Alpine Athletes Discuss the Hahnenkamm Race in Kitzbuhel | ISOS014

"Raw, scary, exhilarating" - Downhill skiing athletes discuss the extreme terrain and unique difficulties of the Hahnenkamm race in Kitzbuhel. In first few meters of the course, racers are propelled to speeds more commonly reached by automobiles. This is the race that turns rookies into veterans.
Featuring Bode Miller, Lasse Kjus, Chad Fleischer, Daron Rahlves, Todd Brooker, Franz Klammer, Ken Reid, Bernhard Russi & Phil Mahre.
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[@helavarlden8466]

I had the opportunity to ski the Streif with a former WC racer who has raced the Streif early on a Sunday morning after the downhill and before the slalom. The whole slope was pure ice. I have so much respect for these skiers. Everyone is afraid at the start and anyone racing the Streif is nuts.

[@kuladeeluxe]

Todd Brooker, Ken Read, Steve Podborski.....unbelievable how you pulled this off. Hats Off!!

[@joemaxie4468]

Best athletes in the world......an extreme race, located in a very special place in the world of skiing....

[@evab.6240]

incredible. I'm a casual skiier myself and I've been in a few situations (extremely icy terrain, weird bumps in the middle of the course, sharp turns) that made me literally scream in fear and I just prayed that my skies don't come off or that my knees don't just let go :D and the difficuly wasn't even close to something like this. those guys have some real courage.

[@keirfarnum6811]

Eva B. I’ve been in downhills in which I was going 50+ across a side hill with ice rivulets frozen across the course and I can recall watching my skis flopping around and crossing each other; and knowing that if the tips touch, I would go down. Craziest thing I ever experienced in ski racing. Sketchy fun!

[@872521]

Remarkable video. The fastest, calmest 14 minute video that I have watched- it cast a spell on me and when it was over I was totally surprised that ONLY 18 people had 'favorite-d' it! Come on people! You have to appreciate the total event this place is!

[@piacere100]

Crazy Canucks

[@keirfarnum6811]

Kitzbuel, ...where finishing is winning!

[@llo70422]

there is no substitute. this is the run of a lifetime and you got to have guts to do this thing full tilt

[@charlesmcintyre1081]

Great video...fascinating to hear from the downhill racers who have faced their fears and made it down this legendary hill. You're not just skiing for glory, you are literally skiing to survive and preserve your life. I can only imagine how difficult and frightful the Hahnenkamm must be. Perhaps an analogy to ice skating might help to simulate the challenge: imagine standing on an ice rink with skates that are six feet long; now tilt that ice rink to 70 degrees, and just try to avoid losing your edges and sliding uncontrollably off the mountain. Now try skiing down that ice rink at 70 mph with limited sight of bumps that are on the ice in front of you, while you try to keep your skis holding onto that ice. Good luck amigo.

[@symphonyfarm2009]

Todd Broker is Such a freekin legend! The fact that he walked from his wreck

[@WifeBTR123]

Celebrating at the end without knowing their time tells me how crazy this is. A bright spot for humanity.

[@jamespacker1994]

Unbelievably exciting, yet so difficult that making it is winning!

[@danpricop6670]

...so nice explained Daron and Axel Lund about feelling inner skiing race,...

[@mmbmbmbmb]

Fabulous insight ~ thank you !!!

[@maggiemconnor]

3rd time watching. Thank you for production of this film.

[@andrewroberts8139]

Good article in this month's New Yorker about this terrifying course

[@miked815]

I recorded a top speed this winter season on my snowboard of 55.6 mph. I thought for a moment I would die. These guys do that speed all the way from top to bottom, and turn while doing it.

[@keirfarnum6811]

miked815 Keep in mind that the skis used for downhill are made for speed. Once you strap on a pair of 220s it becomes easier to understand the ability to go fast. The average snowboard isn’t made to handle those speeds. Even on my old school 207 GS boards, going 60 was pretty stable. Even though I was a hardcore street skater and snowboarding was easy for me, I still preferred skiing to boarding because the speeds were so much greater.

[@juniorjohnson9509]

If you were to try to make a new course as tough and dangerous as Kitz, it would not pas the safety requirements. kitz got grandfathered in when the safety requirements were drawn up.

[@MsDobrivoje]

Very nice video and story. It is ceazy what people are capable of. My respect ✊

[@AAAskeet]

Great documentary guys

[@PipinhoSnow]

Love to wacth!!

[@tikiduck]

Probably the only other sporting event that compares in raw courage would be the Isle Of Man TT. I know some of these guys in this video. Even the best of them can still keep their egos in check.

[@KapitanPisoar1]

Yeah, there are similiarities, but the TT guys go another 200km/h faster with no safety nets...

[@gregormiller4037]

Guy Martin, one of my favorites!

[@apollomorris9920]

KapitanPisoar1 its less the 200k and hour its about 140kpm has there is a down hill you hit 100 mph. Im a ski racer and i was rated 5th in the usa, im a motocycle rider too. Put me on a down hill road and no one can keep up its just like sking on a bike. It was fun wining races , one race the first run i beet ever one buy 2 sec it was a short corce 25 sec . One race i was first buy over a sec on the first run, the sec run i beet every one buy 2/12 sec. I all most put 4 sec betwen me and second place. That was the time of my life.

[@wadeharris4499]

THEEE DH! JPI ya rocked it w/footage & great interviews with dialogue from those that know the HahnenKamm is THE ONE! Thank you.

[@brycebertolino7017]

Im like the Forest Gump of skiing. In a period of two years I found myself on what was the major part of Torino 2006 and Lake Louise 1960. I could go 50 yard without my skis chattering. These races represent major engineering feats.

[@goose7125]

to be COMPLETELY honest dude no one asked but good for you

[@danpricop6670]

...it's very dangerous sport,downhill alpine ski,...you must be as a machine,you must be perfect,...and ready!!!

[@yaknbo]

I wish they had ID'd the spokesmen.

[@jamespacker1994]

Last year , several racers reached 100 MPH!!!!

[@KapitanPisoar1]

That moment when skiing has better fans, than any american sport :D

[@emilen2]

Kitzbühel, the Nordschleife of ski racing.

[@IJMacfarlane]

Excellent comparison

[@nicolasdenis7094]

More like Monaco.. I would say the Lauberhorn descent is more comparable the nordschleife

[@juanmasso6228]

Rodillas por delante de las botas

[@sandratessem9980]

I skied the Hahnenkamm

[@BlindDesertPete]

I didn't exactly ski it but I got down, 50 years ago.

[@thlee3]

do they ever groom these courses? or just when setting up?

[@precbsfender]

Most American people just don't understand Downhill ski Racing they tolerate it but don't get it. Downhill ski racers have the psyche of a formula one driver and the nerves of a vertical wall rock climber.. Europeans completely understand downhill ski racing.. they treat there World Cup ski racers like royalty..

[@Roam_]

I live in the us people here claim they know ski racing yet in the last downhill they all said Lindsey Vonn will win yet she wasn't even racing that day yep totally ski racing experts

[@juniorjohnson9509]

+PRE CBS STRATOCASTER'S The vast majority of Americans live nowhere near mountains, so skiing is barely on their radar. For those millions of us who DO ski and race, believe me, we understand.

[@bburkie55]

Being relatively unknown to the American public is not necessarily a bad thing. Bode Miller, Lindsey Vonn and others get mobbed in Europe. As Bode Miller said once "I love being home. Nobody knows who I am."

[@footsy420]

there might have been a couple in the video who know what's up

[@sbinotto3780]

Im from europe, i skied myself (now snowboarding), i watch downhill alot and i think all those guys are maniacs and insane

[@forbiddencrisis4149]

Only an American would liken this epic sporting event to a sport that only one country would want to play. Kitzbühel's Hahnenkamm is way more than anything else in the world.

[@lemat8558]

COURAGE! before Red Bull there was Kitzbühl!

[@danpricop6670]

...in 2 minutes you alive tension in crazy speed...!!!

[@viperRX]

I am from Hong Kong and in my city there is never snow. I only skied once or twice in Canada on vacation. On the beginner course only. And why am I watching this?

[@Flex2212]

nowadays it's 100000 people in attendance

[@BajaBushPilots]

Fortune favors the brave...

[@juniorjohnson9509]

If it weren't grandfathered in, Kitzbuhel would not pass the modern downhill course safety requirements. And that is what makes it what it is.

[@tritop]

if you think you could imagine what that meant; - you don't, unless you stand on your ski beside the starting house, like I did in 1983 ; it seems to you that you better take a parachute - seriously

[@klimenkor]

There are a few nice POV footages. Although they have taken at half of the competition speeds it still shows you the Streif complexity. kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYGmaHuum7GmaZo

[@JoeDaddy4321]

9:35 OMG. No thanks.

[@jamespacker1994]

Anyone who has gone even 65mph on ski's , has felt the exhilaration of downhill racing!

[@patfish3291]

Why they use only 20-45 years old pictures???? ...that has nothing to do with skiing nowadays :D

[@keirfarnum6811]

Patrick proier History dude! The Hannenkham has a long history and it was even sketchier back in the day.

[@marcjohnson7882]

Nothing? Those pictures are the origin of the sport, and today’s athletes respect their predecessors. The early racers were doing the same thing on gear that wasn’t half as good as it is now.

[@andrewwelch4552]

Not scary enough?

[@shooter7a]

@@keirfarnum6811 I would not agree. It is more dangerous now specifically because the equipment and technique is so much better. The ability of the skiers and skis to hold an edge and turn at higher lateral forces means you exit the turns much faster than in the past (1980s and before). That means everything is faster over the whole course. It is not like auto racing. F1 cars today are way faster than in 1980. But the safety engineering, the protection the drivers have is also much better. For skiers....you can not really protect yourself. You are wearing spandex and a helmet! There is a reason they now have all the extensive double netting up now. If they did not, people would literally die.

[@WRPUS471]

This is more boring than the idiot commentators on NBC

[@Vitor-1981]

The sponsors should think about the deadly conditions the athletes ares subject to.... It is too dangerous to be tolerated....

[@PlaidHiker]

I agree, we should ban everything dangerous that professionals willingly participate in with full knowledge of the dangers involved.

[@maggiemconnor]

thats why they are not Olympians

[@jaroslavzaruba2765]

Please go away.

[@aztronomy7457]

He’s got a point though... I feel like they deliberately make this course Icey and bumpey as shit

[@LiffeyKing]

Note - Sport is about pushing the limits. If this scares you then look away now.