Fascination and Myth of Saslong

Each year before Christmas, the Ski fans from all over the world turn their attention to the Saslong in Val Gardena/Gröden in South Tyrol, Italy.

What’s new in Val Gardena/Gröden this year

Camel Humps and Ciaslat remain the key sections on the Saslong, but all around the offer is getting bigger and better every year. What's new in 2018?

Val Gardena/Gröden is looking for the fastest kids

A special highlight awaits 120 young ski racers on the Val Gardena/Gröden World Cup weekend: kids will participate in the Vitalini Speed Contest on the finish schuss section immediately after the super-G on Friday, 14 December. We are looking for the fastest boy and girl!

In Autumn, too: Innerhofer fans rock Val Gardena/Gröden

Christof Innerhofer's fans secured themselves a hiking day in Val Gardena/Gröden with a double anniversary at last year's World Cup weekend on the Saslong. As expected, they had quite the celebration.

The first snow is on the Saslong

Promising: last year the Dolomites were covered with early snowfalls and 2018 looks promising already. The first snow has already fallen and the preparations for the World Cup races are in full swing. Tickets are available here.

Val Gardena/Gröden delegation in Zurich

During the last few days, FIS held a number of important meetings in Zurich in preparation for the upcoming World Cup season. A delegation from the Val Gardena/Gröden Organizing Committee led by President Rainer Senoner was also in attendance.

New start time for downhill race

Today, FIS carried out its annual summer inspection visit in Val Gardena/Gröden. The two race directors Markus Waldner and Hannes Trinkl looked back on the 2017 races and took a close look at the Saslong course. It was announced that the race will start this year at 11:45 am and not at 12:15 pm as in the past.

Ski Champions Walk in Selva/Wolkenstein

Last Saturday, the Ski Champions Walk was opened in Selva/Wolkenstein. The historic path was designed by the local tourist office and the municipality of Selva/Wolkenstein. It is dedicated to the Ski World Cup and Val Gardena/Gröden's ski history.

Saslong Classic Club celebrates its Team

Instead of the best downhill skiers of the world whizzing down the mountain, it was the Val Gardena/Gröden World Cup team holding their glasses up: at the summer celebration of the Saslong Classic Club.

Almost 200 Hours on TV

The Ski World Cup on the Saslong is and remains a showcase for South Tyrol and the Dolomites. In December 2017 pictures of the races in Val Gardena/Gröden were broadcast on TV channels around the world for nearly 200 hours. The Ski World Cup on the Saslong is and remains a showcase for South Tyrol and the Dolomites.

In December 2017 pictures of the races in Val Gardena/Gröden were broadcast on TV channels around the world for nearly 200 hours. Thus, expectations were fully met. Nearly 90 television channels from 24 countries reported from Val Gardena/Gröden. Most of them were on site in the race week thrilling their audience with spectacular racing pictures and interviews with the racers. The best ratings for live broadcasts were recorded for NRK in Norway with 65 percent. In Austria (ORF) a good 55 percent of all television viewers saw the races and in Germany (ZDF) it was 25 percent. It is estimated that more than 100 million people have followed the broadcasts from Val Gardena/Gröden.

Also in terms of both live and delayed broadcasting time, Austria’s ORF stands out with almost 18 hours. Italy's stations bring it to just under nine hours, Germany’s to nine and a half. Curious: the Chinese audience saw shots from Val Gardena/Gröden for almost four hours. The data comes from the agency Infront, which markets the ski races in Val Gardena/Gröden.

The agency calculates the average number of viewers of the TV channels who have shown pictures from Val Gardena/Gröden. In the past, the range had been calculated, which…

General Assembly of the Saslong Classic Club

Last Thursday, the Saslong Classic Club held its annual meeting looking back on a very successful year. Two members were honored for their many years of service; a new organizational structure was presented.

Innovation expected for Val Gardena/Gröden in 2020

Last week, the International Ski Federation FIS held its congress in Costa Navarino, Greece, discussing changes in the Ski World Cup. Innovation planned for Val Gardena/Gröden: a sprint downhill in December 2020.

Tickets have gone for sale

Every year Val Gardena/Gröden hosts the Ski World Cup in mid-December. In 2018, a super-G and a downhill are scheduled for December, 14th and 15th, respectively. Tickets for the two races are for sale – click here for more information.

Vertical Up: Victories for Hannes Perkmann and Marlies Penker

On Saturday, 27 January 2018, the starting signal for the Vertical Up on the Saslong was shot at exactly 6:30 pm. Close to 200 participants rose to the challenge to tackle the Vertical Up course with a length of 2385 meters, a incline of up to 57 % and an altitude difference of 590 height meters.

Vertical Up: Register directly at the race

This Saturday, January 27th, the Vertical Up race is kicking off at 6:30 pm from the finish area of the Saslong. In the speed class, the winner is who’s fastest and there are great prizes awaiting for those recreational athletes in the backpack class. Last-minute participants can register on the day of the race.

"Choice of material and state of mind were decisive"

Philipp Götsch, winner of the speed class of the "Val Gardena-Gröden Vertical Up" race in 2017 is looking forward to racing again this year.

Saturday, January 27: Vertical up on the Saslong

There will be a second uphill Saslong race after the great success of last year's first edition. The Val Gardena/Gröden Vertical-Up takes place on Saturday, January 27, 2018 and is part of a series of competitions in several World Cup locations.

Südtirol Ski Trophy: Aleksander Aamodt Kilde wins

The winner of the Südtirol Ski Trophy is Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. The Norwegian amassed the highest number of FIS points at the South Tyrolean races in Val Gardena and Alta Badia, winning a prize money of over Euros 20,000.

First class anniversary edition

And this was this year's anniversary edition on the Saslong. The fiftieth World Cup races in Val Gardena/Gröden have entered the history books. Organizers, FIS and athletes can look back on a successful race week featuring a spectacular anniversary show, stubborn fog, a historic Super-G win and an extraordinary six-time winner in lead roles.

Chapeau, Aksel!

Bright sunshine and perfect conditions - the Saslong presented itself from its most attractive side on the day of the downhill in this anniversary year only competing with a beaming Aksel Lund Svindal who captured his sixth gold on the Saslong.

A big thank you

A stressful but exciting week has concluded for Rainer Senoner, president of the Val Gardena/Gröden World Cup Organizing Committee. He talks to the Saslong editorial team about the weather, the races and what fifty years of the World Cup mean for the valley.

Delighted and disappointed: There was a little of everything in today’s statements by the athletes

While Svindal is happy about his sixth Saslong victory, Peter Fill is the unlucky one of the day. You can read and listen here what the racers had to say about their runs.

Svindal's victory makes the news around the world

Numerous media reported on today's downhill in Val Gardena/Gröden. The Saslong editorial team has put together a selection.

Innerhofer fans are the best

They convinced the jury: The members of the fan club of Christof Innerhofer are the winners of the fan club parade this anniversary year.

Südtirol Ski Trophy: Svindal in the lead

This year, for the second time, the athlete who wins the most FIS points during the four South Tyrol World Cup races will receive a prize. Norwegian athlete Aksel Lund Svindal leads after the two speed competitions in Val Gardena/Gröden.

A "get-together" for sports, business and politics

All eyes are on skiing during the two days of races in Val Gardena/Gröden. And skiing can do a lot more than build suspense: once again, this big event is used by the “who's who" of sports, business and politics to combine skiing and networking. The World Cup in Val Gardena offers the perfect setting with even more exclusive options for this year's anniversary edition.

To another fifty years

Tonight fireworks and a big show looked back on the past fifty years of the World Cup in Val Gardena/Gröden. An impressive event - bringing together tradition and modernity - was held in the finish area to celebrate this big anniversary.

We always act as fair as possible

Due to the weather, today's Super-G was not an easy race. Nonetheless, FIS, organizers and coaches are pleased with today's decision to stop the race after 38 runners.

From the press center to the whole world

The first World Cup victory of Josef Ferstl as well as news on the whole race were reported live from Val Gardena/Gröden today. A selection of online media clippings can be found here!

Ferstl cheers in Val Gardena/Gröden

German Josef Ferstl celebrates his first World Cup victory in Val Gardena/Gröden. Only 2/100 of a second behind is the Austrian Max Franz.