20.11.2009

Perfect conditions for the World Cup in Levi

The town of Levi in Finland held its first World Cup race in February 2004. Since then this ski resort, which is around 170 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, has been an essential venue for the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. On the 14th and 15th of November, as per tradition, the world's top men and women met to kick off the Slalom World Cup, with victory going to the German athlete Maria Riesch in the women's race and to the Austrian Reinfried Herbst in the men's.

Once again Levi was able to boast perfect conditions. Several days before the two races, Hans Pieren, FIS men's technical race director, had already expressed his satisfaction with the extremely well compacted slopes and excellent training conditions for competitors.

Levi has been one of TechnoAlpin's loyal customers since 2005. Managing director Jouni Palosaari's team is well aware of the importance of technical snowmaking, which is why the snowmaking system is constantly being expanded. Currently 16 out of 44 slopes can be sprayed with technical snow, and a further expansion of the system is planned. Currently Levi uses the following TechnoAlpin snowmaking equipment:


• 7x T60-AMs
• 1x T60-AT
• 4x M18-AMs
• 12x M18-ATs
• 2x M18-AA10s
• 38x A9/A30 air water guns

Another detail worth mentioning: Levi has the most powerful pump station for technical snowmaking systems in Finland, with a capacity of 1,000 m³/h. In winter it powers the snowmaking machines, while in the summer it is used to water the nearby golf course.

The lack of high mountains, the dark winter months and the low temperatures have not prevented Levi from becoming an international skiing destination. The resort, with a population of only 800, has succeeded in establishing itself through an ongoing series of strategically planned stages as an internationally renowned winter sports venue: 44 slopes, 26 ski-lift facilities, 230 km of cross-country skiing tracks and 866 snowmobile tracks. The resort also boasts impressive visitor numbers: 22,000 beds, 2.7 million nights stayed and 600,000 visitors a year. In April of this year TechnoAlpin, Kässbohrer and Doppelmayr invited 85 Italian ski slope managers to Levi to see at first hand the results of this resort's incredible, winning adventure.

www.skisport.fi/worldcuplevi