The anticipation of the night slalom in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Wednesday is huge, but so is the work: preparing the route on the Gudiberg in particular is a major challenge.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
– Those responsible were not really aware of it.
But what is being offered these days in the Olympic Ski Stadium and on the Gudiberg is simply a world premiere.
There has never been a World Cup ski jumping event and a World Cup slalom on one mountain.
Nordic and alpine top-class sport within four days in one and the same destination - a novelty.
"That's right, that's probably the case," says Martina Betz, Chairwoman of the Garmisch Ski Club, and broods a little in disbelief.
But even the well-travelled sports journalist Uli Nett, who supports the organizing committee in media work, cannot think of any other example with this combination.
So curtain up for something new: After the jump on New Year's Day, now the slalom at the best time before the evening.
Parallel competition at Holmenkollen without ski jumping
In 2018 and 2019, the Alpine racers conquered the Holmenkollen in Oslo as a thoroughly Nordic sports venue.
There, on January 1st, on the opposite side of the ski jump, which leads through a deep bowl similar to the facility in Innsbruck, a 180 meter long piste was constructed in order to run a parallel competition as a city event.
Only: Back then, ski jumping only took place at the Holmenkollen Ski Games in early March.
More than two months later.
These races have also taken place in the Munich Olympic Park, which were intended to bring skiing closer to the spectators, i.e. into the cities.
In 2011 and 2013, the latter edition was even won by Felix Neureuther from Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
But the weather didn't cooperate in the years that followed, and Munich was ruled out as a venue.
Moscow, Stockholm and Oslo were the destinations in later years.
Two events on the same day: unthinkable
Peter Fischer, the former head of the World Cup OC, also remembers the plans to hold a slalom directly after the New Year's competition.
"It wasn't that long ago, maybe five years." Except that it was logistically unthinkable.
This is becoming all the more clear to those responsible these days, as they have to organize the two events three days apart.
"It's a big challenge," assures Betz.
There are plenty of synergy effects between jumping and slalom, for example when using the infrastructure in the finish area in the ski stadium.
But especially in times when the preparation of the race track on the Gudiberg is like a balancing act with the last 15 degrees in the shade due to the weather, it is difficult to switch to the neighboring slope immediately after jumping.
For example, the subject of the slope grandstand fell victim to the time factor.
"We can't get there in two or three days," says Betz.
Not because it is not possible to build something.
You simply can't get to the areas of the facility where a grandstand could be set up.
"We don't have to set ourselves any additional tasks, there's enough to do to keep the race track in the best possible condition," says the chairman.
Two top events in the high season: priceless advertising for Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Those responsible are looking forward to the slalom with great anticipation.
"It is precisely this constellation with the two major events in such a short time that is tremendous advertising for Garmisch-Partenkirchen," emphasizes Fischer.
"Both in prime time - actually priceless."
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Manual work is required: the fences are carried up the mountain by the SCG helpers on foot.
© PETER KORNATZ
Apparently it wasn't that easy to get these top spots on TV.
In the end, it is television that decides who gets to race and when.
Although January 4th is a Wednesday and therefore a working day, it represents a complete winter sports day in terms of TV. The men's slalom must be completed with the Tour de Ski of cross-country skiers, the women's slalom classic in Zagreb and the third jump of the Four Hills Tournament compete in Innsbruck.
"At the beginning it was still said that Zagreb would be the night race, it's our turn in the afternoon," reveals Fischer.
It was quite a struggle to bring about this change.
The women now ski at 12.30 p.m. before the first round of ski jumping and at 4.30 p.m.
In between are the men at the Gudiberg with the first run at 15.
40 o'clock - directly after the jumping in Innsbruck.
The final is at 6:45 p.m.
"We're then on the air until 7:50 p.m. on the news, that's prime time."
The best time, then, and then there's pure night slalom under the floodlights in the stadium.
tickets
for the slalom are available online at www.skiweltcup-garmisch.de or at the box office on the day of the race.
The tickets cost 25 euros.
Young people under the age of 17 have free entry, but need a ticket, which is available at the cash desk.
