SCHLADMING: A CELEBRATION OF SLALOM

27th January 2020

Last modified on May 15th, 2021

Downhill has the Hahnenkamm + the Lauberhorn. PlanetSKI is in Schladming for slalom’s biggest night, and party, of the winter.

50,000 of us have descended on the town of Schladming for this one night of the winter.

Tuesday is the day.

Or rather the night.

Downhill ski racing may grab the headlines, but slalom is perhaps the most testing and technical of all the ski racing disciplines.

Many prefer slalom for its precision and perfection.

It takes no prisoners.

You can perhaps ‘bluff’ downhill with bravery and bravado, as everyone from Franz Klammer, Herman Maier and Bode Miller will testify.

Not so slalom.

One mistake and you are out.

You can’t ride your luck.

The greatest skier of them all, Ingemar Stenmark, was a slalom and giant slalom skier.

Preparations in Schladming are underway.

Schladming World Cup Night Skiing. Image © PlanetSKI.

Schladming World Cup Night Skiing. Image © PlanetSKI.

Schladming World Cup Night Skiing. Image © PlanetSKI.

And GB has a potential medal winner tonight in Dave Ryding.

He has not had a good season so far by his own high standards.

It has been a frustrating time:

But could tonight, Tuesday January 28th 2020, be his time?

He has done well here before.

Action in Schladming sees the first run scheduled for 5:45pm CET and the second for 8:45pm CET.

The event follows racing in Kitzbühel at the weekend where the Swiss racer Daniel Yule won.

Yule is in second place in the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup standings for men’s slalom.

The 26-year-old has 435 points his name, putting him 17 behind leader Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway.

France’s Clément Noël, the bronze medallist in Kitzbühel behind Austria’s Marco Schwarz, is third with 400 points.

And me?

I’m here for the crack and will be reporting across the day… and beyond if Mr Ryding comes up trumps.

If not then I am just celebrating slalom skiing, along with 50,000 others.

A celebration of slalom.

The locals are preparing.

The finish area looks awesome.

And I am pleased to report a certain ticket has fallen into my hands.

And I blagged an invite to the pre-race party too.

But enough of that, I’m here for the racing.

Check back today as I update…..

FACTBOX:

Special offer: Free direct transfers ALL season worth over €200 return if you book selected hotels in Nassfeld or Schladming. See Klagenfurt Airport for more information.

Easyjet flies from Gatwick to Klagenfurt from £28 return.
Sporthotel Royer: prices from €102 per person/per day with half board, two sharing. https://www.royer.at/en/hotel.html

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