Lauberhorn is the longest and oldest active

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...

downhill ski course in the world, which is located and named after the

same name ''Same Name'' is an American reality television series in which an average person swaps lives with a celebrity of the same first and last name. It premiered on July 24, 2011 on CBS. The series received low ratings, and CBS pulled it after four-ep ...

mountain in

Wengen Wengen () is a mountain village in the Bernese Oberland of central Switzerland. Located in the canton of Bern at an elevation of above sea level, it is part of the Jungfrauregion and has approximately 1,300 year-round residents, which swells t ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, debuted in 1930. As Switzerland is and always was military neutral, downhill competitions were held even during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. It is part of the Lauberhornrennen, the oldest active alpine ski competition in the world and the course is very famous after extraordinary scenery with

Eiger The Eiger () is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with Valais. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends ...

Mönch The Mönch (, German: "monk") at is a mountain in the Bernese Alps, in Switzerland. Together with the Eiger and the Jungfrau, it forms a highly recognisable group of mountains, visible from far away. The Mönch lies on the border between the ...

und

Jungfrau The Jungfrau (, , , "maiden, virgin"), at is one of the main summits of the Bernese Alps, located between the northern canton of Bern and the southern canton of Valais, halfway between Interlaken and Fiesch. Together with the Eiger and Mönc ...

mountains in

Bernese Alps The Bernese Alps are a mountain range of the Alps located in western Switzerland. Although the name suggests that they are located in the Berner Oberland region of the canton of Bern, portions of the Bernese Alps are in the adjacent cantons of Va ...

. It is the longest ski course in World Cup circuit, almost 4.5 kilometres long. And with incline of 42 degrees (90%) at the iconic "Hundschopf", also course with the steepest section in the circuit. In 1983, slalom was going to be held on this downhnill course, not on

Männlichen The Männlichen () is a mountain in the Swiss Alps located within the Canton of Bern. It can be reached from Wengen by the Wengen–Männlichen aerial cableway, or from the new (December 2019) Grindelwald Terminal stationBOB website - was to h ...

slalom course, the only time in history of this race. However all races that weekend were cancelled due to heavy snowfall. On 18 January 1991, at the official downhill training, one of the most horrifying fatal crashes happened when Austrian skier

Gernot Reinstadler Gernot Reinstadler (24 August 1970 – 19 January 1991) was an Austrian ski racer. He was regarded as among the most promising young talents of the Austrian downhill team of the early 1990s. He died in 1991 after a crash. Death During traini ...

at full speed crashed at the Ziel-S, just before the finish. They cancelled all the races that weekend and consequently increased the safety measurements. It was, no longer, one of the most traditional venues of combined events (classic, super and alpine).

Sections

Start house

2,315 m a.s.l. – Unlike most World Cup start temporary only houses, here they still use a permanent classic wooden start house with spectacular view at

und

triple mountain peaks.

Starthang and Obere Kurve

2,315 m a.s.l. – Upper flat part has sliding parts and long curves. "Simple" start with a low gradient and hardly any turning requires great acceleration and gliding skills. It turns into a long right-hand bend that leads over a narrow passage between rocks and safety nets to the Russisprung.

Russisprung

2,180 m a.s.l. – The Russi jump (Russisprung) was built in testing purposes by ex-ski racer and piste builder

Traverse

2,010 m a.s.l. – A sharp left turn forms the transition to the traverse, in which the terrain slopes away to the right. Only here, after 40 seconds of driving, is the first intermediate time measured. The start of the combination downhill run is in this region.

Panoramakurve

2,000 m a.s.l. – Due to the ever faster material, adjustments have been necessary again and again throughout the history of the slope. In order to reduce the speed, the so-called panoramic curve was created in order to reduce the speed of the drivers before the tricky passage at Hundschopf. The long right-hand bend gets its name from the view of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks towering monumentally above the slope.

Hundschopf

1,975 m a.s.l. – After a tight S-curve to reduce the speed, comes the most famous part of the descent, the spectacular jump over the Hundschopf. The edge lies in a narrow place between two rocks, where it drops 15 meters. The short fall space and the slope that immediately turns to the left make the area even more difficult. «Everything that is required of a downhill skier comes into play in the tightest of spaces. The curves in front of it are narrower than usual, there are a maximum of 5 meters between the rocks on the left and the safety net on the right, the edge of the jump can only be guessed at, the choice of line is determined by the end of the net and the driver's imagination. And then the bottomless!» (

Bernhard Russi Bernhard Russi (born 20 August 1948) is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from Switzerland. Born in Andermatt in the canton of Uri, he is an Olympic, World Cup, and World champion in the downhill event.Josef Minsch Josef "Jos" Minsch (June 23, 1941 – June 7, 2008) was a Swiss alpine skier who competed in the 1964 Winter Olympics and the 1968 Winter Olympics. He was born and died in Klosters Klosters is a Switzerland, Swiss village in the Prättigau, p ...

had a serious fall in 1965. It is a smaller jump, but its difficulty lies in the fact that it is approached in a left-hand movement and left in a right-hand movement - the rider has to change the inner ski on the edge of the jump, so to speak. Russi describes the spot as a «brilliant combination of jump, curve and choice of line!»

Canadian Corner

1,890 m a.s.l. – The sharply turning curve at the left-sloping transition into the Alpweg is named after the Crazy Canucks, a place where

Dave Irwin Dave Irwin (born July 12, 1954) is a former alpine ski racer who represented Canada at two Winter Olympic Games and won a World Cup downhill. He was one of the " Crazy Canucks", a group of Canadian downhill racers who rose to prominence on the W ...

and

Ken Read Kenneth John Read (born November 6, 1955) is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from Canada. He was a specialist in the downhill and a two-time Olympian. He won five World Cup races during his ten-year international career, all in downhill. ...

crashed in 1976. The goal is to stay crouched despite the strong rotation. From here, the route briefly follows the Hasenbach valley parallel to the Wengernalpbahn. The Girmschbiel hill, located on the opposite side of the small valley, has become a fan stadium in the middle of the route for several years thanks to its location right next to the Wengernalp train station. On the hill and in the temporary bars and VIP zones set up there, over 10,000 visitors watch the race - only here they have a direct view of the famous key points of Hundschopf, Minsch-Kante and Canadian Corner.

Alpweg

1,860 m a.s.l. – Another fast gliding section, the Alpweg. The section is built as a just three meter wide connecting piece between the upper and lower parts of the run in the middle of the steep slope in the Hasenbachtal and must therefore be secured with safety nets on the left.

Kernen-S / Brüggli-S

1,825 m a.s.l. – Russi calls this combination of curves “the craziest chicane in the World Cup circus.” This very tight combination of a right and a left bend leads over a short bridge. Due to the high entry speed of 100 km/h, the driver has to drift in order to slow down and find the most technically sophisticated line possible without losing much speed. Quite a few drivers are driven a short distance up the opposite slope when exiting. Some of the world's best downhill skiers such as

Karl Molitor Karl Molitor (29 June 1920 – 25 August 2014) was a Swiss alpine skier who competed in the 1948 Winter Olympics. Born in Wengen, he married Antoinette Meyer (who also competed in the 1948 Winter Olympics). In 1948 he won a silver med ...

Jean-Claude Killy Jean-Claude Killy (born 30 August 1943) is a French former World Cup alpine ski racer. He dominated the sport in the late 1960s, and was a triple Olympic champion, winning the three alpine events at the 1968 Winter Olympics, becoming the most su ...

Toni Sailer Anton Engelbert "Toni" Sailer (17 November 1935 – 24 August 2009) was an Austrian Alpine skiing, alpine ski racer, considered among the best in the sport. At age 20, he won all three gold medals in alpine skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics. He ...

and

Karl Schranz Karl Schranz (born 18 November 1938) is a former champion alpine ski racer from Austria, one of the best of the 1960s and early 1970s. Born and raised in St. Anton, Tyrol, Schranz had a lengthy ski racing career, from 1957 to 1972. He won tw ...

were eliminated at this technically difficult point. If you have an exit speed that is too low (at least 70 km/h is required), you risk losing more time on the following gliding sections. Until 2007, this passage was still called Brüggli-S. It was renamed after the resignation of Bruno Kernen, who had a serious fall here in 1997 and was almost uninjured.

Steilhang vor der Wasserstation

1,775 m a.s.l. – The racer takes a small jump to reach a steep slope, but it is too short to pick up speed again if it has been lost in the Kernen-S.

Wasserstation

1,770 m a.s.l. – Here the route runs through a short and narrow tunnel under the tracks of the Wengernalp Railway. The tunnel is only 9 meters wide, although the accessible area is significantly narrower due to the vaulted ceiling, the snow and the safety padding. After the tunnel, the route unusually runs a few meters uphill. This spot is unique in the World Cup and is therefore one of the distinguishing features of the Lauberhorn route.

Langentrejen

1,775 m a.s.l. – Extraordinarily elongated glider section. Where the route was straight in the 1950s, today there are curves like in a Super-G. It has no key points and is relatively unspectacular in terms of landscape, which is why it is sometimes omitted from television broadcasts. Nevertheless, this passage can be decisive in the race, as the driver can lose the race here if he chooses the wrong material or has insufficient gliding and aerodynamic skills. Mental conduct also plays a role, as the driver has time to reflect on his previous race on the long, rather flat section.

Hanneggschuss

1,590 m a.s.l. – This impressive steep slope in the middle of the forest has the highest speeds in this sport. In 2013,

Johan Clarey Johan Clarey (born 8 January 1981) is a French World Cup alpine ski racer. He specializes in the speed events of downhill and super-G. Born in Annecy, Haute-Savoie, Clarey made his World Cup debut in November 2003 and has ten World Cup podium ...

reached the highest ever top speed in Alpine Ski World Cup on the descent at 161.9 km/h. It is approached via a left-hand bend. The upper part of the steep slope is slightly flatter than the lower one - the terrain transition can be "pushed" like a wave or jumped like an edge. The speed is so high here that the skis only come into contact with the ground every 10 meters. The compression at the foot of the steep slope must be managed with particular sensitivity.

Seilersboden

1,470 m a.s.l. – A very flat section, a long left-right combination leads to the Silberhornsprung. «A brief moment of calm. Here, on this small flat piece, breathing can return to normal. After the 'crescendo' in the Haneggschuss, you have to switch to a fine feeling of pressure and speed in the flat left-hand bend." (B. Russi)

Silberhornsprung

1,450 m a.s.l. – After this passage you go over the Silberhornsprung (jump), which was newly built in 2003. The jump was designed so that in the camera angle of the television broadcasts, the picturesque triangle shaped

Silberhorn The Silberhorn (3,704 m) is a pyramid-shaped mountain of the Bernese Alps, to the northwest of the Jungfrau of which it is a satellite peak. A first attempt to reach the summit of the Silberhorn was made in June 1863 by M. v. Fellenberg from t ...

mountain can be seen in the background alongside the jumping racers. The difficulty here is choosing the line when approaching, as the jump is in the middle of a right-hand bend.

Wegscheide

1,420 m a.s.l. – The passage through the forest is characterized by restless curves.

Österreicherloch

1,390 m a.s.l. – The Österreicherloch belongs to the crossroads. It got its name in 1954 after the three Austrians Toni Sailer, Anderl Molterer and Walter Schuster fell here. The bumps that they threw off the slopes back then have now been removed.

Ziel-S

1,385 m a.s.l. – A sharp left turn with a subsequent bump leads to the last key point, the Ziel-S. At this point, all other World Cup downhills are long over. The technically difficult, heavily turning, often icy and unsettled right-left combination at the end of the long descent demands a lot of strength from the racers and often decides the outcome of the race.

Zielschuss

1,325 m a.s.l. – The target S leads into the target shot, the second steepest section after the Hundschopf. The finish jump was flattened before the 2009 race for safety reasons and the access road was widened. Previously, many riders had fallen here, including Peter Müller,

Silvano Beltrametti Silvano Beltrametti (born 22 March 1979) is a former Swiss alpine skier, and was one of the young, promising downhill racers of Switzerland. Beltrametti is now unable to walk due to vertebral column injuries suffered in a World Cup racing accident ...

, Adrien Duvillard and

Bode Miller Samuel Bode Miller ( ; born October 12, 1977) is an American former FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, World Cup Alpine skiing, alpine ski racer. He is an Winter Olympic Games, Olympic and List of Alpine Skiing world champions, World Championship gold me ...

- who slid across the finish line as the winner. The target shot still demands the last reserves from skier.

Finish

1,287 m a.s.l. – Unlike on the similarly spectacular Streif in Kitzbühel, the driver here only sees the finish stadium with the temporary grandstand and the permanent media center at the finish line. The destination is in Innerwengen, around one kilometer south of the village center.

Gallery

From top to bottom

Races

Men

Combined times didn't count for World Cup between 1967 and 1974.

Most downhill wins

Club5+

In 1986, elite Club5 was originally founded by prestigious classic downhill organizers:

Kitzbühel Kitzbühel (, also: ; ) is a town rights, medieval town situated in the Kitzbühel Alps along the river Kitzbüheler Ache in Tyrol (state), Tyrol, Austria, about east of the state capital Innsbruck and is the administrative centre of the Kitzbüh ...

Garmisch Garmisch-Partenkirchen (; ) is an Alpine ski town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the seat of government of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (abbreviated ''GAP''), in the Oberbayern region, which borders Austria. Nearby is Ger ...

, Val d’Isère and Val Gardena/Gröden, with goal to bring alpine ski sport on the highest levels possible. Later over the years other classic longterm organizers joined the now named Club5+:

Alta Badia Alta Badia is a ski resort in the Dolomites of northern Italy, in the upper part of the Val Badia () in South Tyrol. It is part of the Dolomiti Superski ski area. It is included in the territories of the municipalities of Corvara, Badia, and ...

, Cortina,

Kranjska Gora Kranjska Gora (; ) is a town in northwestern Slovenia, on the Sava Dolinka River in the Upper Carniola region, close to the Austrian and Italy, Italian borders. It is the seat of the Municipality of Kranjska Gora. The tripoint between Austria, It ...

Maribor Maribor ( , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is the seat of the ...

, Lake Louise,

Schladming Schladming () is a small former mining town in the northwest of the Austrian state of Styria that is now a popular tourist destination. It has become a large winter-sports resort and has held various skiing competitions, including most notably th ...

Adelboden Adelboden is a mountain village and a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in Switzerland, located in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental (administrative district), Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the Bernese Highlands. Geogra ...

Kvitfjell Kvitfjell () is a ski resort in Norway, located in the municipality of Ringebu. Developed for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, it is one of the most modern resorts in the world, with snowmaking on 80% of the alpine pistes. Based near ...

, St.Moritz and

Åre Åre () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and one of the leading Scandinavian ski resorts situated in Åre Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 3,200 inhabitants in 2018. It is, however, not the seat of the municipality, which is Järpe ...

References

External links

* {{Ski World Cup pistes Alpine skiing in Switzerland Skiing in Switzerland Ski courses