Four Hills tournament — New Year’s Ski Jumping
Takes place in: Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Oberstdorf, Bischofshofen, Innsbruck (Austria)
The first New Year’s Ski Jumping event was held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 1922. In 1953 this old-established competition started a new sporting event when it hosted the first Four Hills tournament.
At that first tournament, ski jumpers from six nations took part and were watched by 20,000 cheering spectators standing on the slopes.
Today the New Year’s Ski Jumping is a World Cup event and the second jumping competition in the annual Four Hills tournament, which is broadcast internationally by up to 25 television stations. Around 30,000 fans flock to Garmisch-Partenkirchen every year to watch the sporting action. Although the breathtaking feats of the international ski-jumping superstars can be watched from the comfort of one’s own living room almost anywhere in the world, the unique atmosphere of this event can only be truly experienced by being a part of it.
Numerous visitors all wishing each other a happy New Year, plus musical entertainment and the sound of countless cow bells, creates a great atmosphere, even away from the jump itself. The jumpers start their warm-up on the great Olympic jump at 11.30am on New Year’s Eve, followed by the qualifier jumps from 1.45pm before it all really kicks off on New Year’s Day. The 50 competitors start their trial runs at 12 noon and at 2pm the starting pistol sounds for the first jump of round one of the competition. The top 30 then qualify for the subsequent final round.
These days, the annual opening ceremony of the Four Hills tournament takes place in Oberstdorf in the Allgäu, where spectators don’t just marvel at the record sporting achievements but also celebrate a ski festival that is enjoyed by all. A supporting programme of entertainment starts with the official opening of the event on 27 December in the Nordic Park. The qualifying jumps start the day after at 4pm and the final takes place on 29 December.
Web: Vierschanzentournee, Oberstdorf: https://www.vierschanzentournee.com/
Alpine Ski World Cup in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
The world’s top skiers will meet in Garmisch-Partenkirchen for the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships ca. early February.
It is a large event with about 400 participating athletes from more than 70 countries and about 200,000 spectators. The championships include competitions in five disciplines – Downhill, Super-G, Super Combined, Giant Slalom and Slalom – for both the men’s and women’s categories.
In addition there is also a mixed (men and women) competition of the national teams. The slalom race takes place on the slopes of the Gudiberg and has a home straight that leads into the Olympic ski stadium and ski jump in Partenkirchen. All the other races take place on the Kandahar with the finishing line in Garmisch. The Kandahar downhill run in Garmisch is considered one of the most challenging in the Alpine Ski World Cup.
Web: https://www.skiweltcup-garmisch.com/en/
Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup
Annual event mid/end of February.
Fans of the bobsleigh and skeleton races will all get to experience that icy breeze coming off the run at the Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup at Lake Königssee.
The bobsleigh, skeleton and toboggan run at Lake Königssee was the world’s first artificial run. Today, those in the know still consider it one of the most technically challenging World Cup bobsleigh and tobogganing runs.
Spectator stands and giant screens provide an overview of all the action, which takes place mid February when the star bob and skeleton riders battle it out for the title of world champion. During the week it is mainly training runs that take place on ice channel, with the men’s and women’s competitions held from Friday until Sunday.
Website: International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation https://www.ibsf.org/en/
Tour de Ski in Oberhof
The Tour de Ski is considered one of the most important series of cross-country skiing races in the world.
Top international cross-country skiers must complete a gruelling programme of individual race segments within a period of ten days. A total of eight prestigious sprint and medium-distance races will take place at five locations in two countries over the New Year period.
Since 2008 Oberhof in Thuringia is hosting the first segment of the race on 31 December with the men’s 3.75km race and the women’s free-technique race of more than 2.5km. The 15km men’s and 10km women’s classic-style pursuit races then take place on 1 January.
During and after the races spectators can take leisurely walks on the race slopes of Mount Grenzadler.
The temporary village opens at the same time as the opening ceremony in the stadium and closes one hour after the end of the races.
Website: https://www.weltcup-oberhof.de/
Luge World Championships in Winterberg
Early December in Winterberg (Region Hochsauerland, North Rhine-Westphalia)
Enthusiastic crowds will be spurring on the world’s top lugers with flags, horns and cow bells at the Viessmann Luge World Championships in Winterberg, North Rhine-Westphalia.
