A rough wind is blowing on the starting platform of the men's downhill race at 2836 meters above sea level. The view down is dizzying. With a gradient of 100 percent or 45 degrees, the start in St. Moritz has catapulted itself straight into the record books as the steepest start in the world.
The steepest start in the world The starting slope for the men's downhill race on the almost 3-kilometer-long Corviglia piste is still considered a myth in the ski circus. Even the route to the starting platform is an adventure: a steel staircase leads up 187 steps to the platform in the middle of the rock. The racers initially descend 150 meters almost vertically into the depths - in free fall. In just 4 seconds they reach an impressive speed of 100 km/h. After around 130 meters the athletes are already shooting across the snow at 140 km/h. It was during the St. Moritz Ski World Championships in 1974 that the legendary ski racer Bernhard Russi first pondered a spectacular start for the Corviglia course. Back then the racers were slow to get going. Much too slowly for Russi's taste. The downhill race, and especially the uppermost section of the course, is to be faster, steeper and more exciting. The steep slope of Piz Nair seemed predestined for this daring undertaking.
