Every two years, Pinzgauers and other nostalgia fans from all over the world get their ancient, traditional skis out of the cellar for a race with a difference. Skis made of wood and without steel edges, waxed, leather ski boots without a support function over the ankle: you don't have to be a ski pro to imagine that a ride on the piste with skis that are almost 100 years old can be really bumpy. So it's unbelievable that the birth of the sport of skiing was virtually wooden. "That's also the point of the event: the different types of skis and associated bindings from back then paired with the skiing styles - that's what we want to show with the Nostalgia World Championships," explains Rupert Grundner, Chairman of the ANNO 1900 association. Many skiers today can no longer imagine what skiing used to look like. The ski itself has undergone a considerable process of modernisation and we have become accustomed to "modern skis". "The older the ski models, the more difficult it is to ski. Of course, this requires some practice," says the chairman.
A carnival joke turned into the Nostalgia Ski World Championships
"Originally, the first steps towards the World Championships came from a nostalgia ski day during carnival time. The following year, we invited a few like-minded people to Saalfelden Leogang for a small nostalgic race," recalls Grundner. This event was a complete success and so the idea of organising a world championship of nostalgia skiers grew. When the Nostalgia Ski World Championships entered its first round in 2004, around 130 people competed against each other. The fun turned into even more fun, as over 250 enthusiastic nostalgia skiers now take part in the event. They come not only from Austria, but also from Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the Czech Republic and Slovenia. "The idea has been well received. We show historic skiing in a wide variety of categories," says the chairman happily.
The tradition is there for everyone
In two competitions, men and women are separated according to category and age group and judged according to a points system. In the end, there are twelve world champions, for whom tradition and fun take centre stage alongside the race.
A new feature of the 2018 World Championships is the long-distance run. The start is at the middle station of the Asitzbahn I/II. The finish is at the valley station of the Steinbergbahn. In addition to the fastest runners, there will also be an average time classification for the long-distance run on Saturday!
Everyone can be there, whether as a spectator or as a racer, when age and tradition are once again celebrated with cheering faces in Saalfelden Leogang.
