The Alpine Ski World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm have more than fulfilled their function as a flagship for Austria as a winter sports metropolis.
The mood on site was clear: It has been a long time since a ski festival has been rated as positively as the last two weeks in Saalbach. The organizers almost always successfully defied the challenges of the long Glemmtal, at the end of which all competitions were held on just one mountain. This meant that normal skiing was always guaranteed for all guests. Since this season, a new downhill run with a correspondingly powerful gondola lift has been available with the brand new and spectacular "Zwölfer Nord - Descent 40" (with an additional, rightly black marked steep drop 40a), even the Zwölferkogel, which is normally used for the World Cup disciplines, could be fully utilized.
Not everyone had come "because of" the World Championships. But even they enjoyed the hustle and bustle in the pedestrian zone with three stages. More than 20 TV stations reported live from the races, which were broadcast in a total of 50 countries around the world. It's not just the fans - more than 170,000 watched the races in the stadium, and the TV ratings in Austria brought in up to 1.5 million viewers - who are enthusiastic. Even a high-ranking delegation from Switzerland, where the next World Championships will take place in Crans Montana in two years, was impressed by the quality and atmosphere of the event.
The core of the hospitality of the ÖSV, Austrian Tourist Board (ÖW), SalzburgerLand Tourism and numerous other partners was the "House of Snow" directly at the finish stadium. Regardless of whether Innsbruck Tourism, Salzburger Land or ÖW were the hosts, the atmosphere was lively. It served as a meeting point for athletes, where Mikaela Shiffrin could often be seen having a quick bite to eat at lunch - and especially in the evenings, athletes from all over the world were enthusiastic guests. Their successes were impressively celebrated by invited fans and company partners. "A big thank you to everyone who contributed to this colorful and exciting program with their commitment and dedication“, emphasised – and not only – ÖSV President Roswitha Stadlober on the closing evening.
The celebrated visitors included the ÖSV medal winners Raphael Haaser, Stefanie Venier, Mirjam Puchner, Katharina Truppe, Vincent Kriechmayr and Katharina Liensberger, some of whom were surprising. International ski stars and medal winners from the USA, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and Italy also graced the Home of Snow and celebrated their successes. Among them were legends such as Lindsey Vonn, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, Dave Ryding, Marco Odermatt and US newcomer Laureen Macuga.
Wolfgang Breitfuß, Managing Director of TVB Saalbach Hinterglemm, looked back proudly: “This home World Championship was an unforgettable celebration of skiing and impressively demonstrated how much Saalbach Hinterglemm stands for world-class racing and real enthusiasm. It was great to see how many skiing fans and athletes brought our Home of Lässig to life - an atmosphere that makes us particularly proud as hosts. Special thanks also go to the partners who made the Home of Snow joint project possible..” Leo Bauernberger, Managing Director of SalzburgerLand Tourism, his counterpart at Tirol Werbung, Karin Seiler, and Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger, Managing Director of Österreich Werbung, expressed similar delight during the 14 days. In the hall filled mainly by tourism partners on the last day, she emphasised: “What remains from this home World Cup are unforgettable moments, great successes and clear proof that Austria remains the number one in winter tourism.” The 2025 Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach were not only a celebration of skiing enthusiasm, but also represented Austria as a winter sports country on the international stage.