Happy faces at the FIS snow control
FIS Race Director Hannes Trinkl encountered perfect conditions during his snow inspection of the Streif and Ganslern slopes on Friday. If the weather continues to play ball, there is nothing to stop the 85th Hahnenkamm Races from going ahead. 34,000 tickets have already been sold for the three race days. Tickets are available in the web-shop.
“That must have been the shortest snow report of all time,” said a delighted OC Chief Michael Huber, after FIS Race Director Hannes Trinkl took a mere 20 seconds to share his verdict with guests and media representatives present in the Red Bull Zielhaus. It read as follows: “Thanks to Bergbahn Kitzbühel Cable Car Co., thanks to everyone at Kitzbühel Ski Club and thanks to Streif Course Chief, Herbert Hauser. Snow coverage on both the Streif and Ganslern slopes is superb and of excellent quality,” summarised Hannes Trinkl. “If the weather plays ball, we can look forward to a great Race Week,” said the man from Upper Austria confidently.
Both courses are pretty much race-ready two weeks to the day before the 85th Hahnenkamm Races commence, and the captivating alpine landscape is picture perfect. The upper section of the racecourse was covered by a 15-centimetre layer of fresh snow on Friday, which the Piste Team and Bergbahn Cable Car Co. will deal with from Saturday onwards. Herbert Hauser has only words of praise for the skilled drivers at the controls: “My thanks go to Bergbahn’s snowcat operators. Their work is fundamental to our success.”
It has snowed repeatedly in Kitzbühel this winter. However, this year’s excellent conditions on the Streif and Ganslern are also the result of a sophisticated snow-making system that was installed over the summer, a collaborative project between Bergbahn Kitzbühel Cable Car Co. and Kitzbühel Ski Club. Thanks to a new cooling tower system and an increase in pumping capacity, it is now possible to create snow on the Streif twice as fast as before. While the output of the snow cannons does not need to be increased, they work more effectively with the cooler water. This also created a positive knock-on effect for the Ganslernhang slope, which now has more snow than ever before: “This is not only good for the World Cup athletes, but also for the Juniors Race on 22nd January. They now practically have their own racecourse, which is of course more “grippy” and better for young people to ski,” explains Chief of Race, Mario Mittermayer-Weinhandl.
Anton Bodner, head of the Cable Car Co., is also very happy with the investment: “Our cooperation with the Ski Club for creating an improved snowmaking system has already paid off. It works exactly as we hoped and takes a lot of pressure off us. This snowmaking system also helps us with preparing the Kampen as an alternative route when the Streif has to be closed, as well as in the Finish Area, which is covered with snow this year.”
Michael Huber is also “satisfied thus far” with ticket sales. 18,000 tickets have already been sold for Saturday (Downhill) and 8,000 each for Friday (Super-G) and Sunday (Slalom). Only a limited supply of VIP tickets for Friday and Sunday are left. Tickets are available exclusively from the online shop.
Those already gripped by racing fever are advised to visit Pass Thurn, where three men’s Europa Cup races are taking place on the new speed track next week: a Super-G on Monday and a Downhill race on both Thursday and Friday. Races start every day at 11 hrs. Hannes Endstrasser (22) and Nicolas Hofer (22) from Kitzbühel Ski Club will also be taking part. After a 64-year break, the women’s ski elite will be making their comeback on the Streif on 8th and 9th March, when two Europa Cup Super-Gs will be held. Women’s races enjoyed great tradition in Kitzbühel until 1961. Their return to the Streif, however, is a one-off as the Europa Cup women's race is to become a permanent fixture on the race calendar at Pass Thurn from the 2025/2026 season onwards.
Photo © K.S.C./alpinguin
