The Legend of the Ski World Cup Opening Sölden
Season-opening thriller
Every autumn since the 2000/2001 season, the men's and women's Alpine Ski World Cup season opener has traditionally been held on the Rettenbach Glacier in Sölden. Year after year, the starting gun for the Alpine World Cup winter draws thousands of spectators under its spell. But what makes the giant slalom races on the glacier high above Sölden so special? We got to the bottom of the legend that is the Ski World Cup Opening – and, to set the mood for this year's races, we're bringing legendary moments back to life.
Hang On!
Of course – no course, no race! The World Cup slope is the secret leading actor of the opening weekend. And every year it shows a different face. Because there is glacier ice beneath the course, the slope is in constant motion. As a result, it becomes a little steeper from year to year, especially in the lower section – as if a maximum gradient of more than 68 % weren't enough already!
The World Cup opener in Sölden is one of the few stops on the calendar where women and men compete on the same slope on the same weekend. Among racers, the Rettenbach Glacier is considered one of the most demanding giant slalom slopes of all – the altitude, the extremely hard surface and the lack of racing rhythm at the start of the season make this race a genuine acid test.
The key section is the very long steep pitch. In short, the recipe for a perfect run is this: find your rhythm in the flatter upper section before it comes down to holding your line on the steep pitch and skiing as actively as possible – then carry that speed all the way to the finish.
Firsts & Record Winners
In 2002, the Rettenbach Glacier witnessed a first in Alpine Ski World Cup history: with Norway's Andrine Flemmen, Austria's Nicole Hosp and Slovenia's Tina Maze, three athletes shared victory in a World Cup race for the first time ever. Tina Maze (3 wins) is one of the record winners in Sölden, alongside Lara Gut-Behrami (3 wins) and Ted Ligety (4 wins).
Ted Ligety's winning run in 2012 holds a very special place in the history of the Sölden races. Ahead of the 2012 season, the International Ski Federation changed its equipment regulations in an effort to stem the wave of injuries in the Alpine World Cup. Skis became significantly longer and far less shaped, which dramatically increased the turn radius. Tension and uncertainty were running high among the teams before the first race of the season in Sölden – nobody knew who would cope best with the new material. The answer came quickly: American Ted Ligety conjured up a phenomenal time with new equipment and a technique all his own, leaving the rest of the field trailing at a respectful distance.
Austria's Anita Wachter pulled off a similar feat. In the 1993 race she finished 2.63 seconds ahead of the runner-up – still a record in Sölden today! From an Austrian perspective, the all-Austrian podium sweep of 1998 also lives long in the memory: Hermann Maier took the win ahead of Stefan Eberharter and Heinz Schilchegger.
The Acrobatic Interlude
Die-hard fans of the Sölden World Cup races will still remember the name Erik Schlopy. In the late nineties, the American produced what was arguably one of the most spectacular crashes in the history of this race. Right at the entrance to the steep pitch, one of his skis broke – without him noticing at that moment. The result was a crash at what must be the most unforgiving spot on the entire course: he flew and slid halfway down the steep pitch before skiing into the finish area on his one remaining ski, completely unharmed.
The Fans & Their Clubs
Ever since World Cup racing began on the Rettenbach Glacier, spectators and fan clubs have made a major contribution to the unique atmosphere of the opening weekend. Both the visual and the acoustic displays in the finish area drive the racers to peak performance – the cowbells and chimes can be heard all the way up to the start house. And the athletes repay that enthusiasm, swinging straight towards their own supporters in the finish area and letting their emotions run free.
One real crowd-puller is the fan club parade, which winds its way through Sölden every year as part of the race weekend. Dressed head to toe in costume, all the fan clubs march through the village together towards Postplatz to celebrate the start of the new World Cup season in style. Bavarian brass bands, Swiss cowbells or French chansons – as long as it's loud, entertaining and colourful!
The Buzz Before the First Race of the Season
Athlete, support staff, equipment supplier or fan – after the summer break, everyone is counting the days until the first race of the new season, and everyone wants to show their very best! Athletes and coaches wonder where they stand compared to the other nations. Suppliers hope their athletes will finish near the front. The fan clubs want to go one better than last year's choreography. Put differently: everyone involved is on tenterhooks, and the buzz and anticipation are palpable.
The Preparations
The organising committee is on tenterhooks every year too – after all, it's down to them whether the race can go ahead or not. Preparations for the October opening weekend begin as early as spring, when snow depots are created and sections of the course are covered with fleece. A continuous snow layer 30 centimetres thick is essential simply to anchor the gate poles in the ground.
That too much snow can be just as much of a problem as warm temperatures is something the organisers experienced in 2014, when 80 centimetres fell in the finish area on the Thursday of race week – and more than a metre at the start. Although the entire World Cup circus was already expecting the races to be cancelled, the organising team pulled off a Herculean effort to get the slope race-ready and save the season opener.
This year's preparations are running to schedule. September saw the start of removing the fleece and distributing the snow depots across the entire slope. At the same time, the snow guns are being set up, and snow production will begin as soon as temperatures allow. Ten to fourteen days before the event, work starts on installing the safety nets and barriers and laying the cabling for the TV broadcast. During World Cup week itself, the slope is closed by the International Ski Federation FIS so that the final work on the course can be completed.
So bring on the World Cup opener – Sölden is ready and counting down to 24–25 October 2026, when the unofficial start of the winter season will be celebrated in style!
This article was originally published in September 2016 and was updated on September 21, 2026.
Benedikt Steiner
When it comes to activity and motion, Benni pricks up his ears! He is a passionate snowboarder, mountain biker, climber & hiker and he knows no better playground for outdoor sports than the Ötztal. He is not the type to sit still - therefore Benni can be often found on the valley's most exciting bike trails and pristine powder snow slopes.