Hahnenkamm, Kitzbühel

The Hahnenkammrennen are the annual races, held since 1931 and a fixture of the men's World Cup since its inception in the 1967 season. The races were originally held in March, and sometimes in early February (1949 & 1951). Beginning in 1953, the races at Kitzbühel have been held in mid to late January, often the week following the Lauberhorn in Wengen, Switzerland, another classic downhill.

Since 1959, the race has been broadcast on Austrian television.[2]

In 2009, as well as in 2008, the total prize money was €550,000.[3]

The Hahnenkamm races are currently held in the following disciplines:[4]

• Super-G on the Streifalm, on Friday
• Downhill on the Streif, on Saturday
• Slalom on the Ganslernhang, on Sunday

Traditionally, the winner of the Hahnenkamm race was determined by the combined results of the downhill and slalom competitions. During the World Cup era, the man most likely to be referred to as Hahnenkammsieger (champion) is the winner of the prestigious downhill race.

The Super-G made its debut at Kitzbühel 26 years ago in 1995, and returned as a regular event in 2000, scheduled the day before the downhill.

Because of challenging weather conditions in January at the top of the mountain, the downhill course is often not run in its entirety. In the decade of 2000–09, the Streif full course was run in only four of the ten years (2001, 2002, 2004, & 2009). Unfortunately, this often eliminates one of the most exciting jumps in ski racing, the Mausefalle (mousetrap), seconds from the top of the course. The competitors reach high speeds quickly out of the starting gate on the Startschuss and fly up to 40 m (130 ft) off the steep jump. Upon landing the racers experience a severe compression immediately followed by a sharp left turn, often negotiated unsuccessfully. Speeds entering the turn are 55–60 mph (90–100 km/h).

Starting gate in 2004, view of Mausefalle and the Wilder Kaiser mountains.

In 2006, morning fog at the top of the course forced race organizers to lower the start 115 m (380 ft) to the middle of the Karusell (carousel), below the Mausefalle. This shortened the length of the course by 347 m (1,140 ft).[5] The downhill race was cancelled in 2005 and 2007.

In 2008, strong upwinds at the Mausefalle caused race officials to lower the start 50 m (160 ft), shortening the course by 100 m (330 ft). This eliminated most of the Startschuss and its instantaneous speed; the Mausefalle was accordingly altered to a speed-inducing pitch, rather than a formidable jump and compression. Though Didier Cuche won the race, the 2008 edition is likely best remembered for the high-speed crash of Scott Macartney on the Zielsprung, seconds before the finish, as well as Bode Miller tying for second with Mario Scheiber after riding the safety fencing in the Steilhang section.

The full course returned in 2009, for the first time in five years, with Didier Défago of Switzerland winning the race. In addition to having the fastest time, he also had the highest speed on the Zielschuss at 88.4 mph (142.3 km/h). It was the second consecutive downhill victory for Défago; he won the Lauberhorn downhill the previous week at Wengen to join a handful of skiers to win both classic races in consecutive weeks.[6] It was last accomplished by Stephan Eberharter of Austria in 2002 and had been 17 years since a Swiss racer won both (1992 - Franz Heinzer). The final training run on Thursday saw the serious crash of Swiss racer Daniel Albrecht, again at the Zielsprung. It resulted in a three-week coma and Albrecht's absence from the World Cup circuit for the remainder of the 2009 season and the entire 2010 season.

The full course was run in 2010 under clear skies and again won by Didier Cuche, who had also won the Super-G the previous day. The only significant crash was by former champion Michael Walchhofer, who twisted into the net fence at the final left turn, less than 20 seconds from the finish; he was quickly back on his feet. Cuche's downhill victory was his third on the Streif, his first was in 1998 on a Friday "extra" race. The Zielsprung was significantly moderated in 2010 due to the serious accidents the previous two years.

In 2011, Didier Cuche won the Hahnenkamm downhill for the fourth time to tie the record with Franz Klammer.[7] A year later, and two days after announcing his retirement at the end of the season, Cuche claimed his third consecutive downhill victory at Kitzbühel and a record fifth total.[8]

Dominik Paris claimed the title in 2013 to become the second winner from Italy and the first in fifteen years.[9][10]

Due to lack of snow in 2014, the lower course was altered. The dramatic Querfahrt sidehill traverse and speed-inducing Zielschuss were bypassed; the racers detoured toward the Ganslern slalom slope, then rejoined the course for the final Rasmusleitn. This extended the overall length by 182 m (199 yd) to 3.494 km (2.171 mi) and reduced the finishing speed. Hannes Reichelt was the first winner from Austria in eight years.

Upper mountain fog in 2015 forced the start to the Seidlalm jump, the lowest in history. Kjetil Jansrud of Norway won in less than a minute on the lower 50% of the course.[11]

High winds in 2016 lowered the start 40 m to the top of Mausefalle. On the full course in 2017, Paris became a two-time winner.

Course sections

Alte Schneise section of the Streif

Sections of the Streif downhill course include:[12]

• Startschuss
• Mausefalle (mousetrap) - jump, compression, and left turn
• Karusell (carousel) - S turns
• Steilhang - (steep slope) - extended technical right turn, entrance to the flats
• Brückenschuss & Gschöss - gliding flats
• Alte Schneise (old corridor)
• Seidlalmsprung (jump at Seidlalm) - introduced in 1994
• Lärchenschuss - gliding among larch trees
• Hausberg (local mountain) - jump & sharp left corner
• Querfahrt (traverse) - a rough sidehill of glare ice
• Zielschuss (with compression & jump) - speeds over 140 km/h (87 mph)
• Rasmusleitn to the finish (Ziel).

Facts and figures

Streif - Downhill
Finish area (Ziel) in 2011
Vertical	860 m (2,822 ft)
Top elevation	1,665 m (5,463 ft)
Base elevation	805 m (2,641 ft)
Longest run	3.312 km (2.058 mi)

• The length of the Streif course is 3.312 km (2.058 mi).[12]
• The starting gate is at an elevation of 1,665 m (5,463 ft) above sea level;
  the Streif vertically descends 860 m (2,822 ft) to the finish at 805 m (2,641 ft).[12]
• The average grade of the course is 27 percent (15.1 degrees).
• The maximum grade is 85% (40.4°) at the Mausefalle; minimum is 2% (1.1°) [13]
• The record for the full 3.3 km course was set in 1997 by Fritz Strobl of Austria at 1:51.58,[14] an average speed of 106.9 km/h (66.4 mph), and an average vertical descent rate of 7.7 m/s (25.3 ft/sec).
• The first non-European to win a downhill race at Kitzbühel in the World Cup era was Ken Read of Canada in 1980.[15] Previously, the only non-European champion was Buddy Werner of the U.S., who won in 1959 at age 22. Canadians won races four consecutive years from 1980–83; the only non-European winner since is Daron Rahlves of the U.S., who prevailed on an abbreviated course of 2.0 km (1.2 mi) due to fog in 2003.
• Four victories have gone to Scandinavians, all from Norway. Atle Skårdal was the first in 1990 and Lasse Kjus won twice, in 1999 and 2004; both of Kjus' victories were "extra" races, held on Friday and Thursday, respectively. Kjetil Jansrud won on a shortened course in 2015.[11]
• The Streif course was one of several featured in the 1969 movie Downhill Racer, starring Robert Redford and Gene Hackman. It was shown as itself and later as the Olympic course, with race footage from the 1969 race.
• The Streif course was first used in 1937; eight years without Hahnenkamm races followed (1938–45) until the return in 1946.[16]
• Since returning in 1946, the downhill races have been run in all but eight years: 1952, 1964, 1970, 1971, 1988, 1993, 2005, & 2007.

Downhill champions

The following is a list of Hahnenkamm downhill winners, with their winning times:[17]

Year	Date	Winner	Nat.	Time	Notes
2021	January 24	Beat Feuz (2)		1:55.29	(Sunday) - moved from Saturday due to weather (rain, snow)
2021	January 22	Beat Feuz (1)		1:53.77	(Friday) - extra race, Wengen races cancelled (COVID-19)
2020	January 25	Matthias Mayer		1:55.59
2019	January 25	Dominik Paris (3)		1:56.82	(Friday) - moved from Saturday due to weather forecasts
2018	January 20	Thomas Dressen		1:56.15
2017	January 21	Dominik Paris (2)		1:55.01
2016	January 23	Peter Fill		1:52.37	high winds - start lowered 40 m to top of Mausefalle, length reduced 100 m
2015	January 24	Kjetil Jansrud		0:58.16	fog - shortened to lower 50% of course - 1.6 km [11][18]
2014	January 25	Hannes Reichelt		2:03.38	lack of snow, Querfahrt and Zielschuss bypassed, course length extended
2013	January 26	Dominik Paris (1)		1:57.56	[19]
2012	January 21	Didier Cuche (5)		1:13.28	snowing - shortened to lower 60% of course - 2.0 km [20]
2011	January 22	Didier Cuche (4)		1:57.72	[21]
2010	January 23	Didier Cuche (3)		1:53.74	[22]
2009	January 24	Didier Défago		1:56.09	[6][23]
2008	January 19	Didier Cuche (2)		1:52.75	start lowered 50 m to top of Mausefalle, due to upwinds [24]
2007					no downhill or Super G races held - lack of snow, warm temperatures [25]
2006	January 21	Michael Walchhofer		1:46.75	start moved to the bottom of the Mausefalle due to fog/safety [26]
2005					no downhill race held - snow/rain - safety [27]
2004	January 24	Stephan Eberharter (2)		1:55.48
2004	January 22	Lasse Kjus (2)		1:58.78	(Thursday) - extra race, Wengen DH cancelled (snow, wind)
2003	January 25	Daron Rahlves		1:09.63	shortened due to fog - lower 60% of course - 2.0 km [28]
2002	January 19	Stephan Eberharter (1)		1:54.21
2001	January 20	Hermann Maier		1:56.84
2000	January 22	Fritz Strobl (2)		1:46.54	shortened
1999	January 23	Hans Knauß		1:54.18
1999	January 22	Lasse Kjus (1)		2:14.13	(Friday)
1998	January 24	Kristian Ghedina		2:05.49
1998	January 23	Didier Cuche (1)		2:31.55	two shortened runs [29]
1997	January 25	Fritz Strobl (1)		1:51.58	record time for full course, set 24 years ago [14]
1997	January 24	Luc Alphand (3)		2:12.55	(Friday)
1996	January 13	Günther Mader		1:54.29	record: held for 1 year
1995	January 14	Luc Alphand (2)		1:40.97	shortened
1995	January 13	Luc Alphand (1)		1:40.33	(Friday) shortened
1994	January 15	Patrick Ortlieb		2:00.12
1993					no races held - lack of snow - snowmaking added that summer
1992	January 18	Franz Heinzer (3)		1:56.63
1992	January 17	Franz Heinzer (2)		1:56.04	(Friday) record: held for 4 years
1991	January 12	Franz Heinzer (1)		1:58.71
1990	January 20	Atle Skårdal		2:26.20
1989	January 13	Marc Girardelli		2:01.25	(Friday)
1989	January 14	Daniel Mahrer		1:58.42
1988					no races held
1987	January 25	Pirmin Zurbriggen (3)		1:58.06
1986	January 18	Peter Wirnsberger (2)		2:02.04
1986	January 17	Peter Wirnsberger (1)		2:01.77	(Friday)
1985	January 12	Pirmin Zurbriggen (2)		2:08.65
1985	January 11	Pirmin Zurbriggen (1)		2:06.95	(Friday)
1984	January 21	Franz Klammer (4)		2:02.82
1983	January 22	Todd Brooker		2:01.96
1983	January 21	Bruno Kernen		2:06.68	(Friday)
1982	January 16	Steve Podborski (2)		1:57.24
1982	January 15	Harti Weirather		1:57.20	(Friday) record: held for 10 years [14]
1981	January 17	Steve Podborski (1)		2:03.46
1980	January 12	Ken Read		2:04.93
1979	January 20	Sepp Ferstl (2)		2:04.48
1978	January 21	Josef Walcher (2) & Sepp Ferstl (1)		2:07.81	tie
1978	January 20	Josef Walcher (1)		2:06.90	(Friday)
1977	January 15	Franz Klammer (3)		2:09.71
1976	January 25	Franz Klammer (2)		2:03.79
1975	January 18	Franz Klammer (1)		2:03.22	record: held for 7 years
1974	January 26	Roland Collombin (2)		2:03.29	record: held for 1 year
1973	January 27	Roland Collombin (1)		2:13.32
1972	January 15	Karl Schranz (4)		2:24.36
1972	January 14	Karl Schranz (3)		2:23.70	(Friday)
1971					no downhill race held
1970					no downhill race held
1969	January 18	Karl Schranz (2)		2:18.80
1968	January 20	Gerhard Nenning		2:14.49
1967	January 21	Jean-Claude Killy		2:11.82	record: held for 7 years [14]
1966*		Karl Schranz (1)		2:16.6	record: held for 1 year
1965		Ludwig Leitner		2:30.8
1964					no races - lack of snow
1963		Egon Zimmermann		2:20.7	record: held for 3 years
1962		Willi Forrer		2:37.6
1961		Guy Périllat		2:29.2
1960		Adrien Duvillard		2:26.1	record: held for 3 years[14]
1959		Buddy Werner		2:33.4	record: held for 1 year
1958		Anderl Molterer (2)		2:40.7	record: held for 1 year
1957		Toni Sailer (2)		2:47.1
1956		Toni Sailer (1)		2:57.8
1955		Anderl Molterer (1)		2:46.2	record: held for 3 years
1954		Christian Pravda (2)		2:47.9	record: held for 1 year
1953	January 17	Bernhard Perren		2:54.5	record: held for 1 year
1952					no races
1951	February 7	Christian Pravda (1)		2:57.1
1950	March 11	Fritz Huber		3:04.3
1949	February 5	Egon Schöpf		3:03.0
1948	March 13	Helmut Lantschner		3:16.3
1947	March 7	Karl Feix		3:36.0
1946	March 2	Thaddäus Schwabl (2)		3:04.3
1945					no races
1944					no races
1943					no races
1942					no races
1941					no races
1940					no races
1939					no races
1938					no races
1937	March 19	Thaddäus Schwabl (1)		3:53.1	first on Streif course
1936	March 7	Freidl Pfeifer		5:03.2
1935	March 23	Siegfried Engl		4:38.8
1934					no races
1933					no races
1932	March 19	Walter Prager		7:56.4
1931	March 28	Ferdl Friedensbacher		4:34.2

* pre-World Cup era

Each downhill champion's name is affixed to a gondola car on the Hahnenkammbahn lift,
which extends from the Kitzbühel base to the top of the Hahnenkamm mountain.

In the open Streif VerticalUp event, first held in 2011, participants race the Streif upwards to the start booth of the ski race,[30] with free choice of equipment (cross-country skis, shoes with spikes, etc).

Media related to Hahnenkamm (Kitzbühel) at Wikimedia Commons

• Hahnenkamm race (in English)
• KitzSki (in English)
• FIS-ski.com - 2017 Hahnenkamm downhill results
• Skimap.org - Kitzbühel area ski maps