Industry News
Dutch-Austrian ski racer Marcel Hirscher announced his surprise comeback to competitive skiing in April this year and a change of FIS country from native Austria to his mother’s home country, the Netherlands. In August, Hirscher and his team headed to New Zealand’s South Island to train and to compete in FIS Open races. The athlete has now shared an update from his training at the Roundhill Ski Area.
“Coming here was a brilliant decision in every respect.”
— Marcel Hirscher
The Roundhill Ski Area is a small, family-owned ski area in the Canterbury District of New Zealand, about 4 hours from Christchurch. The area is serviced by two t-bars (one of which is 1.2 kilometers or 0.75 miles long) and two rope tows (one of which is 1.5 kilometers or 0.94 miles long) and boasts New Zealand’s biggest vertical of 783 meters (2,569 feet). The vertical brings Hirscher’s team to this resort, popular with international ski racers from New Zealand, Europe, and America.
Hirscher’s team has been busy testing ski gear and training to fine-tune Hirscher’s material and set-up and assess his current level. Hirscher shared his thoughts on the RedBull website, stating: “This is exactly what I need at the moment. We test and train on an easy slope, which is ideal for my return to the sport.” The return is still physically demanding, after all, with his sporty skiing style, which is why the load is being gradually and carefully increased so that his body can get used to the forces acting upon it again. The training structure needs to be light and carefully proportioned after five years away from ski racing: “I have recorded some best times, but I am also the only starter. So I can’t say yet how fast my swings are.”
It has been confirmed that Hirscher will not be starting at the upcoming National Championships at Coronet Peak from August 15-19, where four FIS Slalom and Giant Slalom events will be held. It is still planned for Hirscher to make his comeback debut in the Winter Games Australia NZ Cup (ANC) which consists of four FIS Slalom and Giant Slalom events from August 27-31 at Coronet Peak. “Nothing has changed in my thoughts on taking part in a race or two, although I have to say, the testing and training on the mountain are so good for me at the moment that I would happily skip a race for it,” Marcel Hirscher said.
For now, the Dutch athlete is happy to simply enjoy skiing and the sights of New Zealand. “Every afternoon I walk from the apartment down to the shore of Lake Tekapo, sit down on a rock and look into this endless expanse. 27 kilometres of turquoise water, in which a white mountain panorama is reflected” Hirscher reflected, “I had no time for these kinds of moments in the past, now they are pure inspiration for me.”
- Related: Marcel Hirscher Discusses Comeback at Press Conference at Snowworld in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands
When asked whether he already sees himself starting the World Cup opener in Sölden, he answers to the point: “No! Sölden is very far away and is not in my considerations at all right now.” For now, it will be interesting to see how the athlete will place at the first FIS race at the end of the month and the rest will be decided over time. Irrespective of how he fares, the retired athlete can start at the World Cup thanks to a new wildcard system introduced by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation for the 24/25 season.
