Peek at the Week: Levi Slaloms

A relative newcomer to the World Cup stage, Levi’s current incarnation as an early-season, two-gender slalom stop has only been on the schedule since November of 2006.

It has proved to be a bell weather event. Five of the last six winners concluded the season by winning the World Cup slalom title. The sixth was Lindsey Vonn who placed third in the slalom standings while winning the overall crown.

There were four women’s slaloms held prior to Nov. ’06 with Tanja Poutiainen and Maria Riesch winning in back-to-back races Feb. 28-19, 2004 (that was Poutiainen’s first World Cup win and the first slalom win for Riesch); The site proved more veteran friendly March 10-11 2006 when Janica Kostelic (her 35th win) and Anja Paerson (33rd) each won.

Since Levi was added as a season teaser in November and the men joined in, Austrian skiers have won half the six races, Marlies Schild and Benjamin Raich in 2006 and Reinfried Herbst last season. Pals Lindsey Vonn (’08) and Maria Riesch (’09) have each won and Jean-Baptiste Grange (’08) has the other men’s victory. That was Vonn’s first of two career slalom wins.

The Levi Black racing trail is a 180 meter drop that starts 438 meters above the Fjords and finishes at 258m.

Course setters: Women first run Stefan Buergler, AUT; second run Philippe Willman FRA.
Men first run Christian Hoeflehner AUT; second run Frederic Perrin FRA.

Swede Ingemar Sarkimukka serves as TD.

Prize money is 100,000 CHD per race.

The official internet site is www.worldcuplevi.com

Image by Gepa