 Poster: A snowHead
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How many people out there have been to a World Cup ski race ? A friend of mine went to the night slalom at Schladming a few years ago and said he couldn't get over the atmosphere, which he said was more akin to a football match.
Any other decent ones out there that can be recommended, such as Wengen or Kitzbuhel ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hannenkahn, Kitzbuhl, biggest party and 400m hike up some icy slope sits you under the excellent Red Bull jump.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Not been but was in the vicinity of Garmisch this year but didn't go, lucky really as fog postponed the race. Kitz is the one for me for atmosphere but have seen lots Schladming on TV and the atmosphere seems great.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Yeah, Val Gardena Men's twice. 
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Have been to Wengen a number of times. Probably not as wild as the Austrian races, but good fun.
ChrisWo, why would it mean missing a day's skiing? You start at the top, and ski down the side of the run, during the race (100m per racer?). The whole thing only takes a couple of hours, and you are already up the mountain.
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I have been to the super combined in Les Houches. Really good atmosphere and well organized.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Was fortunate enough to get access to one of the VIP areas at Wengen a few years ago, courtesy of a friend with a spare pass, great atmosphere and fortunately fantastic weather, slopes were incredibly crowded at the end of the day but I was really glad I'd seen the race. Of course cos I had a special ticket I also got free food and drink whilst I watched which made it even better 
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I went to Wengen when I was about 4 years old, and can remember being stood watching the finish area, getting autographs or racers in our hotel, but not a lot more! Would love to go again.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Best time to get autographs is on the practise days before the races, usually you can get right down to the finish area and most of the racers will give autographs when they finish a run, Race day itself things are far more hectic.
If going to Wengen each hotel hosts different National groups, the Alpenrose usually hosts the Brits and may host other small groups as well, when I went there the Aussies were training with teh Brits and the two were both in the hotel
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I saw Martin Bell come 6th in Morzine, a year or two ago. The atmosphere was fantastic, like a football match, as ArseneWengen says. I skied the bottom 1/3rd of the piste afterwards straight (ish) - the most frightening thing I have ever done, and the finish area seemed minute, but then I was only on 205 skis!
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Is it true that at Wengen 'anyone' can ski the Lauberhorn course once the race is finished ? Or is this an urban myth ? I find it hard to believe they'd just let anyone down as soon as the pro's have done their stuff !
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You know it makes sense.
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ArseneWengen, it's normally shut off until the after the Sunday race. Not sure when they reopen it to the public.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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ArseneWengen, I've skied the Lauberhorn course and it was bloody terrifying in parts! So it's not an urban myth! I've done it a number of times - the best was at the end of the season when everything else was closed and we were knee deep in fresh fluffy stuff. It did make the course less daunting that's for sure.
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Poster: A snowHead
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ArseneWengen, Had a day at the winter olympics in Turin and went to watch the mens downhill in Sestriere. Unfortunately the visibility was terrible and we could ony see the last 100 metres of the course. Spent most of the time watching it on the big screen. We managed to see the mens bobsleigh later in the day which was far more of a spectacle. However, I have about 20 pictures of an empty bobsleigh track as my camera or my reflexes weren't quick enough to capture a bobsleigh on film (or memory card).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ArseneWengen, done the whole course a couple of times at Wengen, there's only two sections that are nasty the end schuss and the hundchopf, the rest can be a bit steep for some but it's not too bad, however if you do it soon after they've run teh race it's very hard and icy as they set the course like that for the racers. For a few days before the race you can't go on the course either but you can often go down the side of the course or close to it
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I was at race or two  Schladming and Kitzbuhel are races you just have to see. All other races are just races, nothing much more. You see more of race if you watch it on tv, so in my opinion, you should go to see race to experience atmosphere there. And there's nothing that can compare to Schladming and Kitzbuhel. Ok maybe Levi, but it's totally different way, and totally different people.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Elizabeth B wrote: |
| ArseneWengen, it's normally shut off until the after the Sunday race. Not sure when they reopen it to the public. |
it's never closed 
I've done it the night before the race and on a snowboard you may as well give up.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Primoz - why Levi ? Is it a big party for the Finns ?
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The night race at Schladming is awesome - www.thenightrace.at
Tens of thousands of spectators take to the town and slope... Red tickets are only €15 and you just about gt to see stuff standing near the run. Blue tickets (in the arena at the bottom) are available from November.... gonna buy a shed load this year as the yare limited.
I did start a thread some time ago about a deal for  's for the nightrace... like a mini-package type thang as so many people have asked me about it in the past... unfortunately it was a bit early and certainly regarded as over-pimping! PM if interested though...
Of course you can go for the VIP tickets... a table on the balcony above the arena, then up in the gondola at 'half-time' for a meal, then back down for the final.
It is a great event and has a great atmosphere... so has the ski jumping in Bischofshofen!
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flangesax - some of those ski jumping events look quality too. I suppose with those you see everything that happens as well.
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ohh.. yes!... except for the slow mo!.... although there are screens!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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flangesax, I'll still be out there when it's on. how long do you reckon it would take to drive from Zell am See to Schladming that afternoon and then back after the race?
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If you set out for a normal sk day to schladming the traffic is pretty normal although a wee bit heavier. It star getting quite busy in the late afternoon especially after 4pm.
From Zell it will take about an hour on a good day.
Last year the roads seem to run very smoothly but I got the train back to Radstadt at about midnight or so.
I had a blast last year. Met up with Waynos for a good day and then had the rac ein the evening. Ski boots all day!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ArseneWengen, I don't really know how to explain. And it's jut my opinion nothing more. Schladming and Kitzbuhel are big party with whole lot of drinking, and even more drunk people... getting out of press center hour and something after race, and going through those people is not really pleasant experience, which is beaten only by ski jumping WC finals in Planica, where you literally have 30.000 dead drunk "spectators".
People at Levi are different. I'm certainly not saying Finns don't drink, but compared to drink parties in Schladming or Kitzbuhel, Levi is sport party. I guess that's best explanation I can give 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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flangesax, Cheers, will probably wait and see if the notion takes to go on the day.
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Thanks Primoz. The idea of attending somewhere in the UK full of 30,000 "dead drunk" people is beyond contemplation, but somehow the thought of doing it in the Alps sounds most appealing !
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You know it makes sense.
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I was at the world cup in Vald'Isere last season on a few days. The mens downhill was the best, but the womens DH and the GS were also fun. It is a great atmosphere and loads of fun if you are supporting a particular person with a fan club all cheerig together. As someone already said. A bit like being at a football match but with everyone being really friendly. Well worth the experience if you have the chance.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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am I the only one who thinks WC race weekend is without doubt the worst weekend of the entire year, nevermind the winter. primoz hit the nail on the head, walking through your town with way over 30'000 wasted, not even drunk but absolutely slaughtered people is not nice. I'm sure some of them could start a fight with themselves in an empty elevator. Maybe thats just wengen or just me I dunno, plenty of people 'seem' to enjoy it.
As I said to some ski sunday girl, if I was a punter I would take ski holidays in a resort that had a race the week before I arrive, the week after is always dead.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I was right beside the Mauserfalle (Sp?) jump on the Hannenkahn, Kitzbuhel the year that Klammer won by over a second. Extraordinary: I saw the bottoms of their skis as they went over with a quite loud Whooosh, and they landed just before the extreme compression at the bottom. It was so steep several people at the side lost their footing and slid down to the bottom (I fell too, grabbing a branch on the way down which turned out to have barbed wire around it, cutting open my hand. All very exciting but I couldn't tell what was happening since the announcements were hard to hear up there - and in German.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's a bit like any live sport. You always miss the best bits because you're blowing your nose or something. Then you wish you'd watched it on the telly where you get the replay in slow motion  .
Seriously, wrap up warm. Unless it's sunny it can get bloody freezing standing in one place for hours on end in minus whatever temps.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Elizabeth B, I guess you don't *have* to miss a day, but if I was going to watch the race I'd want to see most of the racers coming down so not sure I'd want to be skiing around. Also I presume a lot of other people would have the same idea, and the runs around the race course would be pretty busy (not to mention covered in people who weren't really paying attention!).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Jonny luv plums - as long as no-one is actually getting violent then I don't have a problem with the drunkenness, adds to the event I reckon. It sounds like they're are plenty of races where you don't get this sort of atmosphere.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Saw a Europa Cup GS in La Plagne in 2007, drizzled throughout. Miserable experience.
Constructing the stage for the winner took about 20 minutes by which time the entire crowd had slunk away to find shelter rather than watch the Austrian winner get his 500 euros cheque.
Love watching on telly though
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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"Ever been to a World Cup race?"
I have now 
Just got back from Soelden... and very fine it was, too.
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Come on SaraJ - you cant leave us hanging like that ! give us a few more details of what it was like...
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Have to agree with what most are saying re the Austrian races they are awesome and way above anywhere else. Also for me watching on TV there is always a great atmosphere at the night slalom in Croatia too. Can't think where it is held though.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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flangesax, am thinking about driving over from Zell for the night race. My idea was to drive to Radstadt, park there and get the train to Schladming from there, on the basis that it would surely be easier to park in Radstadt than Schladming. Is my idea reasonable or preposterous?
If the latter, where along the line is far enough away to be not too mad to park?
The times we have been to the nightrace we have been staying in Schladming so just wandered down when it all started getting noisy...
D
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Deliaskis,
Last year I got the ski bus in the morning over to Reiteralm. Then I skied over to Haus to meet [b]Waynos[/] and friends. Then we finished up the day in Schladming....
I don't hink there was a huge bump in people until the mid afernoon and certainly early evening (when you are walking to the arena with your cowbells and trumpets!).
The trains were operating extra services to Radstadt. I think they were hourly from about 10:30 until 1:30 BUT they are not listed on www.oebb.at !
There certainly are trains though!
You could go to Reiteralm/Pichl (Reiteralm 1 lift) Pichl has its own train station.
It didn't seem too much of a nightmare traffic wise. You would have to wait but not for too long...
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