If this hut’s walls could speak ...
While tens of thousands party outside and the world's skiing elite battle their way down the Ganslern Slope, a world of its own unfolds in an inconspicuous hut in the finish area. For decades, it has served as a retreat, workshop and logistical hub for the Hahnenkamm Races – and Gerhard Seewald is its guardian. A story about fastidiousness, unusual housemates and, quite simply, a place without which the ski spectacle would not be possible.
There are many places at the Hahnenkamm Races that exude a unique magic: apart from the race tracks, there is the iconic Start House on the Streif, the cool Red Bull arch at the Hausbergkante and the unique Kitz Race Club at the finish line. But in the midst of this glittering world of one of the most prestigious ski races in the world, there is one place – no less important – that seems like an antithesis. It is a hut that has seen many a sunrise at the foot of the Ganslern Slope, prominently located in the finish area and surrounded by over 20,000 fans on the day of the Slalom (Sunday, 10:30 hrs).
You take a glance inside and immediately forget the loud, shrill and glamorous events outside. Once you cross the threshold, the world around you changes. You are greeted by Gerhard Seewald, who is, in a sense, the temporary host, but without a clear job title: ‘Everyone calls me Materialhittinger’, the master of the Material Hut, and with that, he pretty much sums up his role. The ‘entrée’ of the hut is warm and cosy, with the walls adorned mainly with memories of a time before nets, air fences, impact protection mats and spectator stands. One picture shows the lower section of the Streif in the 1970s, with a row of picket fences at the edge of the track.
The Material Hut – the name says it all – stores everything needed for the Streif and Ganslernn racecourses: slalom gates, wires, ropes, screws, nuts, bolts, washers, shovels, rakes, pickaxes, a pair of emergency skis, which quite probably date back to Alberto Tomba's day, and a selection of “Erdferkel.” These are broken slalom gates that come in handy for anchoring all sorts of things in the snow. Gerhard Seewald is responsible for looking after this treasure trove – issuing equipment, taking it back in, documenting it, and, above all, making repairs. It doesn’t take long before someone bursts into the hut with a snow cannon and says, “I’ve got something for you again. This one’s leaking!” The job is never-ending.
The man from Kitzbühel has been working for the Hahnenkamm Races since 1985. He started with the “Zaunpartie” fence team and took over the Material Hut in 1997 – a role he loves, even though it lasts only around six weeks in January and February. “I deal with so many people,” he says, “and everyone’s pleased when they can pick something up from me. The old hut also provides a ringside seat for the race, a place to briefly escape the hectic goings-on of the Slalom. Many big and lesser-known names have sat around the table there and raised a glass with Gerhard, whose names he won’t divulge. “Some things are best kept secret,” he says with a wink.
He’s far more forthcoming when it comes to the hut’s other occupants: the bird’s nest by the entrance, the “wasp chalets” inside, or the beehive. Fortunately, no one seems to be home at the moment – but once it gets warmer, as Gerhard puts it, “The hut comes alive.”
From the outside, it’s impossible to guess how spacious the nostalgic wooden building really is. Inside, it consists of two large rooms, divided into mostly meticulously organised sections, surrounded by cobwebs, dust and layers of patina. And just when you think you’ve seen it all, the Material Hut keeper asks casually: “Fancy seeing the cellar as well?”
Even though Gerhard Seewald’s workplace is only a stone’s throw from the Slalom finish, he prefers to watch the race on television from inside the hut. “It wouldn’t be ideal if the hut were left unattended during the Race.” From Monday, the big clear-up begins, making sure everything is returned, repaired and put into mothballs for next year. At this point, Gerhard would like to say thank you: “Working with Peter Widmoser and his mountain team is always great.” Peter is responsible for the main storage facility at the Grubermühle.
Tickets for Sunday's slalom are available here.
Photo © K.S.C./alpinguin
