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Keys to the Hahnenkamm According to Klammer
As we prepare for our 2012 Hahnenkamm trip, here’s a good article that gives you a bit of introspective of the challenge each racers is about to embark one:
By Doug Lewis, Universal Sports
Most downhill races are held on trails that are fun to ski. Long after the gates and nets have been taken down, the trails of World Cup’s most famous speed tracks like Birds of Prey, Bormio, Whistler and Garmisch are wide open, filled with exciting terrain and a blast to ski.
Not so at Kitzbuehel. The Hannenkahm course drops, criss-crosses, dives, traverses and cuts a unique path from the top of the Austrian alps all the way to the city center almost 3000 feet below. It’s a mish-mash of trails and farmer’s fields connected together once a year for the biggest day in Alpine racing. No one would ever say, “Hey let’s go free-ski the DH trail at Kitz.” It would not be fun.
It’s fitting then, that this patchwork of ugly terrain becomes the most legendary two minutes of skiing on the planet.
Let’s breakdown the keys to Kitzbuehel with the help of four-time Hannenkahm winner Franz Klammer.
Klammer: “The first thing that came to my mind – no way racers can ski this. I was sh*tting my pants. The speeds are like crazy. But, then I thought, this is THE race to win if you are a downhiller. So I made a decision to attack.” Continue reading
