TL;DR
Sölden's World Cup opener has been two giant slaloms on the Rettenbach glacier for as long as most fans can remember. From 2027/28 it could be four. Director Jack Falkner wants to add two Super-Gs, backed by a nod from Vincent Kriechmayr, and turn the opening into a full week where the ski world gathers in the Ötztal. FIS and the ÖSV are yet to sign off. This year, it's still just the two GS races on 24 and 25 October.
Sölden wants to double its World Cup season opener, with four races on the glacier from 2027/28
The Tyrolean resort is planning to expand its traditional opening weekend on the Rettenbach glacier from two giant slaloms to four races. The idea comes from Jack Falkner, director of the Sölden mountain railways and one of the people behind the original glacier races. According to the Austrian newspaper Kurier, the project is already under way, and the earliest it could take effect is the 2027/28 season.
Two Super-Gs lead the wish list
The women's and men's giant slaloms would stay. Alongside them, Sölden wants to add two Super-G races, one for each field. Super-G is a speed discipline that sits between downhill and giant slalom in pace, and Falkner says the Rettenbach slope suits it. The Austrian speed team already trains Super-G there regularly, and Falkner told Kurier that Vincent Kriechmayr had assured him a race would be possible.
Two extra slaloms have been floated as a fallback. The focus is on Super-G, though, and the current World Cup calendar carries more slaloms than Super-Gs.
Where the talks stand
Discussions are running with the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV) and the International Ski Federation (FIS). The proposal is also expected to come up at the FIS autumn meeting on Lake Geneva. Nothing has been confirmed, so the four-race format remains a plan rather than a calendar entry.
A week rather than a weekend
Falkner's ambition goes past the race count. He wants Sölden to become the meeting point of the ski world for the whole opening week, with racers, fans, equipment suppliers, sponsors and tourists all in the Ötztal as the season begins.
How the glacier races started
The first World Cup race on the Rettenbach glacier was held in 1993, and Anita Wachter won it by 2.63 seconds. Sölden has opened the World Cup calendar regularly since 2000, when Hermann Maier won the first season opener there. Falkner has admitted that good weather played a part in 1993. He believes a failed first attempt might have ended the idea before it became a fixture.
This season's opener
The 2026 opening weekend will run as usual, with the women's and men's giant slaloms on 24 and 25 October. Organisers expect another large crowd. Last year, Julia Scheib's home win in the women's giant slalom drew 15,900 spectators, a new attendance record for the event.
About the author
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
