Industry News
The world’s most successful male alpine skier, Ingemar Stenmark, celebrates the 50th anniversary of his first career World Cup victory this winter. On December 17, 1974, then 18-year-old Stenmark claimed the victory at Madonna di Campiglio, Italy. “The Silent Swede” went on to win a total of 86. FIS Alpine World Cups, of which 46 were won in Giant Slalom, and 40 were won in Slalom. Stenmark competed for 16 seasons and podiumed a total of 155 times before retiring in March 1989, days before his 33rd birthday. He was the most successful skier in terms of World Cup victories until Mikaela Shiffrin overtook the Swedish legend in March 2023. Stenmark still holds the title for the most World Cup podiums, with Shiffrin in close second with 154 podiums.
Madonna di Campiglio will celebrate the 50-year-anniversary this season at the 71st World Cup from January 7 to 8, 2025, on the 3Tre course with Ingemar Stenmark as guest of honor. The 3Tre racecourse holds a special place in Stenmark’s heart, who went on to win a total of 12 World Cups at Madonna di Campiglio, of which five Slaloms, three Giant Slaloms, 3 Combined, and 1 Parallel. The celebrations will begin on January 7 in Piazza Sissi with the public bib draw, preceded by a documentary about the legendary “Valanga Azzurra” Italian national team of the 1970s. The World Cup Night Race will take place on January 8, with Run 1 at 5:45 p.m. and Run 2 at 8:45 p.m.
50 years ago, the curly-haired Swede also started his long-standing partnership with Elan Skis. According to Elan, Stenmark had tried Elan skis at a test event earlier that same year, and liked the skis so much he purchased three pairs of the Slovenian skis. “Elan’s Swedish representative quickly took note of the young Swede’s talent and choice of skis and alerted the company and Jurij Vogelnik, an Elan representative and ski technician, was sent to start a formal partnership with Stenmark,” Elan Skis shared on its social media account.
The Slovenian sports equipment manufacturer, together with Stenmark, transformed the company into one of the leading ski manufacturers. Elan famously invented the side cut extreme (SCX) technology in the late 1980s, which helped transform the ski industry by introducing carving skis. SCX is considered one of the most important advances in the history of ski manufacturing, revolutionizing the way people ski to this day. Stenmark stayed loyal to Elan Skis for his entire career despite several more lucrative offers from other ski manufacturers later in his career. It is just one of the reasons why Stenmark is considered an icon with unshakable perseverance and work ethic. He also famously never sought out the spotlight and was well-known for his one-syllable answers, earning him the nickname “the Silent Swede.”
Back in 1974, Stenmark went on to win a total of five World Cup races and podiumed a total of 10 times, winning him the Slalom and Giant Slalom title for the 1974-75 season. While Stenmark retired from skiing in 1989 and lost his title of most victories to Shiffrin, he still holds the record for the biggest win margin in a World Cup alpine race, winning by 4.06 seconds in 1979. Stenmark, now aged 68, still stays physically active, trying out new sports such as pole vaulting and impressing followers with his agility on his social media account.
