Ski races and lack of snow – when the ski circus was still a guest in Toggenburg – Radio SRF 1

The lack of snow endangers ski races in Switzerland. That brings back memories of Ebnat-Kappel in the 80s.

Lack of snow, green pistes, almost spring-like temperatures: Many World Cup locations have had these problems recently. Currently about Adelboden. But the problems are not entirely new. Almost 40 years ago, Switzerland lost a World Cup location with Ebnat-Kappel: the town in Toggenburg held races on the so-called Girlenhang from the late 1960s. Most of them were races at FIS or European Cup level. However, the World Cup was a guest twice.

1977: Crowds and Swiss double victory

In 1977, the alpine ski circus was a guest in Toggenburg for the first time with the World Cup race on January 2nd. A success: Almost 30,000 visitors were on site. Hardly ever has an international ski race in Switzerland attracted so many people to the slopes, wrote the Schweizer Illustrierte. And they were even able to celebrate a Swiss double victory: Heini Hemmi won the giant slalom ahead of his brother Christian Hemmi.

Behind the scenes, however, the race was “a mess”, as one official put it at the time. With one reason: Ebnat-Kappel is just 630 meters above sea level. Enough snow at the beginning of the year was anything but a matter of course. The weather was always an issue, remembers Erwin Schällibaum, who was in charge of goalkeeping in 1977 and later OC President.

The preparation of the slope was incredibly exhausting.

“Preparing the slope was incredibly strenuous. We didn’t have machines like today. The snow had to be transported hundreds of meters to the slope. We distributed it there manually and stamped it down,” says Schällibaum. Around 300 helpers were on duty.

1981: Weather worries and snow cannon

For the second World Cup, the organizers used artificial snow for the first time. Sleet before and on the day of the race on January 4, 1981 nevertheless made for difficult weather conditions. And the success of the first edition was not matched in terms of viewer numbers. “We still had about 7,000 spectators, but again a lot of work with the slope,” says the then OC boss Erwin Schällibaum.

It has already worked with the snow cannons. But it was still laborious.

The snow cannon, which was quite new at the time, didn’t change anything, says Schällibaum: “It already worked with the snow cannons. But it was still laborious. The water from the Thur had to be pumped up to the machine.» This required lines that were built by specialists.

Legend:

When lack of snow wasn’t an issue

Thick layers of snow and long queues at the ski lifts, like here in Ebnat-Kappel in 1974, were a rarity back in the 80s at the turn of the year.

key stone

cancellation and decline

In 1987 the World Cup races were to take place again in Ebnat-Kappel. Originally planned for February, they were pushed forward to the beginning of the year. This is the time when there was little snow in previous years. When the TV broadcast was also uncertain, the organizers decided to cancel in autumn 1986. With that, the World Cup races on the Girlenhang were history.

More years with a lack of snow followed. The Girlen system often stood still, the operators were in the red. In 1989 it went bankrupt and the plants were auctioned off.

Schällibaum still has his home in Ebnat-Kappel today. From there he looks at the former World Cup slope and says: “The slope is grass green from bottom to top. Not a chunk of snow.” Of course he also thinks wistfully back to the races back then: “But at this altitude it’s just over.” Schällibaum’s hope remains that this will not also apply to the races in Adelboden one day.