This winter the International Ski Federation will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Alpine Ski World Cup. Alto Adige/Südtirol will be the centre of attention as they play host to such important celebrations.  The World Cup winners of all times will be invited to Val Gardena and Alta Badia for the “Champions Celebration”. The world cup competitions (Super G, Descent, Giant) will take place in the two renowned resorts of Alto Adige on the 16th, 17th and 18th of December. 

What started out 40 years ago with a few World Cup competitions has become consolidated over the years, becoming an important circuit within the winter sports sector. The Circo Bianco (The White Circuit) has grown over the years, not only thanks to the expertise of the athletes, but also thanks to the masterful skills of their teams, the national ski federations, the entrepreneurial organisers of the individual resorts and the ski clubs.

Champions of all times to gather together for an unforgettable event
An overall number of 18 women and 22 men from 12 different countries have been crowned winners of the general World Cup throughout the years.  Among these successful athletes some repeated champions are worth a mention, such as: Annemarie Moser-Pröll, Gustav Thöni, Pirmin Zurbriggen, Vreni Schneider, Hermann Maier, Marc Girardelli, Katja Seizinger, Janica Kostelic, Anja Pearson, Petra Kronberger, Maria Walliser, Nancy Green, Stefan Eberharter, Karl Schranz, just to name a few, along with Alberto Tomba who won the Cup in 1995.

Val Gardena will officially welcome the world champions on Thursday December 15th.  A dinner will be held in an alpine hut for the athletes in the evening. During the official extraction of the vests, which will take place on Friday evening in the Sant’Antonio di Ortisei Square, the illustrious guests will be present to meet with current athletes and fans. Following this, there will be a dinner with the representatives of the press.  During the Cup competitions the guests of honour will be presented to the public and the guests.

Alta Badia on the other hand will play host to these great champions and the organisers of the World Cup during the vest extraction procedures in the centre of La Villa and during the gala evening at the Corvara tennis stadium.  Sunday will be marked by a charity competition which will take place between the first and second stages, in which the ski champions and other sports and entertainment personalities will participate.

Within the context of the “Champions Celebration” two other important celebrations will also be marked: the 20 years of the Cup in Alta Badia and Erich Demetz’s 20th anniversary as president of the Alpine Committee of the Ski World Cup.

The aim of these celebrations is to create and consolidate relations between great ski champions and the various sector categories; it is also to recall the fundamental stages of the F.I.S. Alpine Ski World Cup. 

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Val Gardena World Cup Press Office  – E-mail: media@saslong.org - Tel. 0471/793450 – Mobile 328/76854619 – Person to contact: Gernot Mussner /Stefania Demetz
Alta Badia Press Office – E-mail:press.point@altabadia.org – Tel. 0471/847037 – Mobile 338/8543309 –Person to contact: Christian Pizzinini