win, win, win.

Downhill, super-G, slalom – three races, three victories: uvex dominates the Hahnenkamm festival in Kitzbühel

Three races were held at the Alpine Ski World Cup event in Kitzbühel – and uvex won all three. Dominik Paris from South Tyrol made history with his third victory on the “Streif” run. Frenchman Clément Noël won the slalom, with Josef Ferstl from Traunstein taking first place in the super-G event.

As extreme weather had been forecast, the schedule was completely rewritten. In order to send the competitors onto the slopes in the best possible conditions for each discipline, the downhill race was brought forward to the Friday, with the slalom held on the snowy Saturday and the super-G completing the festival of skiing on the Sunday.

But the uvex athletes were unfazed by the elements. They were once again able to count on the pioneering uvex lens technology – enjoying superb visibility at all times and delivering a historic result.

Outstanding in hazy conditions

Friday: uvex wins the downhill

It’s the most legendary skiing race of all. The high point of the year. When the world’s best downhill skiers jump up to 80 meters on the Mousetrap and reach speeds of up to 140 kmh as they cross the finish line, the skiing world watches with bated breath. “There is no starting area that is as silent as the one on the Streif. It’s a truly unique atmosphere,” explains Michael Huber, Head of the Organization Committee.

And you could hear a pin drop as Dominik Paris, wearing number 13, went onto the slope. The sky was cloudy, the light hazy. He demonstrated his phenomenal talent on the icy piste, speeding to first place. It was his third victory on the Streif, following wins in 2013 and 2017. And his fellow uvex competitor Otmar Striedinger also secured a place on the podium, thus rounding off a stunning start to the biggest racing event of the year.

A cool head in heavy snow

Saturday: uvex wins the slalom

Saturday’s heavy snow meant that the slalom skiers on the Ganslernhang needed a cool head – and, most importantly, clear vision. Following the downhill victory on Friday, a uvex athlete once again came in ahead of the pack: aged just 21, the Frenchman Clément Noël won in thrilling style, beating Austrian slalom king Marcel Hirscher into second place.

“He is skiing a shorter line than anyone else at the moment,” said Hirscher after the race when talking about his vanquisher Clément Noël, whose aggressive yet precise style made a lasting mark on his rivals. Just five days earlier, Noël had also won the slalom classic in the Swiss resort of Wengen. The young uvex skier has a bright future ahead of him.

The “podium treble” is complete

Sunday: uvex wins the super-G

Could it get any better? Absolutely! The super-G race on Sunday proved beyond all doubt that the uvex skiers were the ones with their eyes set firmly on the podium. Josef Ferstl from Traunstein was the first to compete, posting a time of 1:13:07. At that point, nobody knew that this time would remain unsurpassed.

Josef’s father is also a two-time Kitzbühel champion, having won the downhill event in 1978 and 1979. His son is now following in his footsteps by winning the super-G at the same event. The only serious competition came from the uvex racers Johann Clarey and Dominik Paris, who took second and third place to complete a sensational treble on the Hahnenkamm podium.

Next stop? Åre!

Since the start of the 2018/2019 season, uvex athletes have achieved 24 (!) podium finishes in the Alpine Ski World Cup. The Alpine Ski World Championships will be held from February 4 to February 17 in the Swedish ski resort of Åre. With Dominik Paris, Josef Ferstl and Clément Noël, not to mention speed ace Max Franz, Vicky Rebensburg and the recovered Felix Neureuther, uvex is going into the competition with some top-class performers.