Contents
The giant slalom in Adelboden was on the brink for a long time. In the end it happened the way it had to.
Legend:
Swiss flags as far as the eye can see
The finish area in Adelboden.
Keystone / Anthony Anex
Adelboden’s cult speaker Sepp Odermatt never tired of making the daring comparison with what is probably the most famous stadium in the world. The atmosphere in the “Maracana of skiing” was at least close to the original during namesake Marco Odermatt’s victory ride early on Saturday afternoon. It was the climax of a ski festival with an expected outcome.
24,000 ski fans made a pilgrimage to the Bernese Oberland early in the morning in anticipation of a Swiss ski party; tickets for the season’s highlight of the year were no longer available at the beginning of December. At 8 a.m. – two and a half hours before the first run – the places right next to the finish arch were already occupied. There was also a lot of activity in the stands, with civil defense clearing the ground of fresh snow on the steel scaffolding.
Legend:
Coveted places
Right next to the finish line.
SRF
Whether the race could even take place was still in limbo at this point. It has been snowing in Adelboden since Friday afternoon – only lightly, but continuously. Thanks to the group of helpers working night shifts, the slope was still ready for racing. As feared the day before, the thick fog caused headaches. Ultimately the reserve start had to be used.
When the alternative start of the race was confirmed, the places in the picnic zone right next to the entrance to the finish slope also filled up. A non-representative survey quickly showed that, apart from the outdoor raclette in the snow, Odermatt was the reason for coming to the Chuenisbärgli.
Legend:
Raclette in the snow
The picnic area makes it possible.
SRF
The anxious looks towards the start, where the fog persisted, quickly gave way to the obligatory shouts of “Odi, Odi”. Even a group of Trychlers who had taken on the sweaty walk to the top were instead chanting for freedom for the most famous Nidwalden resident of the present time.
Just be patient
The darling of the masses did not disappoint his supporters, the high-flyer made the decisive difference in the first run. The usual place on the leader’s throne ensures that the finish area slows down before the start of the second round. Miss the first riders of the second run? It’s not that crazy, “Odi only comes at the end.”
In the end, Odermatt crowned himself the unofficial king of Adelboden for the third time on Epiphany. The party, which had been in full swing since the early hours of the morning, was far from over even after the award ceremony. Neither for the joy-drunk fans in Adelboden, nor for Odermatt: he let it be known that he would not take the most direct route home with the fan car.