Being the absolute highlight of every World Cup season, the Hahnenkamm races in Kitzbühel are set to begin on January 20th 2023 and last until January 22th 2023. Two downhill runs and a slalom are on the program for the 83nd edition. The prize money this year is once again the highest of the entire season: almost one million euros will be distributed in total. The winners of the races alone will each receive just under 100,000 euros.
Downhill on the Streif
The highlight of the Kitzbühel weekend is the spectacular Streif downhill race, which will take place on Friday, January 20, and Saturday, January 21, starting at 11:30. With jumps of up to 80 meters, maximum inclines of 80% and speeds as fast as 140 kilometers per hour, the course offers as much excitement as one can possibly expect.
Referring to the Mausefalle, Steilhang and Hausbergkante, even 5-time champion Didier Cuche once said „I think we're crazy!“. With bad weather, the course can get extremely dangerous, with severe falls happening frequently on the Streif.
The Streif: dates and facts
| slope length | 3,312 meters |
|---|---|
| starting point | Hahnenkamm mountain station (1,665 meters) |
| finishing point | Rasmusleiten (805 meters) |
| altitude difference | 860 meters |
| maximum speed | up to 140 kilometers per hour in the finish area (average of 103 kilometers per hour during the entire race) |
| maximum incline | 85 percent in the Mausefalle |
| longest jumps | 80 meters in the Mausefalle and during finishing jump |
| course record | 1:51:58 minutes by Fritz Strobl (AUT) in 1997 |
| most wins | Didier Cuche (SUI), 5 wins |
| 2022 champion | Beat Feuz (SUI) and Aleksander Kilde (NOR) |
| price money 2023 | 333.200 CHF (1. Platz: 98.000 CHF, 2. Platz: 49.000 CHF) |
By the way: The Streif is open for everyone during the winter. However, they key areas - Mausefalle, Steilhang and Hausbergkante - are extremely icy, so only the most advanced skiers are advised to go there. The „Family Streif“ (Familienstreif) is better suited to intermediate skiers, as it avoids the most difficult parts of the slope.
Slalom skiing at the Ganslernhang
A fixed part of the Hahnekamm races is also the slalom. This year it will take place on Sunday, January 22, in Kitzbühel. The 1st run starts at 10.30 a.m., the second run at 1.30 p.m.
International ski races have been held on the Ganslern slope, which takes its name from the Gänsbach stream flowing nearby, since as early as 1937. Even if it doesn't look very steep at first glance, the Ganslern slope in Kitzbühel has it all. Salom specialist Felix Neureuther describes the 590-meter-long course as "treacherous". This is because the terrain contains many edges and bumps, so that no two turns are the same.
Dates and facts about the Slalom race at the Ganslernhang
| slope length | 590 meters |
|---|---|
| starting point | mountain station Ganslern-Bahn (1,004 meters) |
| finishing point | Naturstadion (811 meters) |
| altitude difference | 193 meters |
| maximum incline | 70 percent (35 percent average throughout the course) |
| most wins | Ingemar Stenmark (SWE), 5 wins |
| 2022 champion | Dave Ryding (GBR) |
| price money 2023 | 313.600 CHF (1. Platz: 98.000 CHF, 2. Platz: 49.000 CHF) |
Thousands of spectators expected
After only a few fans were admitted to the Hahnenkamm races in recent years due to the corona, this year tens of thousands are once again allowed to take part. In the years before the pandemic, up to 45,000 spectators had gathered in the finish area. The supporting program with numerous wild parties in the Tyrolean ski resort is also planned again this year.
Tickets still available
Tickets for the Hahnenkamm Races are only available online. No tickets will be sold on site. Standing room tickets start at 30 euros for adults and are available from the Kitzbühel Ski Club Ticket Shop. Youths cost 15 euros and children born in 2009 and younger have free admission.
To prevent black market sales, grandstand tickets for the races will not be sold online. If you want to have one, you have to send a mail with your ticket request to ticket@hahnenkamm.com. Grandstand prices for Friday and Sunday are 220 euros per person. The race ticket on Saturday costs 350 euros per person.
