The labels placed on the U.S. Alpine ski team during the past decade have been negative. Criticisms about America's team have surfaced this entire winter season, with even the publication Sports Illustrated recently calling U.S. skiing "woeful."

All this skepticism came prior to Lillehammer. This past week the U.S. Alpine team has tamed the slopes at the Kvitfjell Alpine Centre. The results have been surprising -- two gold medals and one silver -- thanks to Tommy Moe and Diann Roffe-Steinrotter.

"I think it's fantastic," said Mimi Suppes, a member of the Penn State ski team. "The Americans are coming through for us this time. They're my idols."

The last time the U.S. Alpine team did this well in Olympic competition was in 1984 at Sarajevo. Led by Phil and Steve Mahre, U.S. skiers captured 3 golds and 2 silvers.

Since '84 the U.S. men have triumphed only once on the World Cup circuit. The U.S. women have three World Cup victories since 1987. Skiers wearing the stars and stripes have faltered during the last 10 years.

"(The United States) is football, baseball and basketball," said Lee Gonder, coach of the Penn State ski team. "There's not a whole lot of motivation to become a ski racer, other than the love of the sport. You go to Switzerland and Austria -- it's skiing and soccer.

"You just gotta find people who are super-motivated and realize they're gonna get into skiing for themselves and for the betterment of the sport, not for making major dinero," he added.

Ironically, money has been another reason why American skiing has not climbed the ladder to success in recent history. John Lucas, an exercise and sports science professor and official lecturer for the International Olympic Committee, said cash has an influence on which athletes glide down the slopes.

"In the past, economics have been against us," he said. "The vast majority of those interested in becoming an Olympic winter athlete were from the middle class. With great, great sacrifice, a family could find $30,000 a year to buy skates, skies, shoes and the like."

Those same American families might also have found a place to ski -- if they were lucky. The United States has not exactly been a haven for Alpine ski champions.

"Geographically, of the 50 states in the Union, there are no more than five, six or seven that have mountains and perpetual snow conditions similar to an Olympic winter site -- where an athlete can go and train seriously," Lucas said.

The last five days have proven that the United States takes its skiing seriously. The Americans have not been the last skiers down the hill in Lillehammer. And with seven Alpine events still remaining, the U.S. medal parade may continue.

"In any sport like skiing, whenever you do well, it certainly raises the interest," Gonder said, prior to Lillehammer. "Kids are watching. When somebody does well, kids want to be like that."

Forget Mike, they want to be like Moe.