The Hahnenkamm races are arguably the most famous and most talked about events in the ski calendar, which starts at the end of November.
The best downhill and slalom skiers brave the Streif course in Kitzbühel, in western Austria.
There is also the combination event, and the opening downhill race is known globally as the Super-G.
The events first took place on the Streif slope in 1937, with Thadd äus Schwabl being the first winner of the competition.
Switzerland’s Didier Cuche is regarded as the King of the Streif, having won five times up to the age of 37.
The Austrians have won 43 times and the Swiss are overall next best with 20 combined wins.
Germany’s Linus Strasser won the last season’s slalom race, and France’s Cyprien Sarrazin beat three-time winner Dominik Paris in the downhill race.
The Italian is a downhill favourite, and Beat Feuz’s retirement in 2023 opened up the competition for new racers.
Every year, the downhill draws an average of 45,000 spectators, and 45 TV stations and 30 radio broadcasts bring in 262 million viewers during the 55 hours of coverage.
What separates the Hahnenkamm races from the rest of the ski calendar?
The Streif is fast, like, fast fast.
The record time was set by Fritz ‘The Cat’ Strobl in 1997 after he finished the course in 1 minute and 51.58 seconds.
The full course is 3.312km and has an elevation of 1665m.
Participants travel at average speeds of 85-90mph, as the iciness and huge drops push the skiers through the air up to 80m in distance.
The Mausefalle is the most dangerous and infamous stage of the course; a 40.4 degree-angled drop.
Making it to the bottom of the course in a good time earns big bragging rights, but the winners are rewarded plentifully.
The winner of the Super-G takes home €53,200 (£44,269), the slalom and downhill winners receive €75,000 (£62,409), and the combination winner earns €48,200 (£40,108).
Only male skiers have competed, but in January 2023, American Lindsey Vonn became the first woman to ski the Streif course.
Oh, and she did it at night.
This season’s Hahnenkamm races will take place from January 20th to the 26th.
