How ski fans experience the World Cup in Saalbach

The World Cup shuttle fills up quickly, an hour and a half before the race. When he’s gone, the next one only goes a few moments afterwards. The bus drivers have been in use since 6 a.m. Bright sunshine, 4 degrees Celsius. The driver is relaxed, the questions are always the same: “Do you drive to the World Cup route …? Where do I have to get out? ”Sports Minister Werner Kogler is also traveling with the shuttle that day.

“It hardly seems like work,” says bus driver Stefan. Even if he is in use every day and hardly any other way to drive as a bus. Stefan comes from the Waldviertel and came to Saalbach for a week.

Talk out

Even at 10 a.m., many passengers already have a beer bottle with, flags and flower wreaths in the national colors. The mood is relaxed. The bus is talking on the bus. Who was the last world champion again? What chance do the Swiss have, what about the ÖSV team? Who could prevent a Swiss departure victory for men on Sunday?

(Nobody, you only know that afterwards. Only Vincent Kriechmayr got the Swiss on the podium in the way …)

Ignaz, Simon and Angela came from Diepoldsau by train to Saalbach-Hinterglemm, they booked a neighborhood in Zell am See for one night and remain for the two runs. For the night you pay € 100 per person. The three Swiss spontaneously decided at the Christmas party to come to Saalbach for the speed weekend in February. Because they would only have received tickets for € 155 for the tribune, watch from the slopes. “You can never predict gold,” Angela ponderes, “but wishing a podium is really not presumptuous than Swiss. With all the double wins and the width in the Swiss Speed ​​team. ”

(Angela should be right …)

Without a ticket in the snow

Sunday, 10:00, target area:

While the ticket owners slowly make themselves on their places, David and Martin strap the touring skills. The two Salzburgers go a ski tour along the descent and will be in good company there.

Several thousand winter sports enthusiasts played on the descents on Saturday and Sunday. Some on foot, some uphill with touring skis, some downhill from the mountain station of the 12-series-Kogel-Bahn.

Up there, at just under 2,000 meters above sea level, it is pleasantly warm this weekend. It builds up when you get out. Departers give autographs on skis and helmets around an hour before the start.

Stefan Babinsky is willingly available for selfies with a smile. Later he will say: “If you go down here, you have the feeling that the whole mountain trembles.”

The slopes slides Lena and Michelle now give tips on where you can best see on the route and call the middle station, where hundreds are later found. Nobody should remain insider tip.

Patrick and his father Josef also started from Leogang with the ski swing. A few descents are enough to find the best spot on the fence. We make a “father-son day today,” says Josef. “Look down the descent and ski yourself a bit.”

So also Willi us his family and friends from Upper Austria, who only bought a lift ticket for Sunday. The group has secured a good place in the front row above the middle station in Firn.

The children chatted with their idol and compatriot Vincent Kriechmayr at the start. “He was sooo sympathetic,” says Theresa. In the end they were happy with him about silver.

From the night shift

Change of location to the epicenter of skill passengers. Hinterglemm moved the locking lesson forward, on the day of the men’s descent, the World Cup location awakened much earlier than in the first World Cup week when the scenery still seemed sleepy. From 7 a.m. the first groups move through the fan mile, some seem to come directly from the night shift.

Skifans are an illustrious peoples. If you have never been to a ski race, you will be amazed at the outfits and the ingenuity of the alpine supporters. A slalom run through the colorful fan mile can sometimes be more entertaining than a World Cup descent.

Here you meet daring shoe platters with a naked upper body and booming Guggenmuskappellen, which with their tin instruments should not be missing in any races. Not to forget: the huge loud delegation from small lobming (616 inhabitants). Feest half of the place came to cheer on World Cup debutant Stefan Eichberger.

Attraction ORF

The main attraction on the fan mile is, however, … Rainer Pariasek. At his live entry, the well-known ORF man is immediately surrounded by fans. Swiss, Austrians and Germans let him live together with cheers.

The ski festival is celebrated side by side, the coexistence is above everything. Nobody is looked at here because he is swinging a Swiss cowbell. No one has to be afraid here if he confesses flag.