11.2.2011

Skiing event on the Großer Arber / Zwiesel

Ski world cup races have been held on the highest mountain in the Bavarian Forest for the past 35 years, and from 04 to 06 February the Großer Arber (GER) once again served as the venue for them. This time it was the women who were given an opportunity to demonstrate their skill in the slalom and giant slalom. In the last test before the Alpine Ski World Cup, Victoria Rebensburg from Germany and Marlies Schild from Austria both showed themselves to be in top form and secured the two victories.

Two days before the race the organizers declared themselves to be totally satisfied: Compact snow cover up to 100 cm meant optimal conditions for all competitors. TechnoAlpin's snow generators have ensured second-to-none snow conditions throughout the resort for a long time, with 49 snow generators currently in use: 11x M20 mobile, 3x M20 on 4.5m lifts, 2x M20 on 10m arms, 7x T60 mobile, 19x T60 on 4.5 m lifts, and 7x T60 on 10m arms.
The ground conditions were therefore not the reason why the original program had to be changed. Instead it was the wind that posed a difficult challenge for the organizers - but one they remained unfazed by. The slalom was brought forward, and the giant slalom held on Sunday rather than Friday. For the athletes, the races were extremely important, as they represented the final test before the Alpine Ski World Cup.
In the slalom, Marlies Schild from Austria proved to be in top form. She secured her fifth win of the season, ahead of Slovakian Veronika Zuzulová and Finn Tanja Poutiainen.
In the giant slalom, Victoria Rebensburg enjoyed a home win, with Federica Brignone from Italy and Kathrin Zettel from Austria coming in second and third respectively.

The World Cup course was completely rebuilt for the races. The slope has been extended by up to 50 meters, waves added, and the finish straightened. This means that spectators now enjoy a totally unobstructed view of the entire World Cup slope. Both fans and athletes therefore have even more of a reason to look forward to the next set of races on this attractive course.