Kandahar (ski course)

Kandahar
Place:	Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Mountain:	Zugspitze
Member:	Club5+
Opened:	1936 (Kandahar 1) 2009 (Kandahar 2)
Competition:	Arlberg-Kandahar races
Downhill
Kandahar 1 (women's course)
Start:	1,490 m (4,888 ft) (AA)
Finish:	770 m (2,526 ft)
Vertical drop:	720 m (2,362 ft)
Length:	2,920 m (9,580 ft)
Max. incline:	40.4° degrees (85%)
Most wins (W):	Lindsey Vonn (5x)
Most wins (M):	Roland Collombin (3x) Steve Podborski (3x)
Kandahar 2 (men's course)
Start:	1,690 m (5,545 ft) (AA)
Finish:	770 m (2,526 ft)
Vertical drop:	920 m (3,018 ft)
Length:	3,330 m (10,925 ft)
Max. incline:	42.6° degrees (92%)

Planai is a classic World Cup downhill ski course, located on the Zugspitze mountain in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany, opened in 1936.

In 2009 almost complete new "Kandahar 2" men's DH course opened, parallel to original "Kandahar" (then renamed to "Kandahar 1").

Since 1954, Arlberg-Kandahar races have been held here exhanging with few other well known venues every couple years.

And with 42.6° degrees (92%) maximum incline, it has the steepest gradient in the whole alpine ski circuit.

Course

Kandahar 1

"Kandahar 1" (before just "Kandahar") is the original course built for the 1936 Olympics, now used only for women's speed events. Dowhnill starts on "Tröglhang" section at 1490 m (AA), and follows mainly the old men's route. After the "Schußanger" with two curves, "Himmelreich" jump follows where the Super-G start is located. Then comes the "Waldeck" with 85% gradient, the steepest section in women's circuit and a technically very demending traverse. From 2009, course from there continues by newly built route where also giant slalom starts; the "Eishang" is bypassed by via the "Ramwiesen" and via the "Höllentor" it returns back to the original Kandahar in "Hölle", the steep section. Then passing the "FIS Schneise", a sloping run that, after a hard left-hand bend, ends in the men's course just before the "Tauber-Schuss".

Kandahar 2

Is the almost complete new downhill run for men, only with the same start and finish of the original Kandahar. It begins on the original start at 1690 m (AA) on Kreuzjoch mountain, reaching speed up to 100 km/h after the "S-Kurve". After the "Tröglhang", the steepest section until 2008, the course continues into newly built route in 2009 to "Olympia-Kurve" and then to "Panorama-Sprung". After that comes the "Alte Quelle", before the route at the "Bödele" returns back into the original Kandahar to the start of the giant slalom above "Eishang" and after the cable car jump (40 to 60 meters), the racers turn right into the second newly designed part at the "Kramersprung" (20 to 40 metres). Then to the next newly section called "Padöls" and into "Auf der Mauer" flat passage. Next is "Frei Fall", with 92% incline, the absolute steepest section in this competition. At the end, last couple of hundred metres, routes joins with the old original course into the "Tauber-Schuss" and 20 meters jump just before the finish line.

Name of the course

The course was named after Sir Frederick Roberts, a British Victorian era major general known as "Baron of Kandahar", who led the Kabul Field Force in the Second Anglo-Afghan War and defeated Ayub Khan at the Battle of Kandahar.

Olympics

Men's events

Event	Type	Date	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1936	KB	7–9 February 1936	Birger Ruud	Franz Pfnür]	Gustav Lantschner

Women's events

Event	Type	Date	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1936	KB	7–8 February 1936	Laila Schou Nilsen	Lisa Resch	Käthe Grasegger

Combined (both downhills held on "Kandahar" and both slaloms on "Gudiberg" course.)

World Championships

Men's events

Event	Type	Date	Gold	Silver	Bronze
2011	SG	9 February 2011	Christof Innerhofer	Hannes Reichelt	Ivica Kostelić
	DH	12 February 2011	Erik Guay	Didier Cuche	Christof Innerhofer
	SC	14 February 2011	Aksel Lund Svindal	Christof Innerhofer	Peter Fill
	GS	18 February 2011	Ted Ligety	Cyprien Richard	Philipp Schörghofer

Women's events

Event	Type	Date	Gold	Silver	Bronze
2011	SG	8 February 2011	Elisabeth Görgl	Julia Mancuso	Maria Riesch
	SC	11 February 2011	Anna Fenninger	Tina Maze	Anja Pärson
	DH	13 February 2011	Elisabeth Görgl	Lindsey Vonn	Maria Riesch
	GS	17 February 2011	Tina Maze	Federica Brignone	Tessa Worley

Combined (Both slaloms held on "Gudiberg" course.)

Team event

Event	Type	Date	Gold	Silver	Bronze
2011	PG	16 February 2011	France Taïna Barioz Anémone Marmottan Tessa Worley Thomas Fanara Cyprien Richard Gauthier de Tessières	Austria Anna Fenninger Michaela Kirchgasser Marlies Schild Romed Baumann Benjamin Raich Philipp Schörghofer	Sweden Sara Hector Anja Pärson Maria Pietilä-Holmner Axel Bäck Hans Olsson Matts Olsson

(pre)World Cup

Men

Frederick Roberts; known
as "Baron of Kandahar"
(course was named after him)

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Location in the Germany

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Location in the Alps

Roland Collombin (SUI)
won record 3 dowhnills

Steve Podborski (CAN)
won record 3 dowhnills

Christoph Gruber (AUT)
won record 3 super-Gs

No.	Type	Year	Date	Winner	Second	Third
FIS–A
"Kandahar (1)" old course
—	DH	1954	—	Ernst Oberaigner	N/A	N/A
	KB			Anderl Molterer	N/A	N/A
	DH	1959		Karl Schranz	N/A	N/A
	KB			Karl Schranz	N/A	N/A
	GS	1964		Jean-Claude Killy	N/A	N/A
	KB			Jimmie Heuga	N/A	N/A
World Cup
76	DH	1970	1 February	Karl Schranz	Karl Cordin	Franz Vogler
138	DH	1973	6 January	Roland Collombin	Philippe Roux Marcello Varallo
139	DH		7 January	Roland Collombin	Marcello Varallo	Bernhard Russi
164	DH	1974	6 January	Roland Collombin	Franz Klammer	Herbert Plank
183	DH	1975	5 January	Franz Klammer	Werner Grissmann	Josef Walcher
237	DH	1977	8 January	Franz Klammer	Ernst Winkler	Peter Wirnsberger
238	GS		9 January	Klaus Heidegger	Heini Hemmi	Willi Frommelt
304	DH	1979	27 January
306	KB		28 January
304	DH	1981	10 January
306	KB		6 January   10 January
401	DH	1982	13 February
403	KB		14 February
437	SG	1983	9 February
472	DH	1984	28 February
473	SG		29 February
474	KB		29 February
510	DH	1985	26 February
511	SG		27 February
512	KB		27 February
583	DH	1987	10 January
584	SG		11 January
709	DH	1991	5 January
710	SG		6 January
738	DH	1992	11 January
739	SG		12 January
741	KB		13 January
738	DH	1993	10 January
739	KB		9 January   10 January
741	DH		11 January
888	DH	1996	2 February
889	SG		5 February
922	SG	1997	21 February
923	DH		22 February
924	SG		23 February
961	DH	1998	31 January
962	SG		1 February
1027	DH	2000	29 January
1067	DH	2001	27 January
1068	SG		28 January
1103	SG	2002	26 January
1104	SG		27 January
1141	DH	2003	22 February
1142	SG		23 February
1175	DH	2004	30 January
1176	DH		31 January
1177	SG		1 February
1214	DH	2005	18 February
1215	DH		19 February
1216	SG		20 February
1251	DH	2006	28 January
1252	SG		29 January
1286	DH	2007	23 February
1287	DH		24 February
1288	SG		25 February
"Kandahar 2" new course
	DH	2009	31 January	fog at mid-course; replaced in Kvitfjell on 6 March 2009
1404	DH	2010	10 March
1405	SG		11 March
1406	GS		12 March
1467	DH	2012	28 January
	SG		29 January	fog; replaced in Kvitfjell on 2 March 2012
1514	DH	2013	23 February
1515	GS		24 February
	DH	2014	1 February	lack of snow; replaced in St. Moritz on 1 February 2014
	GS		2 February	lack of snow; replaced in St. Moritz on 2 February 2014
1583	DH	2015	28 February
1584	GS		1 March
1617	DH	2016	30 January
	GS		31 January	humid, pouring rain, fog; replaced in Kranjska Gora on 4 March 2016
1660	DH	2017	27 January
1661	DH		28 January
1662	GS		29 January
1699	DH	2018	27 January
1700	GS		28 January
	DH	2019	2 February	cancelled; fog, rain, heavy snowfall, replaced in Kvitfjell on 1 March 2019
	GS		3 February	cancelled; fog, rain, heavy snowfall
1772	DH	2020	1 February
1773	GS		2 February
1808	DH	2021	5 February
1809	SG		6 February

 In 1981, GS in Morzine (6 January) counted for combined with DH in Garmisch (10 January). 

Women

Lindsey Vonn (USA)
won record 5 dowhnills

Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI)
won record 4 super-Gs

No.	Type	Year	Date	Winner	Second	Third
FIS–A
—	DH	1954	—	Miri Buchner	N/A	N/A
	KB			Miri Buchner	N/A	N/A
	DH	1959		Erika Netzer	N/A	N/A
	KB			Anne Heggtveit	N/A	N/A
	GS	1964		Edith Zimmermann	N/A	N/A
	KB			Marielle Goitschel	N/A	N/A
World Cup
75	DH	1970	30 January
233	DH	1977	11 January
661	DH	1991	8 February
662	SG		9 February
758	DH	1994	29 January
784	SG	1995	14 January
819	SG	1996	13 January
1003	SG	2001	16 February
	SG		17 February	cancelled
	SG	2009	31 January	fog in mid-course; replaced on 1 February 2009
1273	SG		1 February
1314	DH	2010	10 March
1315	GS		11 March
1316	SG		12 March
1372	DH	2012	4 February
1373	SG		5 February
1416	SG	2013	1 March
1417	DH		2 March
1418	SG		3 March
	DH	2014	1 February	lack of snow; replaced in Cortina d'Ampezzo on 25 January 2014
	SG		2 February	lack of snow; replaced in Cortina d'Ampezzo on 26 January 2014
1479	DH	2015	7 March
1480	SG		8 March
1510	DH	2016	6 February
1511	SG		7 February
1547	DH	2017	21 January
1548	SG		22 January
1593	DH	2018	3 February
1594	DH		4 February
1624	SG	2019	26 January
1625	DH		27 January
1659	DH	2020	8 February
1660	SG		9 February
1687	SG	2021	30 January
1688	SG		1 February
1723	DH	2022	29 January
1724	SG		30 January

Sections

Kandahar 1 (W)

• Tröglhang, Schussanger, Himmelreich, Waldeck, Ramwiesen, Höllentor, Hölle, FIS Schneise, Tauber-Schuss

Kandahar 2 (M)

• Tröglhang, Olimpiakurve, Panorama-Sprung, Stegerwald, Alte Quelle, Eishang, Kramarsprung, Padöls, Auf der Mauer, Frei Fall, Tauber-Schuss

Fatal accident

On 29 January 1994, Austrian skier Ulrike Maier suffered fatal injuries at "FIS Schneise" section crashing into intermediate device at 105 km/h (65 mph) on the World Cup downhill event. Only one week before she won giant slalom in Maribor.

Club5+

In 1986, elite Club5 was originally founded by prestigius classic downhill organizers: Kitzbühel, Wengen, Garmisch, Val d’Isère and Val Gardena/Gröden, with goal to bring alpine ski sport on the highest levels possible.

Later over the years other classic longterm organizers joined the now named Club5+: Alta Badia, Cortina, Kranjska Gora, Maribor, Lake Louise, Schladming, Adelboden, Kvitfjell, St.Moritz and Åre.

External links

• zugspitze.de course official site
• FIS Alpine Ski World Cup – Garmisch, Germany
• Ski-db.com - Garmisch men's races
• Ski-db.com - Garmisch women's races