Former World Cup racer and local resident Werner Perathoner discusses the magnitude and impact upon the area thanks to more than a half-century of ski racing down the venerable Saslong piste

Val Gardena/Gröden, ITALY

Bernhard Russi, Franz Klammer, Kristian Ghedina, Bode Miller, and Aksel Lund Svindal, among other ski racing greats, have all enjoyed victories here.

The tradition and legacy continue. Local residents quickly acknowledge that international ski racing placed an unknown South Tyrolean valley onto the world map.

Val Gardena/Gröden is celebrating its 100th World Cup ski race this week – an impressive milestone that was expected to be achieved with Friday’s scheduled super-G. However, the race had to be canceled due to persistent fog and rising temperatures affecting course conditions. Weather on Saturday looks promising and the 100^th race should now align with the traditional downhill on the renowned Saslong course.

This season’s race program also marks the 55th edition of the classic Italian Dolomites races. Passion and Performance is a fitting slogan.

“Every time I race the Saslong I want to join the legends who have won here, and every year it is thrilling racing here in Val Gardena,” says Austrian three-time Olympic champion Matthias Mayer, who was second in last season’s super-G and third in Wednesday’s race, but has yet to claim victory on the Saslong.

“These races are the most important event that we have every year in the valley. You can have the best mountains, the best valley, but you need to show everybody what you’re capable of,” says former World Cup racer Werner Perathoner, who grew up skiing in Val Gardena. “For us, the World Cup is the best opportunity to do this.”

“It’s most important that we can do this at the beginning of the season because 90 percent of the people in the valley work in tourism,” he said about the thriving resort that is bustling with activity this week.

Legendary champions of years past

World Cup racing in Val Gardena/Gröden dates back to February 1969. Swiss J.D. Dätwyler was the first racer to make headlines on the Saslong piste. He won the inaugural downhill race by 0.21 seconds over Frenchman Henri Duvillard.

The developing winter resort’s ski racing story grew rapidly as the 1970 FIS World Championships were contested here. Both men and women racers sped down the Saslong in the shadow of the massive Sassolungo, the iconic 3,181-meter peak towering over the course – racers fearlessly soaring through the air, with the jagged rock mountain as a backdrop, becoming a signature image of Val Gardena/Gröden.

Swiss rising star Russi, then 21, won gold in the downhill, attaining his first major title. Austrian legend Karl Schranz was the giant slalom world champion. Frenchman Jean-Noël Augert took home a slalom title. 

Billy Kidd was the first of many Americans to succeed on Val Gardena/Gröden’s slopes. The skiing legend demonstrated his versatility by winning a world title in the combined and adding a bronze in the slalom. France dominated those 1970 championships. French men and women teamed up to win 10 medals, including three golds. Austria and the United States tied for second, with four each.

The championships were a booming success, generating great interest. They demonstrated the enormous untapped potential of the humble and dedicated residents of the valley. World Cup races were held again in 1972. And Russi made his mark again, winning one of two downhills.

The future becomes brighter

To the credit of the dedicated race organizers, staff, and local volunteers, Val Gardena/Gröden became a regular stop on the World Cup circuit, after hosting the season-ending races in 1975. It was a boon for both ski racing and tourism in the area.

A longtime resident of Sëlva – one of the three villages that comprise Val Gardena/Gröden – Perathoner has been associated with the classic races for more than three decades. A two-time World Cup race winner and two-time Olympian, Perathoner currently serves on the Saslong Classic Club race committee. 

He says that the 2.2-mile Saslong course – revered for its famed Camel Humps section, a plethora of jumps, the 56.9% gradient Sochers Wall, and unpredictable, bump-infested Ciaslat section – has withstood the test of time.

“The slope is always very fast, with lots of jumps and when you ski across the finish line, it just feels amazing and is so much fun,” says Perathoner, who made more than 100 runs down the Saslong. 

Perathoner, who twice sustained ligament injuries on the unpredictable Italian piste, notes that the course has been modified over the years. He says that safety is always paramount.

“We’re always trying to make the course spectacular but also safer,” Perathoner said. “The speeds are higher with the new materials, so the course has been built with more turns. Every year, we try something new for safety.”

Conquering the Saslong piste

Perathoner reminisces about competing alongside teammate Kristian Ghedina, who sped to a record four career Saslong downhill victories. The retired racer from Cortina d’Ampezzo remains tied with Klammer for the most all-time wins.

“Ghedina was a very good jumper and also very soft on the skis,” Perathoner said. “Like (Steven) Nyman and Bryce Bennett too.”

Nyman, a three-time Saslong champion, is among the numerous foreign racers embracing everything Val Gardena/Gröden has to offer. The U.S. Ski Team veteran shared the news that he would be unable to compete this week due to injuries. Despite the obvious disappointment, Nyman expressed his passion for the area.

“Look at this sunset under the Sassolungo, the Dolomites, the Sellaronda,” Nyman said enthusiastically, showing off the area’s spectacular views in an Instagram post.

“I love being here and I love the people here. I got a lot of messages welcoming me back, but sorry to say that I am not racing here this weekend because of my hand. 

“Good luck to my teammates. Let’s go, USA. Bring it. We love this hill.” 

Sustaining tourism in the future

Many international racers express similar sentiments about Val Gardena/Gröden, helping to contribute to the resort’s popularity, image and exposure. 

Tourism in the valley has thrived ever since Val Gardena/Gröden became a mainstay on tour. Recreational skiers come to enjoy the Sellaronda, touring four separate valleys without ever skiing the same run twice.

“We have enough (tourists), but we need to seek more quality,” Perathoner informs. “Our valley is always full, but we must give more to the tourists. That is our future.”

World Championship aspirations for 2029

Perathoner and fellow race organizers, politicians, and enthusiastic locals have announced their candidacy to host the World Championships for the second time in 2029. If successful, it will mark a return of the signature event to Val Gardena/Gröden, nearly 60 years after the first championships in 1970.

“Our dream is the World Championships and we’re working very hard to bring them back to Val Gardena in 2029,” Perathoner says. “We have the infrastructure; it is one mountain and two finish areas. The technical events will finish on the other side in Sëlva.”

A World Championship in 2029 would also bring top female racers back to Val Gardena/Gröden. The women relished their opportunity on the Saslong in 2019 as canceled races from another venue were rescheduled.

“The ladies are asking, when can we return to Val Gardena?” Perathoner says.

Regarding potentially hosting a second World Championships, he said, “It is important for us to show the ski world that we can do it successfully once again in a place that is a true home for skiing.”

An International Ski Federation (FIS) decision is expected in 2024. If Val Gardena/Gröden receives the green light, it will create yet another chapter in the resort’s fabled ski racing lore. 

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