More about Speed Skiing…

The "Kilometro Lanciato" (Italian for "Flying Kilometer"), now widely known as Speed Skiing, is one of the oldest and most exhilarating extreme winter sports, with a history rooted in the pursuit of pure velocity on skis. That quest for speed on skis began almost as soon as the sport developed. However, the "Kilometro Lanciato" emerged as a recognized discipline in the 1930s. The concept was simple: skiers descended a straight, steep, and well prepared slope, aiming to reach the highest possible Speed. Early records took place at St. Moritz, Switzerland, in the 1930s on The Corviglia. Mürren, in that same country, became another important early venue. 

Early records were set in the range of 100-130 km/h (60-80 mph) using basic wooden skis and leather boots, a testament to the raw skill and daring of the pioneers. After World War II, the sport continued to evolve and remained limited to the Alpine countries. 

Cervinia in Italy, Les Arcs and Vars in France and earlier on, Portillo in Chile became the places where these events were held on a 1.5 km long run with 762 meters of vertical with a start at 3,310 meters. What’s notable about that South American ski resort is that in 1963 North American skiers Dick Dorworth and C.B. Vaughn set a world record at 171.428 kph. This event happened in September 1963, reportedly "on the last day that Portillo was open that season". On October 1st, 1978: Another American Steve McKinney exceeded 200 km/hr for the first time, setting a new world record of 200.222 kph. On October 2nd 1987, Michael Prufer of Monaco set a new world record of 217.68 Kph. For a while, 

Cime Blanche at Cervinia was the place with its 1.6 km run with 860 meters vertical and a slope steepness of 31 to 35° and recorded quite a few World records as well (see yesterday’s blog). At Les Arcs, France, the KL took place on the Aiguille Rouge speed run, 2 km long with a vertical of 565 meters. That run was used when Speed Skiing was part of the 1992 Winter Olympics. World records we also set on this course, including speeds of 251 km/h by Simon Origone and 242 km/h by Sanna Tidstrand. 

Today, this event is now run in Vars, France on the Chabrières run 1.4 km long for a vertical of 435 meters. Its steep start (45°), makes it not only one of the steepest in the world, but also the fastest with a current world’s speed record of 255.5 km/h is held by France’s Simon Billy since March 23, 2023. 

The women’s record is held by Italy’s Valentina Greggio since March 26, 2016, with a speed of 247.083 km/h. Unquestionably, the Chabrières run is cut for speed, with a launch ramp and ultra-steep upper section. It’s the gold standard for speed skiing. Tomorrow, we’ll see why this form of skiing remains so marginal...