The Planai. One of the most challenging finish hills on the alpine ski circuit. Thousands upon thousands of fans. Once-in-a-lifetime atmosphere. Probably the world’s coolest party! On 24 January 2023, Schladming will become the center of the skiing world. Which slalom artist will be crowned “King of the Night” this time around? And how can you personally experience the spectacle live?
When, on the 24th of January, the floodlights go on along the finish slope of the Planai, it becomes clear immediately: In the night ahead, yet another chapter in alpine skiing history will be written. There will be a radiant victor. A new hero. We will experience best times. See great performances. Also dramas. Straddled gates. Jubilation. Anger. Disappointment. Victory and defeat. Compressed into a single evening, into two runs, on one of the most challenging hills the Ski World Cup has to offer.
“Then we’ll ski at night!”
The new hero, the winner of the 26th Nightrace, will add his name to an honor roll of resonant names, stretching back from Linus Strasser in 2021 to the winner of the event’s premiere, Alberto Tomba back in 1997. However, the two first nighttime races ever on the Planai took place at the end of December 1995 – though they had nothing to do with the FIS Ski World Cup. Back then, it was actually the U.S. Pro Ski Tour that was making a guest appearance in Schladming. The dates of the event right in the middle of winter high season presented the organizers with a major challenge: On the one hand, the car parks next to the valley station of the Planai lifts were urgently needed for ski tourists during the daytime. On the other, it was that same area that was foreseen as the run-out zone for racers speeding across the finish line. Schladming local Bernhard Knauß, himself a six-time professional world champion, had an inspired idea: “Then we’ll ski at night!” At short notice, the improvised lighting consisted of halogen spots that were simply mounted on top of the snow cannons. The potential of this new event format was also recognized by the Austrian Ski Association, which gave Schladming the nod to host a special World Cup race there. Later, the FIS gave the green light, a floodlighting system was built and, on the 30th of January 1997, 27,000 excited fans got to enjoy the very first World Cup Nightrace.
Glorious Sporting Moments
You would end up with a very thick book if you were to recount all the stories that were written in the past quarter-century of the Nightrace. And yet: A few slalom skiers carved their own iconic moments on the finish hill of the Planai that will never be forgotten:
1999 Benjamin “Benni” Raich charges from 23rd place after the first run to finish No. 1 – his first of four Nightrace victories.
2002 Totally relaxed before and after the race, taking lots of risks between the gates, far from a smooth run, yet in 2002 he is the fastest by far: Bode Miller from the USA, with his rambunctious uniqueness, excites lots of ski fans around the world.
2005 On his 27th birthday, Manfred “Mani” Pranger gives himself the biggest gift of all, hurtling to Nightrace victory in front of 47,000 fans.
2010 “Like a fairytale”. That’s how it feels for Reinfried Herbst when, for the second time, he stands atop the winners’ podium in Schladming.
2012 Marcel Hirscher wins his first of three Nightraces. At that time, for him the “most emotional World Cup victory ever”.
2014 Henrik Kristoffersen, just 19 years “young” at that time, celebrates his first triumph on the Planai. He has won the Nightrace four times up to this point.
2020 Due to the Corona pandemic, the “thriller became a silent movie”, as one newspaper daily put it so aptly. Marco Schwarz decides the tight race in his favor.
2021 Linus Straßer manages to become the first winner of the Nightrace from Germany.
Legendary: the Schladming World Cup Mile
In “normal” winters, up to 50,000 people get to experience the Nightrace in Schladming live. For many, this is the world’s biggest and best ski party. The athletes, too, rave about the unique atmosphere of the slalom and the fact that the finish of this challenging hill is in the very heart of the mountain town. A well-oiled organizational team tweaks the event year by year to ensure that it gets a little bit better every time: “In addition to great competition on the piste, we want to offer our guests an unforgettable experience overall.” That includes cool side events along with the legendary World Cup Mile. It runs from the main square in Schladming east to the Planai, with everything that ski & party fans could ever wish for: music, show performances, food, drink, and great spirits from the first moment to the last, from early in the morning to long into the night”.
Attractive side program
The day before the actual race, on the 23rd of January to be precise, there will be two new highlights on the side program of the Nightrace: a charity race to benefit the up-and-coming Styrian ski stars of tomorrow, and Bründl Sports Night, a special gala evening with culinary highlights and a breathtaking show with circus artists from Cirque du Soleil. This evening is also an ideal opportunity to sample the official Nightrace wine. This red-wine cuvée from Weinschloss Koarl Thaller in Grosswilfersdorf is appealing to wine lovers and collectors alike. On the one hand because of its outstanding flavor, on the other because there are only 2023 bottles. That said, it would definitely be worth your while to keep a bottle in your own wine cellar – perhaps in order to toast the next winner of the Nightrace …
More information for you
If you would like to join the ski party in Schladming, you have eight different tickets to choose from – from the classic Red Card at the side of the ski slope, to the Hohenhaus ON-THE-TOP, your ticket to an exclusive party above the rooftops of Schladming.
