Ski Jump in Bischofshofen Suffers Avalanche Damage
Trouble hits the organizers of the Four Hills Tournament in Bischofshofen as an avalanche causes damage to the Paul Ausserleitner ski jump, following the tearing of nets due to heavy snow and rain. However, despite these setbacks, the ski jumping is expected to proceed as scheduled, thanks to repairs, loaned snow nets, and the assistance of excavators.
Manfred Schützenhofer, President of the Bischofshofen Ski Club, expressed his concerns about the financial damage, stating, "It's too early to say. It will be a six-figure sum." The exact repair costs are yet to be confirmed, as the FIS or local authorities have not released any official statements regarding the matter.
The incident occurred around a week and a half before the tour finale, which is due to take place on January 6. The organizing team has been working tirelessly to repair the landing slope and outrun of the ski jump. They've been using excavators since Monday morning to clear the areas and pull the nets back up. Moreover, they've borrowed three large snow nets from Klingenthal in Vogtland, Saxony, to ensure the event proceeds as planned.
Austria's Stefan Kraft is the top favorite for the tour, with German eagles like Pius Paschke, Andreas Wellinger, and Karl Geiger also considered promising candidates for a triumph at the legendary ski jump spectacle.
Additional Insights
The Four Hills Tournament, also known as Four Hills Tournee, is an annual international ski jumping competition held in Germany and Austria. The tournament includes four separate competitions hosted at Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Innsbruck, and Bischofshofen. The event is considered one of the most prestigious in the ski jumping calendar and attracts top athletes from around the world.
The 2024-25 ski jumping season has seen significant performances from athletes like Nika Prevc of Slovenia, who secured victories in both the HS106 and HS130 events at Lillehammer, Norway, in December 2024.
[1: FIS Ski News, "Kofl out and Prevc wins first two events of world cup season at Lillehammer", FIS, 17 December 2024, ]
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With the final leg of the Four Hills Tournament taking place at Bischofshofen on January 6, organizers are working diligently to overcome setbacks from the avalanche damage. Repair costs, however, remain undisclosed as official statements regarding the matter have yet to be released. Austrian favorite Stefan Kraft and German eagles like Pius Paschke, Andreas Wellinger, and Karl Geiger will be vying for victory in the legendary ski jump spectacle.
