The Italians are not the best at the organization, but they sure are brilliant at two things: the snow surface preparations in the most challenging conditions and how to prepare a stunning show. And one little detail: the organizers in Val Gardena are not Italians; they are South Tyrolean and proud of it. This year, we visited Val Gardena and Alta Badia to watch the super-G, downhill, and giant slalom.
The Super-G: Successful Battle Against the Weather
On Friday, it was freezing in St. Christina, and it was snowing the whole morning. We had doubts about the race’s start, but the locals reassured us.
“Last year, it was worse than this. This is nothing a few shovels cannot repair. Anyway, we have been working on the slope since 4 AM.”
So, the super-G started on time, as the snow stopped falling before brunch time.
The atmosphere was not as electric as we expected; the fans were only warming up before the big downhill on Saturday, but still, many people came to cheer on their favorite athletes.
One thing was cool: Every time the fans watched the skier at the start gate, a song played, and each athlete had their specific song. The Austrian racers skied to the rhythm of the Alpen pop. While they played Iron Maiden when the rocker Dominik Paris went down. Not that you could hear a word when the local hero raced. Ultimately, it was not “Dome” who pleased the local crowd. Mathia Casse made the fans immensely happy, and as his team raised the hero on their shoulders, the crowd went crazy.
Many Austrians and Swiss were supporting their athletes, but more was to come on the downhill day.
The Classical Downhill a Little Posh and Shiny
The downhill race is a moment of glory for the locals in Val Gardena. Everything was big: the World Cup party, the bib draw, and the promo. You could buy tickets almost everywhere, and many posh people arrived to celebrate in closed tents. However, the ordinary fans were still well cared for. As is usual in many downhill races, you could buy a so-called “Action” ticket. With this ticket, you can watch the race from the main arena, where you cheer, enjoy the atmosphere, feel the finishing athletes spraying you with snow, and watch the rest on a big screen.
But you can also wear your skis and go up with the gondola. Then, you can watch the athletes start, cheer them along the course, and follow the track as low as the famous Camel Bumps. If you are an adventurer, as we were, you can take off your skis, walk into the forest along the safety nets, and get a unique view. This is an unprecedented experience; along the track, you can feel the athletes race, you hear the sound of their skis bouncing and landing on the jumps, you feel the wind as they run along you, and you hear their cries of anguish when they miss the ideal angle.
However, the atmosphere at the finish is spectacular. They also played the music on the downhill day, but nobody heard it.
The fans cheered their Italian athletes the most, but the loudest fans were the Swiss. Not only did they occupy a balcony of the Hotel Florian just above the arena and hang their flags from the windows, but they also brought massive bells and rang them every time a Swiss athlete started.
And their athletes rewarded the fans with their performance, first Franjo Von Allmen and then Marco Odermatt. The most exciting moments, however, came in the end. As the sun shone on the highest parts of the track, the course got faster there, and many athletes with higher bib numbers, including the youngsters Livio Hildebrand (SUI) and Stephan Eichberger (AUT), with the veteran Brodie Seger (CAN) used the opportunity and made the spectators crazy. They all lost their lead in the Ciaslat section, which Odermatt and Von Allmen nailed, but still, their split times shone green for most of the race, and the audience noticed.
As the latest numbers finished, their performance was rewarded by a massive roar, as if they won the race.
The Giant Slalom in Alta Badia: Not So Posh Experience
Val Gardena is big; there are three villages to accommodate all the circus members. Compared to this, the Alta Badia ski resort is tiny. Thus, the two villages in the resort, Corvara and La Villa, got really crowded as the circus moved from one resort to another. While Alta Badia is South Tyrolian at the finest, everybody speaks German, and the services are of almost Austrian quality, Alta Badia is more Italian. That means that not only do people speak Italian, and not everybody understands German, but the service quality and the organization’s smoothness are also a little scrappy. It was nearly impossible to get any information about the race, how to get there, where to park, and how to get tickets. You could buy tickets online. Unfortunately, the links did not work on the days preceding the races.
The race track is situated on the Gran Risa piste; milder red was reserved for the tourists, while the brutally steep black track was where the course was set. Unfortunately, Gran Risa is quite far from Corvara, the main village. You could get there by bus or on skis using five lifts. And after you got to the base of the gondola in La Villa, you had to walk for six minutes to reach the stadium.
Unlike the downhill, which was quite expensive, the Alta Badia “Action” tickets cost only 10 euros. However, you had to climb up the hill to get a view, and the screen was low-quality.
The crowd on the central tribune was spectacular, if a little biased. When Alex Vinatzer (ITA) nailed the second run and sat in the red chair, the crowd went crazy. Then, quite unfairly, they shouted joyfully to celebrate every red number of the following athletes´ split times. But after their local hero got deposed, they returned to fair cheering and continued to chant the names of every athlete who arrived at the finish.
Mr. Odermatt, Can We Get a Photo Together?
In Alta Badia, we learned what it feels like to be a superstar in any sport. Most teams were stationed in the main restaurant at the top of the gondola station between the runs, meaning they had to walk through people occasionally.
On the other hand, during the Val Gardena race, they were safely behind the fence and only walked through fans when leaving the area. Then they went through the alley, where the fans waited to take a selfie or have their helmet signed, but were prepared for this. In Alta Badia, the athletes mixed freely with the crowds on their way on and off the track. And for some, this must have been a nightmare.
I was sitting on the terrace enjoying my coffee when they came. The whole Swiss team entered the terrace. Before I could decide whether it was decent to address them asking for a photo, there were already five people with phones in their hands asking the obviously miserable Odermatt (who was unhappy with his first run) for a selfie. I pitied him, but we only live once, don’t we, so I also asked for a photo. The guy is a darling for fans; he patiently waited while many people adjusted their cameras and tried to smile, even though the line got longer every second. Some less famous athletes looked more pleased when approached by fans and thanked when people wished them good luck. Still, the racers with at least one victory under their belts (or a more remarkable haircut to be recognized) could not walk through the crowds without being chased by people with phones. Inside the restaurant, they waited while at least ten people gathered at the door, phones ready, hoping for the superstars to come out.
When Marco Odermatt finally came out for the course inspection, the people were already tired of waiting. But a crowd of at least ten small boys was present, shouting and chasing him like a pack of cute puppies. He allowed them some photos but then ran away for the course inspection, obviously desiring to concentrate.
After the giant slalom race, Alex Vinatzer went to the gondola, happy chatting with the crowd following him. But before he could take a step, carrying his skis, he had to endure at least thirty selfies. As the people satisfied their need for selfies, some left, and only a few remained to talk to the star. And he spoke with them all the way to the gondola.
I have no idea how they do that, how they can concentrate while being chased by fans and their cameras everywhere.
But that comes as a part of the job, obviously.
By the way, the athletes and organizers did a pretty good job in the Dolomites. Let them wish for a calmer Christmas without fans chasing them around the Christmas tree.
