snowkings logo








Famous Race Track Names

Do you know your Streif from your Lauberhorn ? or your Hahnenkamm from your Kandahar ?

Well get the low-down on all the races and slope names on the FIS World Cup circuit with our list of the most famous ski racing tracks and courses in the sport.

Famous Downhill Skiing Slope Names

Venue Country Track/Course Name Details
Bad Kleinkirchheim Austria Franz Klammer Bad Kleinkirchheim (or BKK as some like to shorten it to) appears every few years on the women's world cup tour for a downhill. The Carinthian town is Franz Klammer's home ski resort and the legendary racer still lives just down the road, hence it's no great surprise that the race slope has been named after him.
Beaver Creek USA Birds of Prey A relative newcomer to the ski-racing World Cup circuit when compared to some of the classic slopes, the Birds of Prey slope has nevertheless become a favourite in a short space of time. The Birds of Prey course was designed by Olympic champion Bernhard Russi for the 1999 World Championships. The name of the course is quite appropriate as Beaver Creek is located in Eagle County, and many of the ski jumps on the course have a birds of prey theme: including Peregrine, Screech Owl, Goshawk, Golden Eagle, Harrier, and Red Tail.
Bormio Italy Stelvio Built for the 1985 Skiing World Championships, the slope takes it's name from the nearby Stelvio Pass, the 2nd highest pass in the Alps. It's become a regular on the downhill ski race circuit since 1993, and now has a seemingly permanent fixture as the traditional end of year downhill race on the 29th December before the skiers get a short New Year break. It now has a growing reputation as one of the most feared and technically difficult courses on the circuit, right up their alongside the likes of Kitzbuhel, Wengen and Beaver Creek, although many skiers give it the nod as the 2nd most difficult behind the Hahnenkamm.
Chamonix France La Verte Des Houches Les Hoches is a ski resort about 6km from Chamonix. La Verte is the name of the slope, and it translates as "the Green", although that obviously has nothing to do with the rating of the piste ! The green refers to the colour of the fir trees that border the race slope.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany Kandahar The classic Kandahar slope descends from Kreuzjoch in the Garmisch Classic ski area. The word "Kandahar" is found in a number of famous race courses, and is taken from the historic Kandahar Ski Club, and the race of the same name that it organised at a number of venues throughout the Alps.
Kitzbuhel Austria Streif Streif means streak, or stripe, and is the name of the downhill course that is set on the Hahnenkamm mountain. The Streif slope is undoubtedly the most famous, and the most feared, downhill on the ski-racing circuit, and makes the Hahnenkamm Race weekend one of the most popular sporting events in Austria.
Kvitfjell Norway Olympiabakken Named after the 1994 Winter Olympics, when Kvitfjell held the alpine racing events whilst Lillehammer hosted the games.
Lenzerheide Switzerland Silvano Beltrametti The course is named in honour of the promising young Swiss skier Silvano Beltrametti who was paralysed from the chest down after crashing during the Val d'Isere race in December 2001 whilst travelling at more than 80mph.
Sestriere Italy Kandahar Banchetta The Arlberg-Kandahar is a traditional alpine ski race, and the races have been held over the years at a number of resorts and courses, such as St Anton (in Arlsberg, Austria), Murren, Chamonix, Garmisch and Sestriere. Some of the slopes, such as those at Garmisch and Sestriere, have been named after the race - such as the Kandahar Banchetta at Sestriere which takes the 2nd part of it's name from Monte Banchetta, the local mountain.
Val Gardena Italy Saslong Named after the magnificent pink-tinged Sassolungo mountain, who's craggy peak dominates over the course, the Saslong is one of the most beautiful downhill slopes on the world cup circuit , and also one of the most famous. The Saslong is best known for it's seemingly never-ending series of bumps and sharp turns of the Ciaslat section and for it's Camel Hunches, it was also the setting for Britain's greatest ever moment in ski racing, Konrad Bartelski's famous 2nd place in 1981, missing out by just 0.11 seconds to Austrian skier Erwin Resch.
Wengen Switzerland Lauberhorn Named after the mountain which overlooks Wengen, and where the world famous course is held on.

Famous Slalom Skiing Slope Names

Venue Country Track/Course Name Details
Lenzerheide Switzerland Silvano Beltrametti The course is named in honour of the promising young Swiss skier Silvano Beltrametti who was paralysed from the chest down after crashing during the Val d'Isere race in December 2001 whilst travelling at more than 80mph.
Levi Finland Levi Black Well, it does exactly what it says on the tin - it's in Levi, and it's the main black run ! The slope starts off quite nice and easy but the final section is one of the steepest pitches on the women's slalom tour. Levi is also the most northerly stop on the FIS Alpine World Cup tour.
Lienz Austria Hochstein The course is named after the local mountain at Lienz. Lienz is a popular stop on the women's World Cup tour and has alternated with Semmering every other year to host end-of-year slalom and giant slalom events.
Kitzbuhel Austria Ganslern The slope's full name is the Ganslernhang but it's often referred to in its shortened form of Ganslern. This is the ski slope in Kitzbühel on which the slalom race is held as part of the Hahnenkamm race weekend. Just as its sister slope, the Streif, has an unparalleled reputation for the downhill race, the Ganslern has a great reputation amongst the slalom skiers, and it's one of the most demanding courses on the slalom calendar. The name of the Ganslern slope comes from a farm that stood there until 1993.
Madonna di Campiglio Italy Canalone Miramonti Canalone Miramonti is the name of slalom race slope at Madonna di Campiglio, one of the grand Italian resorts set high up in the Brenta Dolomites. This is one of the classic race slopes of Europe, with it's steepest pitch nudging just beyond 60 degrees, and has been home to some incredible race atmosphere's throughout the 1980's and 90's, particularly when home favourite Alberto Tomba "la Bomba" was in town. Tomba won here 3 times, 1987, 1988 and finally in 1995, when an estimated 40,000 fans lined the slopes and the finish area to cheer him on. Having been one of the regular venues on the World Cup circuit right up to 2002, with a favourable pre-Christmas slot, the FIS suddenly dropped it in favour of other venues throughout the 2000's. However, the resort returned to the men's circuit in December 2012 with an atmospheric night slalom which will hopefully see it regain a regular place on the calendar.
The Official Canalone Miramonti website: www.3trecampiglio.it
Sestriere Italy Kandahar Slalom The Arlberg-Kandahar is a traditional alpine ski race, and the races have been held over the years at a number of resorts and courses, such as St Anton (in Arlsberg, Austria), Murren, Chamonix, Garmisch and Sestriere. Some of the slopes, such as those at Garmisch and Sestriere, have been named after the race - such as the Kandahar Banchetta at Sestriere which takes the 2nd part of it's name from Monte Banchetta, the local mountain.
Wengen Switzerland Mannlichen Named after the mountain which overlooks Wengen, and where the slalom course is held, as opposed to the downhill, which runs down the Lauberhorn.

Famous Giant-Slalom Skiing Slope Names

Venue Country Track/Course Name Details
Adelboden Switzerland Chuenisbaergli This legendary giant slalom course kicks off with a steep start section called the Kanonenrohr (the cannon's muzzle), goes into an undulating mid-section known Schnittenmedli, down to Wintertal and into the fantastic final half of the course. This includes the iconic dramatic change in direction at Piere's Lagi before the awesome final slope 'the Zielhang' that overlooks the finish area and which at 60 percent is the steepest section of slope on the world cup circuit. And the name "Chuenisbaergli" ? That's the name of the actual hill.
Lenzerheide Switzerland Silvano Beltrametti The course is named in honour of the promising young Swiss skier Silvano Beltrametti who was paralysed from the chest down after crashing during the Val d'Isere race in December 2001 whilst travelling at more than 80mph.
Lienz Austria Hochstein The course is named after the local mountain at Lienz. Lienz is a popular stop on the women's World Cup tour and has alternated with Semmering every other year to host end-of-year slalom and giant slalom events.
Solden Austria Rettenbach The track is named after the Rettenbach glacier on which the race is run. Being on a snow-sure glacier, the Solden giant Slalom has become the traditional curtain-raiser for the FIS World Cup tour.

Famous Super-G Skiing Slope Names

Venue Country Track/Course Name Details
Kvitfjell Norway Olympiabakken Named after the 1994 Winter Olympics, when Kvitfjell held the alpine racing events whilst Lillehammer hosted the games.
Lenzerheide Switzerland Silvano Beltrametti The course is named in honour of the promising young Swiss skier Silvano Beltrametti who was paralysed from the chest down after crashing during the Val d'Isere race in December 2001 whilst travelling at more than 80mph.



Share Share
Pinterest