Zermatt-Magazin-23

Matterhorn Cervino Speed Opening | Zermatt Magazin
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Everything was set for the Downhill event at over
3000 metres above sea level – starting in Switzerland
and finishing in Italy – two races for the men
and two for the women. This event is designed
to open the World Cup season for the speed disciplines
every autumn. The budget totalling 6.7
million Swiss francs was covered, sponsors such as
Hugo Boss, Sunrise, Ochsner Sport and BKW were
on board, and the revenue was also ensured.
All that was missing was the snow, which was why
the premiere of this event had to be cancelled. October
2022 will go down in history as the warmest
October on record. Race President Franz Julen
commented: "Nature is always stronger. But we are
mountain folk, and we do not give up. Our project
is not in jeopardy."
And so the Gran Becca, as the run is called, will
host this major premiere in late autumn of 2023.
Gran Becca means big mountain. It is also the old
name of the Matterhorn. The French provincial dialect
in the neighbouring region of Valtournenche
still calls the mountain by this name today.
Zermatt Magazine has already talked to skiing legend
Pirmin Zurbriggen, who at the peak of his career
won the Downhill at the Olympics in Calgary
in 1988. Zurbriggen is an ambassador for the Zermatt
ski races. He not only shares an exciting future
with the race president, but also an interesting past.
Pirmin Zurbriggen, you are an ambassador for
the Matterhorn Cervino Speed Opening. What
does a World Cup race ambassador actually do?
Franz Julen wanted me to be involved and asked
me what I could imagine doing. I didn’t want to be
one of the organisers because I have done enough
of that for the sport already. Younger people can do
that. But I was happy to help in any other way. At
a media conference, he then introduced me as an
ambassador. That was when I heard the word for
the first time (laughs).
So what do you do now?
As soon as it became known that Zermatt wanted
to hold World Cup races, I was constantly contacted
by journalists from all over the world. More
than I would have expected. As it happens, due to
my name and my career, I am often involved with
the media. But I’m certainly not in charge of media
relations.
Can the Gran Becca be compared to any
other Downhill run in the World Cup?
No, because every location has its own topography
and surroundings, which in turn affects the light.
Skiing legend Pirmin Zurbriggen.
What is unique at this altitude is the lack of natural
landmarks along the run, apart from when you ski
along the rock face past Plateau Rosa. This can be
a challenge. Skiing down a run through the forest,
for example, makes you feel safer and more confident
on the descent. Up here, however, this feeling
is missing. Out in the open, the light is also different.
And it is more difficult to deal with.
And not every Downhill athlete copes with it
in the same way?
There can be some major differences. During my
career, there were always some opponents who
really excelled as soon as the sun came out. Others
slowed down when the sun disappeared. I can
imagine someone winning on this course who you
weren’t counting on. Simply because it is a Downhill
that demands a specific skiing style. You need
very precise, controlled and extremely tight skiing
skills. These characteristics will be more in demand
here than usual.
You have a lot in common with Franz Julen, the
race president; he has written books about you,
for example. The two of you first met when you
were a young ski athlete. How did that come
about?
His brother Max Julen is two years older than me.
When Franz had just passed his driving test, he
drove his brother to a training camp in the Grisons,
with me sitting in the back seat. I was just 14. After
that, there were countless trips together from
the Upper Valais, because Franz was a serviceman,
manager and also a kind of mental coach for his