A racer ripping down the Streif. Louie photo.
Training day, you can spectate just about anywhere you want if you stay out of the fenced zone. We’ll watch the actual race on TV.
Get the hint? A visit to Kitz is always on the list. It’s such an interesting mix of old Austria and new EU.
With the most famous ski race in the world being held just a 20 minute drive away, we wanted to get a feel for the reality. Juttering steel edges as sharp as razors shred white ice at 120+ KPH. Men grunt and shout under crazy G forces as they scrape for every last ounce of edge grip in the Querfahrt sidehill turn after a desperate pre-jump to handle the Hausberg. It’s mind blowing — and it’s not even race day.
We skinned up to looker’s left of the course, snacks came later in the village core.
Shopping for wives and girlfriends is easy, just whip out the plastic and get something Tyrolean. Then take out a bank loan.
Louie and I decided on this place for our Austrian getaway palace.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.