ðə pɹˈoʊɡɹæm, tə wˌɪtʃ fɹˈaɪ ɐplˈaɪd ðɪ ˈækɹənˌɪm nˈæstɑːɹ, wʌz ˌɪntɹədˈuːst ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti ˈeɪt æz ɐ mˈiːnz tə kəmpˈɛɹ ðə pɚfˈoːɹməns ʌv ɹˌɛkɹiːˈeɪʃənəl skˈiː ɹˈeɪsɚz æt ɹᵻzˈɔːɹts əkɹˌɑːs ðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts, ænd lˈeɪɾɚ, fɚɹə tˈaɪm, ɪn ɔːstɹˈeɪliə, kˈænədə, skˌændɪnˈeɪviə, swˈɪtsɚlənd ænd ˈɪɾəli.
The program, to which Fry applied the acronym NASTAR, was introduced in 1968 as a means to compare the performance of recreational ski racers at resorts across the United States, and later, for a time, in Australia, Canada, Scandinavia, Switzerland and Italy.