Lauberhorn – The World Cup Alpine Skiing Race in Wengen

A mountain in the Bernese Oberland has gone down in history of skiing: the Lauberhorn. The skiing club Wengen, exactly two men called Ernst Getsch and Christian Rubi, have called the downhill race on theLauberhorn into being. That was in 1930. In the meantime, the FIS – the international skiing association – organizes this sports event. The skiing aces pit their strengths in the two disciplines downhill race and slalom. With 4.5 kilometres the race piste is the longest distance of the FIS World Race downhill races.

More spectacular route sections are called according to daredevil winter athletes who have proven their strength in Alpine Skiing here. The Russi jump owes its name to Bernd Russi, a Swiss skier who showed a made-for-the-movies jump for the media. The Minsch edge is considered to be a dangerous place and received its name according to the Swiss Jos Minsch, who hardly injured himself there during the 60ies. At the Canadian Corner the Canadian combatants did not manage the bend in 1982 and tumbled on the piste. The Austrian Hole owes its name to a series of falls as well: During the Lauberhorn Race in 1954 the Austrian Skiers fell down at the same place. Among them Toni Sailer as well, who always was the winner of the following four World Races. The skier with the most wins of the Lauberhorn Race is Karl Molitor, who between 1939 and 1947 stood at the podium for six times.

Wengen is all topsy turvy during the Lauberhorn Race

The international Lauberhorn race in Wengen is a classic among the downhill runs in Alpine Skiing. The Lauberhorn Race is of benefit for the tourism in the Jungfrau (Virgin) region because many visitors come just because of this ski spectacle. They want to see with their own eyes which so far they could only observe as one of many spectators on the television screen. They want to cheer along passionately when the international skiing aces challenge each other at the oldest and longest downhill run of the Alpine Skiing.

After the start at 2315 metres, the athletes have to master the Russi jump and the jump at the Hundschopf. The steep slope is a fast-moving challenge for the skiing athletes. At the Minsch Edge if follows a rapid bend with change of course by almost ninety degrees. At the Hanneggschuss the skiers accelerate, rush down the piste with 150 kilometres per hour. As soon as they have successfully left the Österreicherloch (Austrian Hole), they have almost reached the finish. The last bends – and after some exciting and turbulent minutes the race is over. The fastest skier of the Lauberhorn Race so far was an Italian.

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