Basel, Switzerland - Austrian skiing great Hermann "The Hermannator" Maier may have retired from the World Cup circuit, but his competitive streak lives on. This December, Maier will lead a four-man Austrian team competing against a German squad in an overland ski race to the South Pole for Austrian and German broadcasters.

Maier is the man whose 1998 crash at the Nagano Olympics is the stuff of legend.



Maier will head to Cape Town, South Africa on Dec. 8, his 38th birthday. From there, crews will travel to the Russian Antarctic base of Novo to begin their trek to the pole.

Maier's teammates include triathlete and ORF broadcaster Tom Walek, while the German team is highlighted by triathlete Joey Kelly and television commentator Markus Lanz. Each team's remaining two members will be determined by a series of contests that wrap up this month.

Teams will travel on touring skis, pulling a sled with a tent and supplies. A 25-member support crew will travel alongside. The 248-mile trip, which is expected to last 16 days, will head out of Novo on Christmas morning.

Information from Reuters www.reuters.com