The mighty Sassolungo watches over the Val Gardena Ski Area as the world elite arrives for the Super-G and the Downhill
Twice shortly before Christmas, the Men's Audi FIS Ski World Cup is held in the local ski centres: as the Saslong Classic, with Super-G and Downhill in the Val Gardena Skiing Area, and immediately afterwards as the Men's Alpine Ski World Cup in Alta Badia with Giant Slalom and Slalom.
These winter sport destinations provide slopes ideally suited for the international ski scene: In Alta Badia it is the Gran Risa, in Val Gardena the Saslong - and this has been the case for almost 60 years. The 3,446-metre-long piste leads from the Ciampinoi top station below the Sassolungo Group into the valley towards Santa Cristina Valgardena, where the finish area is located.
The athletes train here before the event. The Super-G takes place first, followed by the downhill classic, where speeds increase further. The start of the downhill lies almost 250 metres higher up and additionally includes the steepest section of the Saslong: the 56.9% gradient of the Spinel, where the athletes must execute a right turn... preferably in one piece. Due to rescheduled races, the event often includes several speed competitions.
Fan club parades in Santa Cristina and musical entertainment are part of the programme. When the podium places are awarded, the celebration continues. In 2025, two Swiss skiers won: Marco Odermatt took the Sprint Downhill as well as the overall points for the Val Gardena Ski Trophy, and Franjo von Allmen won the Downhill. The Czech skier Jan Zabystran triumphed in the Super-G.
