Insider's Guide to Verbier High Five 2018
End the season on a high with some ski racing!
Only a week after the eponymous Freeride World Tour Final, on 7th April, the Verbier High Five by Carlsberg will come to town, a fantastic event aimed at getting more people involved with the competitive side of alpine skiing.
As with every year, the competition will host some of the professional stars of the alpine racing season, showcasing their incredible speed and agility to the crowds across 4 disciplines; Giant Slalom, mini KL (Flying Kilometre), ski cross, and waterslide. However, this isn’t just a spectator event as the public is invited to compete alongside such athletes and celebrities in a true festival of skiing.
The Giant Slalom will take place in the Savoleyres Racing Stadium, and requires precision, power, and a good sense of rhythm to tackle the corners and pass the 30 gates, each separated by at least 10m. Another one for those who like to feel the wind rushing past them, the Flying Kilometre involves maximum speed skiing down a well-groomed piste (in complete safety). In fact, after parachuting, speed skiing is the fastest non-motorised sport in the world, so be prepared for some adrenalin spikes in this event.
The last of the races, Ski Cross, is the most recently developed of the three disciplines, born in the late 1990s in the United States. This is a favoured event of many, as it mixes artificial elements such as bumps, jumps, and high-banked turns, with the fast, racing element of slalom. A group of four skiers start simultaneously and attempt to reach the end of the course as quickly as possible, with the first two to cross the finish line advancing to the next round. As an alternative and hilarious event, the water slide involves skiers and snowboarders attempting to surf across a pool of water following a short run-up. If you get it wrong, then you might be exiting the pool soaking wet, but succeed and you’re celebrated as a champion.
Contestants are expected to pick up their race bibs between either 16:00 and 19:00 on Friday 6th April, or 07:00 and 08:00 on Saturday 7th. The event kicks off from 08:30, with the finals taking place from 13:30. Throughout the day Dj lukJLite will be amping up the volume and creating an amazing atmosphere up the mountain, followed by a live concert from 14:30, before the prize-giving ceremony at 15.45.
Pub Mont Fort will then be hosting a buzzing Apres-Ski session with a BBQ and DJ set. Prior registration is required for the event at a cost of 50CHF without a ski pass, or 90.-CHF with a ski pass included and there is even a VIP and accommodation package available. Please note that the minimum age is 18 years old.
