Friendly, assertive and without compromise
No matter whether you're an athlete, coach or a curious fan, if you want to visit the Start House on the Hahnenkamm over the coming days, you’re sure to encounter Manfred Berger. The man from Carinthia and his Piste Security Team have been providing safety and guidance along the racetracks for 20 years.
For hundreds – possibly even thousands – of Hahnenkamm Race fans, Manfred Berger is the first point of contact on the mountain these days. Since 12th January, the cheerful Carinthian has been managing access to the Start House and the Red Bull Energy Station. The question ‘Can I just take a quick look down?’ is one of the most frequently asked by winter sports enthusiasts: ‘I hear that at least 50 times a day,’ says the Velden native – and he fully understands. ‘For the rest of the year, this area directly next to the Start House is a popular photo spot facing the Mausefalle.’ During race week, however, this area is reserved exclusively for accredited personnel. One glance at the different accreditations, in five different colours, is enough for Manfred Berger to know whether or not someone is allowed in.
Manfred Berger and his Piste Security Team have been working at the Hahnenkamm Races for 20 years. Unlike the staff at the entrances to the finish area, his team of up to 60 members primarily deals with athletes, coaches, service personnel, Kitzbühel Ski Club staff and employees of the cableway operator. ‘We make sure only those who are accredited can access the start area and racecourse.’ On race days, the tickets of fans who want to watch directly from the course are also scanned. Until 2020, tickets could also be purchased directly from the piste security staff, but now fans can do this themselves via the web shop. However, no more tickets are available for Saturday.
Manfred Berger and his team are not only in charge of access control, they are also happy to provide information for spectators. ‘We're not grim-faced doormen,’ says the Carinthian with a smile. ‘People want to know how to get safely down to the valley or ask about the best place to watch the race along the course.’ Every now and then, Berger says with a smirk, someone would ‘wave a wad of 200s’ around. ‘Just to be able to ski a few turns down the Streif. But I understand that too – after all, it is the most appealing racecourse in the world.’
Manfred Berger himself is a state-certified ski instructor and trainer. After 20 years of work at Arlberg, Saalbach and Gerlitzen, however, he had had enough of teaching – but not of the snow and mountains. ‘So I founded Austria's first security company specialising in ski races and ski resorts.’ And in summer, Manfred Berger swaps the snow for its liquid counterpart and runs a sailing and motorboat school at Lake Wörthersee.
Photo © K.S.C./alpinguin
