “Sugarloaf’s halfway to Europe.”