Skiing on 4

The biggest downhill and slalom of the season can often eclipse the World Championships or the Olympics and the race winners often confirm the achievement is greater and has more value.

World Cup Kitzbuhel is like Wimbledon for the celeb spotting (Bernie Eccelstone, Stefi Graf, Arnold Schwarzenegger to name but a few) It's the cup final for boys on tour and the Munich October fest beer festival for drunkenness.

The atmosphere is amazing attracting up to 70,000 spectators each day. Bars open 24 hours and if an Austrian wins the pubs remain full for 24 hours!!! Most spectators head up to the slopes on Sunday after some heavy downhill celebrations.

For the winners of the races the honours include the biggest prize purse of the season, an Audi car, your name on a Gondola and the honour of pulling the pints at the after race VIP party in the down town Londoner pub. The lucky few who get into the Londoner on Saturday evening see the World's top downhillers stripped to the waist serving beer and vodka which then gets poured over coaches, servicemen and innocent TV crews!!!!

The only worrying thing about the World's biggest ski race is that like so many great sporting events the big competitions are in danger of killing the atmosphere by having VIP areas only. I pray the big guns from the Kitzbuhel Ski Club will soon put a stop to the wristband mania and let this wild weekend be the amazing free for all it has been for 64 years.

More info at: www.hahnenkamn.com

My advice is to avoid the Hahenkahn weekend, go for the week after when Kitzbuhel returns to its week in week out Hip, cool and very styly ski resort.

Just over one and a half hours from Munich, wealthy Germans pack into Kitzbuhel each weekend. Thus quality is almost guaranteed in all hotels, restaurants and pensions. With a good guide or instructor the skiing is varied, good fun and of course the World Cup run, the Strief is there to be challenged but not for the faint hearted (Good intermediates need only apply)

I openly admit to being a ski race anorak and I love watching the Hahnenkamm bubbles go buy with all the winners' names, waiting patiently to take a Klammer or Herminator or Stenmark gondola appeal's to my strange ski life

Hotels are all good and usually price determines the quality. However this year the Skiing on 4 team discovered a little gem we are prepared to share!! 5 minutes walk along the railway out of town is the Christophorus Apartments, friendly, spacious, homely and most importantly for us...quiet!!

hotel.christophorus@kitz.net

The owner does great breakfast, her best friend owns the Hahnenhof up the road which is a cracking hotel restaurant. www.hahnenhof.com

So if you want the glitz without the blitz as we do when we're working, this is the right place for you. Check out this website for a side of Kitzbuhel that very few know exist.

The choice downtown on apres ski is as wide as the piste but for good value traditional Italian slant try Chizzo, ski racers and celebs can often be seen here looking to keep out of the spotlight.

Finally if you are driving on the way in or out eat at the Stanglwirt alongside cows in the barn and sharks in the pool it's a bit like Disney in the mountains except the food is great.

The World Cup Tour moves on from Kitzbuhel to the night slalom event in Schladming, it boasts 40,000 fans, a huge party and the night racing really makes everything more spectacular. This is a world class resort bidding for the 2009 World Championships and is a strong favourite to win.

The Sport Hotel Royer is one of the best hotels in the Alps and I have been here to holiday outside of work as well as at the World Cup. Local specialties, wine list to die for and genuinely friendly staff make this a must hotel and resort for any ski resort lover. (www.royer.at) Keep your eyes peeled for the new Governor of California who has a place in Schladming!!!

Best regards

Nick Fellows

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