Stories about triumphant victories and matching defeats. About tricks, daring jumps and rockets under the skis. About animals that have strayed onto the slopes. The list of anecdotes before the 55th Saslong Classic and the 100th World Cup race on the Saslong is long. So here is the first part of a small selection of ten fun facts to read, marvel at and smile about... 

How it all began
On this Friday morning, the clocks in Val Gardena/Gröden are ticking a little differently. Nevertheless, there is something in the air. People are excited, feverishly anticipating an important event. No wonder: in a few hours, the first World Cup gold be chased on the Saslong course. Thirty-six gates were set on this 14 February 1969 on the 3,446-meter long course with an altitude difference of 839 meters from Ciampinoi at 2249 meters to the finish area of Ruaccia at 1410 meters above sea level. The Swiss Jean-Daniel Dätwyler will open the premiere with the start number 1. What he doesn't know yet when crossing the finish line: his time of 2:07.75 minutes will suffice for the victory. Henri Duvillard from France and Rudi Sailer from Austria will complete the podium. 

Two Swiss skiing legends become downhill world champions
Just one year after the World Cup premiere, the Alpine Ski World Championships are held in Val Gardena/Gröden. The men raced for gold, silver and bronze on the Saslong on 15 February 1970. It snowed the night before the big showdown. This put early starters at a disadvantage. And so Bernhard Russi, who starts the race in 15th place, takes full advantage of the situation. 2:24.57 minutes is the winning time of the young Swiss, who celebrates his first big title and first World Cup triumph in Val Gardena/Gröden. The women's downhill was decided four days earlier. On the Cir slope in Selva Gardena/Wolkenstein, Annerösli Zryd had her great moment and left the then very young Annemarie Moser-Pröll from Austria behind her, who rejoiced over bronze.   

The only South Tyrolean downhill winner
16 December 1977 is a day that will go down in the annals of South Tyrolean sports history. It is the day on which the Saslong will see the only downhill triumph of a racer from the northernmost province of Italy. According to records, it is freezing cold in Val Gardena/Gröden, the slope is as hard as a rock, and in places, you can see the grass poking out under a thin layer of ice. The favorites are already at the finish line when Herbert Plank from Vipiteno/Sterzing catapults himself out of the starting gate. The then 23-year-old catches the starting turn perfectly and takes extreme speed into the flat section after the loop. The Wipptaler's crouch is deep; he leaves the other key sections like the Sochers walls, the Camel Humps - here the wild humps knock him mercilessly through the air - and the Ciaslat behind him, racing as fast as an arrow. 2:01.47 flashes the clock at the Finish in front of thousands of fans - along with a "#1". And even if the Austrian team protests because of allegedly faulty timing and a low start number - Plank is the winner getting celebrated.  

A jump for the ages
Until the mid-1970s, they are called the Jump of the Kangaroo. That is until Sepp Sulzberger, the legendary FIS delegate in Val Gardena/Gröden comes along and unceremoniously renames them Camel Humps. This key section of the only South Tyrolean World Cup downhill became really famous on 14 December 1980, when Uli Spieß's great hour arrived. The North Tyrolean from Austria was the first to jump over the second and third Camel Humps with a clearance of seven meters and landing safely after 50 meters. In the end, Spieß comes fifth, and the victory goes to the Swiss Peter Müller. But the big star of the day is that brave ski racer who first dared to jump over the Val Gardena/Gröden "waves." 

The Klammer trick
World Cup race in 1982. This year there are two downhill races on the Saslong. The Swiss Conradin Cathomen is unbeatable on Friday, leaving Erwin Resch and Franz Klammer behind. But before the second downhill on Saturday, Klammer reaches deep into his bag of tricks. On the gondola ride up to the start, he tells his masseur that he had partied the night before and therefore hardly slept. Also in the cabin is Peter Müller, one of the favorites, who pretends not to have heard anything. The top-fit Klammer, who was pulling Müller's leg, catches the perfect line and celebrates his fourth and last triumph overall on the Saslong - 48 hundredths of a second ahead of Müller. No wonder the Swiss are said to have been quite annoyed.