The Audi FIS Alpine World Cup 2020-2021 season returns this coming weekend with the Slalom Opening at Levi (FIN).
The World Cup Levi Slalom Opening will take place on 21st and 22nd November with two Slalom races and the following program:
Ladies' Slalom - Saturday, 21.11.2020, starting times 11:15/14:15 LOC - 10:15/13:15 CET Sunday, 22.11.2020, starting times 11:15/14:15 LOC - 10:15/13:15 CET
Thanks to Levi Resort's Snow Farming, the competition slope will be in top condition this year ready to receive the best skiers in the World.
"The weather has been slightly on the warm side lately, but luckily it will not pose any problems to the competition. Special thanks to Levi Resort for enabling snow farming and, of course, for the professional upkeeping as well", says the Chief of Race Petri Tuomikoski.
This exceptionally warm Autumn has brought on even more challenges on the already special arrangement required cup event this year.
"This year we haven’t been able to welcome the competing teams to practice beforehand because the warm temperatures and the current conditions in Levi do not provide the perfect opportunity for practice. This year the competitors will be arriving in Levi only a few days before the actual race", says Tuomikoski.
Last week Levi has passed the final “Snow Control” and receives the FIS approval to go ahead with the races. Women’s alpine skiing world cup FIS Chief Race Director Peter Gerold has shown his approval on the ability and competence of Finnish people in organizing this event, especially considering the challenges with all the special arrangements and warm weather. Markus Mayr (FIS) approves with the amount of snow and gives the needed green light to open the World Cup slalom season in Levi Black.
"We couldn’t be happier to announce, that, despite the challenges that these special and hard times and the warm weather has given us, we can confidently say that the race slope is ready for the competition! I want to thank the amazing and seamless co-operation and work done by the Finnish national ski association, the World Cup Levi organizing committee, and all other people involved to enable this race to be held in these special times," says Gerold.
The public is welcome to the event with a limited amount of tickets for sale on the World Cup Levi Official Site. Every ticket owner will be given 2 pieces of Lumimediacli’s CE-marked approved face masks per day. It's required wearing a mask and following the safety distances in the event. Unfortunately foreign audience is not able to enter Finland and the race this year.
The venue has been newly planned in order to serve a safe and healthy environment for the audience. Different groups such as teams, media, volunteers, and audience are kept apart in their own areas.
Levi, located about 170 km north of the Polar Circle (Levi World Cup is the northmost Alpine World Cup), is one of the largest ski resorts in Finnish Lapland. Levi Fell village is actually a small holiday town, which offers a wide range of first-rate services to its guests.
The Levi fell is 531 meters above sea level. There are some 50 ski slopes in Levi and the skiing and snowboarding season is particularly long, typically lasting from mid-October to the beginning of June. Levi has been chosen as the best domestic skiing resort in Finland several times.
Levi is the market leader and pioneer in Finland in Ski Resorts. In the area, there are 24,000 beds, which makes possible 2,5 million overnights/year with 650,000 visitors/year.
Besides the 43 slopes and 28 ski lifts, there are 230 km's cross-country tracks and 880 km's snowmobiling routes.
The Levi Black competition course vertical drop is 180 meters and the steepest part of the racecourse has a steepness of 52 %.
