St. Anton am Arlberg Becomes A World Cup Classic: Joining The Renowned “Club 5”

At the FIS Congress in Vilamoura, Portugal, St. Anton am Arlberg was admitted to the "Club 5," the association of the most prestigious World Cup venues in the Alpine ski circus. With a view to its bid to host the 2033 World Championships at home, St. Anton am Arlberg can now count itself among the crème de la crème of World Cup venues.

The "Club 5 – Ski Classics" unites the world's leading ski race organizers with the goal of promoting and developing alpine ski racing. Its focus is on the exchange of know-how and the representation of interests vis-à-vis the FIS and the national ski associations. Founded in 1988 on the initiative of World Cup founder Serge Lang, the club originally consisted of five classic Alpine World Cup races: Val Gardena, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Kitzbühel, Wengen, and Val d'Isère. Today, the renowned club includes three Austrian ski regions: St. Anton am Arlberg – alongside Kitzbühel (since 1988) and Schladming (since 1998). Originally founded to improve race financing through joint marketing strategies, Club 5 has developed into a supportive organization for its members.

"Our goal is to bring the leading World Cup organizers closer together, strengthen their voice within the FIS, and further develop alpine skiing with courage, quality, and vision. We are therefore delighted to welcome St. Anton am Arlberg, one of the most traditional ski resorts and organizer of the legendary Arlberg Kandahar Races, into our ranks," emphasized Rainer Senoner, President of "Club 5," Race Director at the World Cup in Val Gardena, and member of the FIS Subcommittee for the Alpine World Cup.

With tailwind towards the World Cup bid

"Being accepted into 'Club 5' is a great honor for us and also a strong sign of appreciation for the region and the World Cup venue of St. Anton am Arlberg," said Peter Mall, Organizing Committee Chairman of the Arlberg Kandahar Races, adding: "It gives us additional momentum for our planned 2033 World Ski Championships in Tyrol. We want to build on the success of 2001 – both organizationally and emotionally. Our know-how from over two decades of World Cup experience on the Karl Schranz slope forms the basis for a World Championship concept that's in tune with the times."

Christian Scherer, Chairman of the Board and Secretary General of the ÖSV, adds: "With Kitzbühel, Schladming, and now St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria is strongly represented in the 'Club 5' with three World Cup regions – a testament to our decades of expertise in World Cup organization. With the further development of St. Christoph am Arlberg as a center for international speed training and the opening of the 'Ski Austria Academy' as a center of excellence for expert support for all target groups in snow sports, we are not only setting new standards in the promotion of young talent, but also strengthening the Arlberg's position in global skiing."