SCHLADMING, Austria - The Terminator joined the "Herminator" to get the Alpine skiing world championships started.

Austria-born Arnold Schwarzenegger and skiing great Hermann Maier shared the stage Monday during a rain-drenched opening ceremony of the 42nd Alpine worlds in Schladming, which is part of the Styria province where the superstar actor and former California governor grew up.

Schwarzenegger said "I still call this my home. Here I was born and I grew up, here I started my career and found my way into the world."

During his successful career which ended in 2009, Maier was nicknamed "The Herminator" after Schwarzenegger's "Terminator" movies.

The 70-minute ceremony showed music and folklore from Austria and was attended by 10,000 visitors, including many of the skiers who will compete at the 13-day event.

The worlds kick off with the women's super-G on Tuesday and end with the men's slalom on Feb. 17.

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