Opening Day in Soelden
Alpine skiing begins this weekend in the Tyrolian resort of Soelden. A huge crowd is expected to hike up to the Rettenbach Glacier, situated at an elevation of 3000 meters (almost 10,000 feet), to support their favorite stars on the Austrian team.

Soelden, in the Oetztal region of Austria, 60km south of the highway going from Innsbruck to Landeck, is easily accessible from Switzerland, Germany and Italy. The four ski resorts in this valley are well known for their facilities and high altitude ski centers. For over 20 years, the most established national ski teams have trained here.

In the late 1980s, Jakob Falkner, who runs the lift company around Soelden, and his friend Serge Lang, founder of the Alpine Ski World Cup put together an event designed to convince the officials of the International Ski Federation (FIS) to organize its season opening here in October. In 1993, the event became official, and now the early season pilgrimage to Soelden has become a tradition.

The locals had fun watching him, but none of them were convinced by his demonstration.

Europeans have come to this valley for mountain recreation since the mid-1800s. Skiing was introduced here in 1890 when an American visitor created quite a stir during the winter as he glided down some small hills with long wooden skis which he had brought from the US.

The locals had fun watching him, but none of them were convinced by his demonstration. Finally, in 1905, two local guides tried the new winter sport after seeing more travelers sliding down the snow-covered slopes.

Five years later, the first local ski club was founded, but the growth of winter tourism was slow compared to that of summer. Hiking and mountain climbing were by far more popular among the visitors.

The first ski lifts were finally built in the years following World War II, and the Oetztal Arena soon became popular. By the 1950s, winter tourism was in full swing and, by the early '60s, more than 7,000 beds were available in the valley of Soelden.

Nowadays, people visiting Soelden enjoy an entire range of activities, excellent food in the charming restaurants, a posh bed in a five star resort, or dip in the pool after a day on the glacier. The Rettenbach and Tiefenbach Glaciers are easily accessed by 10 lifts and 20 kilometers of runs designed especially for the national ski teams, which train on them in the early mornings.

— Patrick Lang, World Cup Correspondent

Also this weekend: Women's GS | Men's GS | Hermann Maier Video Interview | Anja Paerson Video Interview

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