Wed Feb 6,11:39 PM ET

SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - Picabo Street has a dilemma -- whether to race next week's women's Olympic downhill on Arnold, Jomo, Choncho, Ernst or Uncle Leo.

Or maybe even Tony, Willis and Wally.

The U.S. skier, who is competing only in downhill and is not defending her 1998 super-G title, was asked at a news conference on Wednesday about her habit of giving names to her favorite skis and whether she had chosen any yet.

The answer was comprehensive enough.

"My serviceman Cookie and I do nicknames for our skis, I think it's a little more character than just a number," explained the bubbly former downhill world champion with a smile.

"It's a little bit harder for Chip (a coach) when we're doing test track work because he has to write a name rather than a number down but I don't think he minds.

"I've got quite a few skis to choose from this year. Downhill is a very scientific event by way of picking...what wax and chemical combination to put on the ski.

"Arnold's a definite contender ... and then I have Jomo, named after my brother's cattle dog who was run over just before Christmas.

"I'm hoping that he's fast because I'd love to have him take me down the mountain.

"I've got Choncho -- we're not really sure where Choncho came from, it was maybe one of those late night arrivals when Cookie was having one or two."

Street, who races in the downhill on February 11, said Ernst was named after her old coach, while Uncle Leo was an anglicized version of a piste in Chile that she has used to train on in summer.

"My super-G skis are Tony, Willis and Wally. Tony after Tony the Tiger, Willis because I have to will them to turn because they are kind of stiff and Wally because they're my trainers and they sit on the wall often."

Picabo!

source:http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020207/sp_nm/olympics_skiing_street_dc_1