Kandahar (ski course)
Planai is a classic World Cup downhill ski course, located on the Zugspitze mountain in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany, opened in 1936.[1]
| Kandahar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Place: |  Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
| Mountain: | Kreuzeck / Zugspitze |
| Member: | Club5+ |
| Opened: | 1936 (Kandahar 1) 2009 (Kandahar 2) |
| Competition: | Arlberg-Kandahar races |
| Downhill | |
| Kandahar 1 (women's course) | |
| Start: | 1,490 m (4,888 ft) (AA) |
| Finish: | 770 m (2,526 ft) |
| Vertical drop: | 720 m (2,362 ft) |
| Length: | 2,920 m (9,580 ft) |
| Max. incline: | 40.4° degrees (85%) |
| Most wins (W): |  Lindsey Vonn (5x) |
| Most wins (M): |  Roland Collombin (3x).svg.png.webp){kind=small} Steve Podborski (3x) |
| Kandahar 2 (men's course) | |
| Start: | 1,690 m (5,545 ft) (AA) |
| Finish: | 770 m (2,526 ft) |
| Vertical drop: | 920 m (3,018 ft) |
| Length: | 3,330 m (10,925 ft) |
| Max. incline: | 42.6° degrees (92%) |
In 2009 almost complete new "Kandahar 2" men's DH course opened, parallel to original "Kandahar" (then renamed to "Kandahar 1").[2][3]
Since 1954, Arlberg-Kandahar races have been held here exhanging with few other well known venues every couple years.
And with 42.6° degrees (92%) maximum incline, it has the 2nd steepest gradient in the whole alpine ski circuit.
Course
Kandahar 1
"Kandahar 1" (before just "Kandahar") is the original course built for the 1936 Olympics, now used only for women's speed events. Dowhnill starts on "Tröglhang" section at 1490 m (AA), and follows mainly the old men's route. After the "Schußanger" with two curves, "Himmelreich" jump follows where the Super-G start is located, then "Bödele". Then comes the "Waldeck" with 85% gradient, the steepest section in women's circuit and a technically very demending traverse. From 2009, course from there continues by newly built route where also giant slalom starts; the "Eishang" is bypassed by via the "Ramwiesen" and via the "Höllentor" it returns back to the original Kandahar in "Hölle", the steep section. Then passing the "FIS Schneise", a sloping run that, after a hard left-hand bend, ends in the men's course just before the "Tauber-Schuss".[4]
Kandahar 2
Is the almost complete new downhill run for men, only with the same start and finish of the original Kandahar. It begins on the original start at 1690 m (AA) on Kreuzjoch mountain, reaching speed up to 100 km/h after the "S-Kurve". After the "Tröglhang", the steepest section until 2008, the course continues into newly built route in 2009 to "Olympia-Kurve" and then to "Panorama-Sprung". After that comes the "Alte Quelle", before the route at the "Bödele" returns back into the original Kandahar to the start of the giant slalom above "Eishang" and after the cable car jump (40 to 60 meters), the racers turn right into the second newly designed part at the "Kramersprung" (20 to 40 metres). Then to the next newly section called "Padöls" and into "Auf der Mauer" flat passage. Next is "Frei Fall", with 92% incline, the absolute steepest section in this competition. At the end, last couple of hundred metres, routes joins with the old original course into the "Tauber-Schuss" and 20 meters jump just before the finish line.
Name of the course
The course was named after Sir Frederick Roberts, a British Victorian era major general known as "Baron of Kandahar", who led the Kabul Field Force in the Second Anglo-Afghan War and defeated Ayub Khan at the Battle of Kandahar.
Olympics
Men's events
| Event | Type | Date | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | KB | 7–9 February 1936 |  Birger Ruud |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Franz Pfnür] |
Gustav Lantschner |
Women's events
| Event | Type | Date | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | KB | 7–8 February 1936 | Laila Schou Nilsen |
Lisa Resch |
Käthe Grasegger |
Combined (both downhills held on "Kandahar" and both slaloms on "Gudiberg" course.)
World Championships
Men's events
| Event | Type | Date | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | DH | 29 January 1978 |  Josef Walcher |
Michael Veith |
Werner Grissmann |
| KB | (DH) 29 January 1978 (GS) 2 February 1978 (SL) 5 February 1978 |
 Andreas Wenzel |
Sepp Ferstl |
Pete Patterson | |
| 2011 | SG | 9 February 2011 |  Christof Innerhofer |
Hannes Reichelt |
 Ivica Kostelić |
| DH | 12 February 2011 | Erik Guay |
Didier Cuche |
Christof Innerhofer | |
| SC | 14 February 2011 | Aksel Lund Svindal |
Christof Innerhofer |
Peter Fill | |
| GS | 18 February 2011 | Ted Ligety |
 Cyprien Richard |
Philipp Schörghofer |
Women's events
| Event | Type | Date | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | SG | 8 February 2011 | Elisabeth Görgl |
Julia Mancuso |
Maria Riesch |
| SC | 11 February 2011 | Anna Fenninger |
 Tina Maze |
 Anja Pärson | |
| DH | 13 February 2011 | Elisabeth Görgl |
Lindsey Vonn |
Maria Riesch | |
| GS | 17 February 2011 | Tina Maze |
Federica Brignone |
Tessa Worley |
(pre)World Cup
Men
won record 3 dowhnills
won record 3 dowhnills
won record 3 super-Gs
Not in original calendar. It replaced Val d'Isere (1993), Whistler Mountain (1997), Kitzbühel (2005, 2007).
In 1981, GS in Morzine (6 January) counted for combined with DH in Garmisch (10 January).
Women
.jpg.webp)
won record 4 super-Gs
Not in original calendar. It replaced Val d'Isere (2013).
Sections
Kandahar 1 (W)
- Tröglhang, Schussanger, Himmelreich, Bödele, Eishang, Seilbahn Stadl, Waldeck, Ramwiesen, Höllentor, Hölle, FIS Schneise, Tauber-Schuss
Kandahar 2 (M)
- Tröglhang, Olimpiakurve, Panorama-Sprung, Stegerwald, Alte Quelle, Eishang, Kramarsprung, Padöls, Auf der Mauer, Frei Fall, Tauber-Schuss
Fatal accident
On 29 January 1994, Austrian skier Ulrike Maier suffered fatal injuries at "FIS Schneise" section crashing into intermediate device at 105 km/h (65 mph) on the World Cup downhill event. Only one week before she won giant slalom in Maribor.[5][6][7]
Club5+
In 1986, elite Club5 was originally founded by prestigius classic downhill organizers: Kitzbühel, Wengen, Garmisch, Val d’Isère and Val Gardena/Gröden, with goal to bring alpine ski sport on the highest levels possible.[8]
Later over the years other classic longterm organizers joined the now named Club5+: Alta Badia, Cortina, Kranjska Gora, Maribor, Lake Louise, Schladming, Adelboden, Kvitfjell, St.Moritz and Åre.[9]
References
- "Proga za smuk (column 2, page 5)" (in Slovenian). Jutro. 8 February 1936.
- "Official men's downhill training 2 (2009)" (PDF). International Ski Federation. 30 January 2009.
- "Women's super G (2009)" (PDF). International Ski Federation. 1 February 2009.
- "Kandahar 1 and 2 course graphic profile". gap2011.com. 8 February 2011.
- "V znamenju tragedije (page 11)" (in Slovenian). Delo. 31 January 1994.
- "Na Zlati lisici se je izkazalo še celo vreme (page 1)" (in Slovenian). Delo. 22 January 1994.
- "Ulrike Maier najuspešnejša v prvem lovu na pohorsko lisico (page 7)" (in Slovenian). Delo. 22 January 1994.
- "Srečko Medven predsednik elitnega združenje (page 9)" (in Slovenian). Naše novice. June 2010.
- "Club5+ workshop in Adelboden". saslong.org. 23 October 2021.
External links
- zugspitze.de course official site
- FIS Alpine Ski World Cup – Garmisch, Germany
- Ski-db.com - Garmisch men's races
- Ski-db.com - Garmisch women's races