Where to Ski And Snowboard - Wengen set for 80th Lauberhorn

Wengen set for 80th Lauberhorn

12th January 2010, by Chris Gill

Challenges beneath the Eiger [(c) lauberhorn.ch]

With just one month to go until the Winter Olympics, ski-racing action is about to hot up with another classic: the Lauberhorn.

All eyes will be on Wengen in Switzerland this weekend, 15-17 January, as the men’s World Cup racing action moves to the Jungfrau region. The popular Lauberhorn races return to the resort for their 80th time, and are expected to draw big crowds.

The downhill course is set beneath the stunning north face of the Eiger and one of the most revered on the World Cup circuit – being the longest in the world and technically challenging. It has some infamous twists, turns and bumps that over the years have acquired quite a reputation among the racing teams.

The Österreicherloch (Austrian hole) was named in 1954 after most of the participating Austrian skiers (including Toni Sailer) fell there. The varied course also follows a tunnel section, two classic jumps and the narrow Kernen-S – named after the 2003 race winner, Bruno Kernen. The top racers complete the run in around 2.5 minutes and clock speeds approaching 100mph.

The event starts with the super-combined race on Friday 15 January, followed by the famous downhill on Saturday 16 and the slalom on Sunday 17 January.

Tickets are available from CHF30 per day (adults), or there are various other combinations on offer. Children up to six years old can watch for free.

... or you can catch up with the highlights on Ski Sunday BBC2 16.45 Sunday 17 January.