IN A NUTSHELL
WHAT: Kitzbühel
WHERE: Austria ski town in the Tyrolean Alps
WHY: Steepest slope on the World Cup Ski Circuit; world's
most famous ski race; high country skiing the rest of the year
WHEN: Hahnenkamm occurs every January
HOW: Via car or train, or by metro from neighboring
villages |
What
do you get when you combine fantastic scenery, European sports
fervor, and white-knuckle entertainment? The Hahnenkamm.
“The Austrians are the world’s biggest ski fans, and the Hahnenkamm
is the world’s craziest party.”
- Daron Rahlves (US Ski Team, '03 winner
and '04 runner up)
Kitzbühel
is the perfect setting for the world famous Hahnenkamm ski race.
The Hahnenkamm is the toughest (and therefore most prestigious)
downhill ski race in the world.
The Hahnenkamm race attracts 30,000 people to the small, ritzy
Tyrolean town of Kitzbühel
every January. These ski fans pack the slopes to watch the
best skiers on the World Cup Circuit fly down the steep slopes at
dizzying speeds.
The event has the air of a big winter festival: giant screens
display the current skier and split times; music blares from
loudspeakers; rowdy fans scream and wave their nation's flag.
After the medals ceremony, the whole town becomes one giant party
with every bar, club, and restaurant packed with merry fans.
The whole town town takes on a lively atmosphere, and the fireworks
and packed city streets make it seem like it's New Year's Eve all
over again.
The Hahnenkamm Ski Race is a great way to enjoy the sport of ski
racing and to experience European sports culture at its best.
NOTE: If you
are looking for THE place to go after the race, visit the Londoner
Pub. In a tradition as old as the race itself, the winner of
the Hahnenkamm downhill shows up late at night to pour drinks behind
the bar all night long.
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