Lake Louise Audi FIS Ski World Cup Event Preview

Lake Louise Audi FIS Ski World Cup – Lake Louise, Alta. (Nov. 26, 2019) – Lake Louise hosted its first World Cup in 1980
with its inaugural downhill race. Three Canadians pushed out of the start gate that
day (Steve Podborski – 4th, Ken Read – 8th, Dave Irwin – 12th). Since then, Lake Louise has hosted 20 World Cup men’s events and 28 women’s events.
 
So, what does it take to host a World Cup in Canada? A really large village of over 400 volunteers, preparation staff and members of the local organizing committee who touchdown at Lake Louise before the snow even starts flying.
 
Starting in early September, the Sled Dogs, the dedicated group of Lake Louise Audi FIS Ski World Cup volunteers and the Net Crew, the team responsible for the course safety installations, head to Lake Louise to begin building snow frame structures with t-steel and fencing to set the framework for the track. Using helicopters that are brought it in to help transport equipment like porta-potties, propane, tents and fuel for race day, teams also work during the fall, before the snow falls, to build the base for the athlete ambience tent off the Top of the World chair.
 
PREPARATION BY NUMBERS
400+ Volunteers
34,464 Cumulative hours of volunteer time put in by the Sled Dogs to prepare for the event
6,600 Hours the Net Crew spend on the hill between October 1 and January 20
800+ Hotel nights
140 Helicopter lifts onto the ski hill
40 Drills
170 Radios
 
SAFETY
Safety is one of the biggest undertakings with running a World Cup race and there are kilometres of nets installed that are designed to absorb the shock of high-speed crashes and keep volunteers and spectators alike safe while lining the race-course during the training and competition. On the Lake Louise World Cup track, the most amount of b-net, is used from the men’s start to the Tickety Chutes section of the race track.
 
In conjunction with the nets, willy bags and air fences are used to protect athletes in the event of a crash.
 
SAFETY BY NUMBERS
3.6 Kilometres of A-net
4 Kilometres crowd control net
70 Pieces of air fence
12 Kilometres of B-net
16 Kilometres of braid rope to make A-net absorption work
120 Willy bags
2,800 Hours to install A-net
 
THE TRACK
The Lake Louise race course is one of the few stops on the Audi FIS Ski World Cup circuit where the men and women race on the same track. Although the track is slightly adjusted for the women, including a lower start, the track remains relatively similar for the women who race down it the weekend after the men.
3120 metres: Length of the men’s track
3059 metres: Length of the women’s track
826 metres: Vertical drop of men’s track
796 metres: Vertical drop of the women’s track
40 Gates on the men’s downhill course in 2018
44 Gates on the women’s downhill track in 2018

Link to Lake Louise Audi FIS Ski World Cup Course Map