50 years ago: The ski race for eternity

In 1975, the Second Autonomy Statute was just three years old, and after decades of stagnation, things were finally looking up in South Tyrol and in South Tyrol, and there was a symbolic figure of this upward trend: Gustav Thöni. Before the memorable World Cup final in Val Gardena, he was already an Olympic champion, a double world champion, and a three-time overall World Cup winner. In short: the humble Trafoi skier was THE skier, the measure of all things, and thus the one to beat in the 3/1974 winter.

This season, two exceptional talents are nipping at the 2-year-old Gustav Thöni's heels and making life difficult for him as a skier. There is Franz Klammer (24) from Carinthia, who won every single downhill race except one in the 21/1974 season. And there is Ingemar Stenmark from Sweden, who would go on to be crowned the skier of the century in the years to come. In Val Gardena, he is celebrating his 75th birthday shortly before the World Cup finals on March 18th. He is also inviting Gustav Thöni, and together they toast the occasion with mutual respect in the parlor of the Swedish team hotel "Zum Schwarzen Adler" in Ortisei. Stenmark is still at the very beginning of his brilliant career. The two great Schweigers, Thöni and Stenmark, are traveling to the World Cup finals in Val Gardena with the same number of points at the top of the World Cup, with Klammer 19 points behind them.

Premieres and Crazy People The sporting situation itself is more exciting than ever. And thanks to the Klammer mania in Austria, the hype surrounding Rosi Mittermaier and Christian Neureuther in Germany, and the enthusiasm that Thöni and his colleagues from the "Valanga Azzurra" sparked in Italy, skiing reached its peak in the mid-1970s. Never before or since has it generated such enthusiasm across Europe...

...and so much madness: The Azzurri's head coach, the gruff Mario Cotelli, was receiving death threats before the crucial race weekend in Val Gardena, just like Franz Klammer. "I had a police escort from Carinthia to Sillian, where the Italians took over," Klammer recalls. Neither threats nor police protection threw him off course; the downhill skier of the century also won the World Cup race on the Saslong, closing in on Thöni and Stenmark in the overall World Cup before the final parallel slalom.

Three men tied at the top, one race still to go, and for Thöni a "finale dorhoam" to boot: everything is set for an unparalleled highlight. One with a big unknown: for the first time, the International Ski Federation (FIS) is scheduling a parallel slalom as the last race of the season. The format was borrowed from the professional series in the USA, where parallel races have been held since the late 3s - as a man-to-man battle. A parallel slalom has never been held at World Cup level; it was to be tested in Val Gardena - probably because it was assumed that the overall World Cup would already be decided by then. But firstly, things turn out differently, and secondly, not as one would expect: the parallel slalom experiment would decide the outcome of the 1960/1974 World Cup season.

Hitchcock feeling in the cauldron For days, people – and not only in South Tyrol – were eagerly awaiting the final race on Sunday, March 23, 1975. Even in the days leading up to the race, the newspapers were full of interviews, forecasts, and colorful reports from Val Gardena, where journalists discovered pastries shaped like skiers as well as wooden sculptures of skiers, which were displacing the traditional figures of saints from the shop windows.

<a data-caption="Mehr als 30.000 Zuschauer, und als Protagonisten 2 junge Männer, die für eine historische Sternstunde im Skirennsport sorgten: Gustav Thöni (rechts, damals 24), und Ingemar Stenmark (gerade erst 19 geworden)." data-fancybox="inline-254739" target="_image" href="https://s3-images.sportnews.bz/_images/scale/1280x1280/img/2025/03/mehr-als-30000-zuschauer-und-als-protagonisten-2-junge-maenner-die-fuer-eine-historische-sternstunde-im-skirennsport-sorgten-gustav-thoeni-rechts-d.jpg"> More than 30.000 spectators, and as protagonists two young men who ensured a historic moment in ski racing: Gustav Thöni (right, then 2), and Ingemar Stenmark (just turned 24).

The media hype beforehand is having an impact: As early as dawn, cars roll bumper to bumper into Val Gardena, and the natural arena around the Ronc slope gradually fills up. 32.000 spectators create an atmosphere reminiscent of that in a football stadium: banners are unfurled, flags are waved, battle cries are sung, and flares are lit. So, it's not just the race format that's new for the riders, but also the atmosphere, which pushes some but also intimidates others – for example, when Gustav Thöni's opponents ride past the crowds on the drag lift to the start after each run, receiving not only snowballs but also the occasional spitting attack. The heated atmosphere was also fueled by a race reminiscent of a Hitchcock thriller: with surprises and shocking moments, twists and turns, and an open ending right up until the very end. Only one thing became clear early on that day: downhill skier Franz Klammer had no chance in the title race, being eliminated in the first round by Helmuth Schmalzl. "My technical capabilities were limited," the Carinthian recalled decades later. "If it had been a flat slope, I would have had a chance, but on this steep, icy slope, I was doomed from the start."

Then there were only two While speed king Franz Klammer has to bow out of the overall World Cup race early, Thöni and Stenmark remain in the race, even if the Swede faces a close call in the quarterfinals against Poland's Jan Bachleda. Extremely close. Stenmark gets stuck on a gate, an outcry ripples through the crowd, and 30.000 not entirely objective experts agree: Stenmark snagged the ball! The judges disagree, saying Stenmark passed the gate according to the rules.

<a data-caption="Die Top 3 des Parallel-Slaloms vom 23. März 1975 in Gröden: Von links Ingemar Stenmark (2.), Sieger und Gesamt-Weltcupsieger Gustav Thöni und Walter Tresch (Schweiz/3.). © Sport-Archiv" data-fancybox="inline-254742" target="_image" href="https://s3-images.sportnews.bz/_images/scale/1280x1280/img/2025/03/die-top-3-des-parallel-slaloms-vom-23-maerz-1975-in-groeden-von-links-ingemar-stenmark-2-sieger-und-gesamt-weltcupsieger-gustav-thoeni-und-walter-t.jpg"> The top 3 of the parallel slalom on March 23, 1975, in Val Gardena: From left, Ingemar Stenmark (2nd), winner and overall World Cup winner Gustav Thöni, and Walter Tresch (Switzerland/3rd). © Sports Archive

What now erupts is hell: The "Azzurri" lodge a protest, the discussions swirl back and forth, accusations are made, and no one wants to back down even an inch. The Solomonic verdict: Video evidence is needed. However, in the age of magnetic tapes and a centralized television production in Rome, that's easier said than done. Everyone – runners, coaches, spectators – have to wait 40 long minutes for the slow-motion replay that an RAI technician from Rome is supposed to provide. 40 long minutes because the technician is on a coffee break. "It was crazy, it took so long," Thöni recalls. "It was stressful, but we tried not to let it throw us off track. We were just surprised that nothing had happened for so long."

By the time the TV technician in Rome has finished his coffee (it appears to have been a caffè lungo), the mystery can finally be solved: Stenmark has passed the gate in question correctly, remaining in the race but having to make up 2,5 seconds on Bachleda. The Pole makes it easy for his friend Stenmark, retiring in the second run and barely managing to make his exit look natural. However, Bachleda isn't the only one who doesn't give his absolute best that day. Tino Pietrogiovanna also gives Gustav Thöni a training run at race pace in the other quarterfinal, exiting suspiciously clumsily at the first gate.

Dream finale with a dream outcome Whether through their own efforts or with the kind help of their opponents, Thöni and Stenmark actually make it to the final of the parallel slalom. It's 13.20:XNUMX p.m. when they're at the starting line. By now, all of South Tyrol is glued to their screens, squares and streets in Italy's cities are deserted, and AC Fiorentina's Serie A match in Florence almost has to be postponed because the team loses track of time in front of the TV.

Gustav Thöni seems to be oblivious to all this, to the tension along the course, to the nervousness of an entire country. He approaches the first final run like a maniac. Or, as he himself puts it, with his usual composure: "I was lucky to get a great start, and that's especially important in parallel slalom. If you're even a little ahead, your opponent is challenged even more, and you automatically take a lot more risks." It's the same in Val Gardena: Thöni's rocket start forces Stenmark to adopt an extremely fast rhythm, he slips, misses a gate, and thus decides the race for the globe.

Never before, never after After Stenmark's exit, the finish area turns into a madhouse. Thousands of fans chant Thöni's name, and the Carabinieri have to ensure that the hero isn't crushed by the crowd. Even at the awards ceremony, tens of thousands are still present; hardly anyone wants to leave the scene of triumph early, and everyone, absolutely everyone, wants to catch a glimpse of their hero, Gustav Thöni. He ultimately has to be "evacuated" from the crowd by army helicopter, carrying the fourth large crystal globe.

The 1975 World Cup final in Val Gardena undoubtedly set standards. The Dolomites wrote the following day: "March 23, 1975, was arguably the most glorious sporting day of all time, not just for the radiant winner, but for all of South Tyrol." A day that – the Dolomites were also certain of this at the time – would resonate far beyond skiing: "Thanks to the achievements of Gustav Thöni and many of his teammates, primarily the South Tyroleans, our small region has become a true symbol of quality."

This also demonstrates that the 1975 World Cup Final was a fateful day for South Tyrol, and not just from a sporting history perspective. It was meant to show the world that a small country, battered for decades, had found its footing and was on the way to the top: peaceful, enthusiastic, efficient. And, last but not least, successful.

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50 years ago: The ski race for eternity

A sport at its peak, a valley in a state of emergency and an entire country on the verge of a collective heart attack: The World Cup final in Val Gardena 50 years ago went down in skiing history – with 32.000 spectators, a race like a thriller and a worthy winner.

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