Nordic World Championships: A Primer
Greetings ski fans! While the virtual Birkie is underway this week, it is also the start to another big event: the Nordic World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany. That’s right, folks. The World Championships. World Cups happen practically every weekend, but World Champs are only once every two years. Like the Olympics, the competitions are stretched out over two weeks. Winners of each event carry the “World Champion” title for the next two year. Imagine if you could wear your recent Strava crown for two years. Yeah, World Champs are that big. But bigger.
As the name implies, Nordic World Championships include all FIS Nordic ski disciplines: Cross Country, Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined. These three disciplines usually follow different World Cup circuits, but during World Champs, they are all under the same proverbial circus tent. Something special about this year’s event (besides the fact that they’re competing without spectators)? It’s the first year that women’s Nordic Combined will be a part of the competition. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s the only Winter Olympic sport without gender equity, but in 2022, women’s Nordic Combined is also on the schedule. And US skier Tara Geraghty-Moats, who won the first women’s Nordic Combined World Cup earlier this winter, is one of the favorites for the World Championships event this Saturday, Feb 27. Stay tuned!
Oberstdorf itself has a long ski history, perhaps more for ski jumping than for cross country. Even non-skiers of a certain generation will recognize Oberstdorf as the “agony of defeat” jump; the intro to “Wide World of Sports” when Vinko Bogataj falls on the inrun. The ski flying hill is home to at least 20 world record jumps and the ski jump venue is the first stop on the annual Four Hills Tournament.
On the cross country side, Oberstdorf is the southernmost town in Germany and a popular destination for German tourists who flock south in search of snow, but don’t want to cross the border. Unfortunately, the relatively low elevation of 2,500 feet means less snow consistency than other cross country destinations in the Alps, like Seefeld (4,000 feet) or Seiser Alm (5,600 ft).
Photo taken July 2019
Oberstdorf is popular for ski tourists seeking flat trails through open, sunny fields. And flat trails is exactly what you’ll find -- save for a few poisonously steep climbs used for competitions. If you’re watching the races on TV, you’ll see lots of double-poling on flats, followed by striding up steep climbs and holding on tight for the fast downhills and hairpin turns. It’s definitely a challenging course with very, very little rest. Hopefully you can find time to watch some of the racing on TV--your seat will be as good as anyone's this year. Looking ahead at the long-term forecast, we should see lots of sunny racing in the coming 10 days.
If you’re interested in watching the 2023 World Championships live in Planica, Slovenia, Lumi Experiences already has rooms booked and we’d love to have you along. Add your name to the list: info@lumiexperiences.com.