International Inferno Race Mürren
The International Inferno Race Mürren is an alpine ski race , consisting of a 14.9 km long descent with counter gradients and flat sections from the summit of the Schilthorn to Lauterbrunnen . It is considered to be the world's largest amateur alpine skiing race. The first event took place in 1928 on the initiative of the British-founded Kandahar Ski Club. Today the race is organized by the Internationales Inferno Race Association.
history
First held on January 29, 1928, the Inferno Race, together with the Arlberg-Kandahar Race, is the oldest ski race in the world that is still held today. Sir Arnold Lunn , founder of alpine ski racing and thus also the Arlberg-Kandahar race and the Inferno race, wrote in his book 'The Kandahar-Story' published in 1969: "The Inferno remains today the only important Alpine race which is a real test of Alpine Skiing, for though there is usually a piste down to Mürren , the rest of the race down to Lauterbrunnen is almost always run on natural snow. " (The Inferno still exists today as the only alpine race that represents a real test of alpine skiing, because although a slope usually leads from the Schilthorn to Mürren, the rest of the race to Lauterbrunnen is almost always run on natural, unprocessed snow).
Sir Arnold's description of the first "devil's race" is as follows: The mass start took place on the highest point of the 2970 m high Schilthorn summit on the command of a participating competitor. Those who hadn't dared to climb to the top waited further down and did not start the race until those who had started at the top drove past them. The snow was of course unprepared, and the route also contained some counter-gradients and a short cross-country skiing along the Lauterbrunnen – Mürren cable car to Grütschalp. Doreen Elliott, the only lady involved, lost nearly 10 minutes by stepping back to help a driver who had broken a rib. Nevertheless, she finished fourth behind the winner Harold Mitchell, who mastered the 12 km long distance in one hour and 12 minutes.
Incidentally, the target team consisted of a single man, a competitor who was unable to take part in the race due to a sprained foot. He had synchronized his watch with Sir Arnold's the day before, and the latter gave him the exact start time when he arrived in sixth place in Lauterbrunnen, which resulted in the winning time.
In the following years (1929/30) the race was entirely a matter for the ski pioneers from Great Britain, and only after an interruption of five years, when the organization was taken over by the Ski Club Mürren, founded in 1912, did the name take hold skiing event also internationally. After another interruption caused by the Second World War, the "Devil's Race" was held every year. There was a change from the original mass start to the individual start. In addition to local skiers, the participants mainly consisted of military teams from Great Britain, France, Italy, the USA and Switzerland. This did not change anything about the character of the alpine race.
Only the increasing number of international ski sport events caused a temporary decrease in the popularity of the Inferno race, whose list of winners now includes famous names such as Chris Mackintosh (GB), Max Bertsch (Davos), Albert Gacon (F) and Bud Werner (USA) .
When the Schilthornbahn opened in 1967 as the longest and most modern cable car in the world, it was expected that the race, which until then had only been held on unprepared snow, would end quietly. But because the start was now easy to reach by cable car even for those who were unfamiliar with the area and thus the route could be explored in a short time and without too much effort, the occasion was retained. The regulations, according to which the route was only partially prepared and only three control gates were set, remained unchanged and the choice of line was consequently left open.
Today the Inferno represents something like the alpine counterpart to the most famous popular sport event in Nordic cross-country skiing, the Wasalauf . The number of participants in the years from 2008 to 2015 was around 1500 to 1700 skiers, in 2016 it is limited to 1850. For many skiers Participation counts more than rank or course record.
route
The 14.9 km long route can also be used outside of the race. The start is below the Kleiner Schilthorn . From here it goes through the Engetal to the Schilthornhütte. This is followed by an elongated S to below the Muttlerenhoren. Next, the cannon barrel must be tackled. After another double-S and a sharp right turn, the route of the Maulerhubelift is crossed when climbing in the forest. The subsequent easy descent leads to Winteregg and over the Winteregg bridge to the forest path towards Lauterbrunnen .
Good skiers need an average of 45 minutes for this topographically demanding descent. The race winners master it in less than 15 minutes.
Downhill ratings
The field of participants is limited to 1850 drivers. Holders of an FIS license ( Fédération Internationale de Ski ) are not allowed to start. The race is held in seven classes: Women I, Women II, Ladies, Main Class, Seniors I, Seniors II and Gentlemen. All classified will receive an inferno badge depicting a devil. It is valid as a pass for experienced skiers, because like no other test the Inferno combines all variations of skiing technique.
The Sir Arnold Lunn Cup is the team competition at the Inferno race. The four fastest times per team count.
Inferno super combination
Since 1984 there has been a combination of cross-country skiing , a giant slalom and downhill skiing on three different days. At night cross-country skiing in a prepared cross-country track in the village of Mürren, you have to cover five kilometers. The giant slalom is held in Mürren, Winteregg or Birg Engetal.
Night cross-country skiing in Murren
Giant slalom
Departure
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Kandahar Ski Club . Kandahar Ski Club website, UK. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
- ^ Arnold Lunn: The Kandahar Story , 1969.
- ↑ http://www.inferno-muerren.ch/de/archive/statistiken/nationenspiegel
- ↑ The route website of the international inferno race Mürren. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
Coordinates: 46 ° 33 ' N , 7 ° 50' E ; CH1903: 630745 / one hundred and fifty-six thousand one hundred and seventy-two