Gag in the World Cup location – marvel at the Saalbach summer slope

In midsummer, the people of Saalbach conjured up a mini track from depot snow. Puchner, Rieser and Co. will not be spared the overseas trip in the future. While Rieser has been training with the World Cup speed men in Chile for a week, Olympic silver medalist Puchner is currently still on the glacier in Saas Fee. But they too will soon be heading to South America.

The Zwölferkogel in Saalbach is known far beyond the borders as the ÖSV winter training course. But can you also ski in summer in the World Cup location of 2025? Many tourists must have asked themselves that on Thursday when a small slope was conjured up with snow cutters at the Reiterkogelbahn.Depot snow was delivered with 16 truckloads. This was depot snow from the spring. “16 truck loads were necessary for this. During the construction, many were amazed and said: What’s going on now?” smiled WM OC boss Bartl Gensbichler. But the whole thing is just a World Cup PR gag – and like an eight-meter-high snowman, it is an eye-catcher at the village festival. Incidentally, the approximately 20-meter-long slope held up well for the first three days. But nothing more than trips on nostalgic skis are planned, which means that the ÖSV stars’ hopes of not having to fly to South America in the summer are gone. But joking aside – part of the men’s ÖSV World Cup speed squad has already been in Chile for a week. Right in the middle: the Gastein European Cup driver and ex-Junior World Champion Stefan Rieser. Which the new men’s boss Marko Pfeifer wants to build up in order to put pressure on those who are already established. However, his performance stagnated in the European Cup. The overseas training is a small step towards getting closer to the top of the world. “Last week it snowed 20 centimeters. So it’s quite soft. But it fits in well with the beginning,” reported Rieser from La Parva and El Colorado, where free driving and RTL units were on the program. On Sunday we continue speed training in the winter wonderland of Portillo. The speed girls are currently on the Saas Fee (Sz) glacier – with a little less snow than in the South American winter. But more than in Saalbach.
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