HISTORY
How a training race became an event with international appeal. Excerpts from the book “100 Years of the Davos Ski Club” by Karl Erb. A look back.
As part of the expansion of the trail network, a Flüela cross-country ski trail tailored to the needs of racing was created, which passed its baptism of fire with flying colors at the Swiss Junior Championships in 1972. The SSV's cross-country skiing director, Leonhard Beeli, and his coach, Lennart Olsson, who were present, recognized the quality of the facilities and organization and held a training week for the national team in Davos the following year. On this occasion, these experts encouraged Heini Conrad to organize a competition.
When the Swiss national team trained in Davos again in 1974 and was joined by four Norwegians, two Swedes, and the German junior world champion Georg Zipfel, the Davos initiators decided, in agreement with the SSV people, to hold an invitational race. Twenty-four Swiss athletes from training groups I to IV were given the opportunity to compete in a race against seven proven foreign athletes.
On December 22, 31 competitors set off on a 15 km race consisting of two laps of 7.5 km each. The event was a huge success with the public. Around 8,000 spectators witnessed the triumph of Sweden's Thomas Magnusson ahead of Norway's Martinsen, Braa, and Formo, while Sweden's Thomas Wassberg, a rising super champion, excelled in the junior competition. The media reported extensively on the successful event, and both participants and spectators were thrilled.
This broke the ice. With OK President Enrico Giacometti and Technical Director Heinrich Conrad at the helm, the next edition was professionally prepared for 1975, with Leonhard Beeli and Lennart Olsson pledging their support. Some nations were still rather reserved, so that in the end 44 skaters from five nations took part. Magnusson repeated his victory from the previous year, while the Norwegian relay team won ahead of the surprising Swiss team.
Television was also present for the first time. As in 1975, the third edition also counted towards the unofficial World Cup. This time, 86 skiers from 11 nations registered to take part. With the third successful event, it was clear that the International Cross-Country Skiing Days were set to become a tradition. In 1979, the program was expanded to include women's competitions. In 1980, the individual race was awarded official World Cup status for both men and women for the first time. Five TV stations and seven radio stations, together with 75 journalists, reported on the event.
Davos had done it! The event reached its first absolute peak in 1984, when all four races counted towards the World Cup and 136 men and 91 women from 17 nations registered. From then on, the World Cup established itself with few interruptions, and year after year the world's elite gather in Davos.
The organization did not stand still, but adapted to constantly changing and increasing demands. The switch to new technology required a redesign of the trails, which was secured in 1997 by a positive referendum on the expansion and snowmaking of the Davos cross-country trails.
DAVOS NORDIC, as the international cross-country skiing days are now called, has developed into a top event. The fantastic television images, the exciting competitions, the media coverage, and the large crowds of spectators bring a lot to the Davos winter sports resort as a whole.