The most notorious ski race in the world will take place once again this year in Austria. On January 26, 2019, thousands of spectators will flock to Kitzbühel to cheer on the professional skiers as they fly down the Streif at the 79th Hahnenkamm races. The FIS Skiing World Cup event will include super G, slalom and downhill races. Whether you’ll be watching live or on TV, here’s what you need to know about the legendary ski event.
The Streif downhill: Most legendary skiing race course in the world
The Streif downhill is legendary for a reason. One of the steepest and most dangerous pistes in the Alps, the slope reaches a gradient of up to 85%. This means skiers sometimes jump up to 60 metres before touching the ground again! It’s no wonder that skiers have reached speeds of over 130km/h on this piste. The run measures 3312 metres long and 1665 metres high and the fastest time was skied by Austrian skier Fritz Strobl, who sailed down the whole thing in just 1:51:58, or an average of 107km/h. The fastest speed ever achieved on the Streif downhill was a whopping 153km/h, by fellow Austrian skier Michael Walchhofer in 2006.
The Streif downhill: Most legendary skiing race course in the world
The Streif downhill is legendary for a reason. One of the steepest and most dangerous pistes in the Alps, the slope reaches a gradient of up to 85%. This means skiers sometimes jump up to 60 metres before touching the ground again! It’s no wonder that skiers have reached speeds of over 130km/h on this piste. The run measures 3312 metres long and 1665 metres high and the fastest time was skied by Austrian skier Fritz Strobl, who sailed down the whole thing in just 1:51:58, or an average of 107km/h. The fastest speed ever achieved on the Streif downhill was a whopping 153km/h, by fellow Austrian skier Michael Walchhofer in 2006.
