The World Cup organizers in Val Gardena/Gröden, together with the tourism managers of DOLOMITES Val Gardena Marketing, have set a special prize with the goal of enhancing the classics on the Saslong. In this competition, the racer who scores the most World Cup points in the races at the foot of the Sassolungo/Langkofel mountain on the last weekend before Christmas can once again look forward to the DOLOMITES Val Gardena South Tyrol Ski Trophy and thus to an original 3D wooden bust, as well as extra prize money of 5,000 euros and a short vacation in Val Gardena/Gröden.

The World Cup races in Alpine skiing have a decades-long tradition in Val Gardena/Gröden. Since 1969, the renowned winter sports event has been organized by the Saslong Classic Club with great success, and in 1970 it also shone as an excellent World Cup host. In a constant effort to make the races on the legendary South Tyrolean downhill slope even more professional and attractive, the dedicated organizing committee, together with DOLOMITES Val Gardena Marketing, is once again awarding a special prize. The DOLOMITES Val Gardena South Tyrol Ski Trophy will be awarded to the racer who scores the most World Cup points in the super-G on Friday, December 17, 2021 and in the classic downhill on December 18, 2021. If two racers are tied, the athlete with the better ranking in one of the two races will prevail. If there is also a tie here, the winner will be the one with the better result in the downhill race.

"With this initiative, we want to create an incentive for the best downhill skiers in the world and reward them for top sporting performances in both disciplines. We were able to win an extremely sport-affine partner with DOLOMITES Val Gardena Marketing for this project last year. After the successful premiere it was clear for both sides that we would like to continue this initiative. For this and for the many years of excellent cooperation in the context of our speed races, DOLOMITES Val Gardena Marketing deserves our sincere thanks", emphasizes Rainer Senoner, President of the Saslong Classic Club.

DOLOMITES Val Gardena Marketing also remains enthusiastic about the special prize. "Projects of this kind appeal to us. The commitment of the Saslong Classic Club rubs off positively on the DOLOMITES Val Gardena brand and inevitably brings it closer to our target group - the international skiing public. Not only through media reports, but above all through the winning athlete himself. He shares his joy about winning the DOLOMITES Val Gardena South Tyrol Ski Trophy with his followers both immediately after the races via social networks and in the summer, when he is once again a guest in our beautiful valley as part of a short vacation. Like in August this year, when Aleksander Aamodt Kilde reviewed his triumphs together with us at the Saslonch Hut," say Ezio Prinoth, Ambros Hofer and Christoph Vinatzer of DOLOMITES Val Gardena Marketing.

By the way, the true-to-the-original 3D wooden busts of the successful racers will be on public display. They can be viewed by all skiing enthusiasts in the "Hall Of Fame" at the Saslonch Hut. In addition to the bust of Kildes, those of Kjetil Jansrud and Rasmus Windingstad are also exhibited there. The DOLOMITES Val Gardena South Tyrol Ski Trophy has evolved from the South Tyrol Ski Trophy, which was awarded from 2016 to 2019.

Val Gardena ski history can also be lived on the Ski Champions Walk in Selva/Wolkenstein. It is dedicated to the ski champions who have won a World Cup race in the valley since 1969 or became World Champions in 1970, as well as to all those who believed in the idea of skiing in Val Gardena/Gröden with a lot of ambition and pioneering spirit. The start of the course is at the walkway of the old railroad line behind the ski school in the village center of Selva/Wolkenstein.