Ski World Cup Finals

Just 40 years ago, I was in Val Gardena, Italy, watching the final and decisive act in the 1975 ski world cup finals.

These would become a historical event, when the three leading competitors Franz Klammer, Ingemar Stenmark and Gustav Thöni where still head-to-head, with an equal amount of points as they ran the final, parallel slalom event at Ortisei/St.Ulrich on March 23.

Klammer was ousted right at the beginning by Helmut Schmalzl and the final, cliff-hanger race was run between Thöni and Stenmark. There were 40.000 spectators holding their breath for them and when they sprung out of the gates, a roar filled the valley.

Thöni won the day and would regain the overall title (his fourth in 5 seasons) while Annemarie Moser-Pröll of Austria won the women's overall title, her fifth consecutive. This marked the end of these two racers competitive career and the beginning of mine, working for Look bindings.