On Saturday, March 18, 2012, 59 skiers, snowboarders and telemark skiers tackled the rocky and challenging competition slope of the Piz Piogn Crap in the Maighelstal valley on the Oberalp Pass. All participants were treated to some great freeride action.
The Eco Freeride Contest Kick the Vik in the Maighelstal Valley kicked off on Friday morning with the ascent to the Maighelshütte, 2310 meters above sea level. At the Oberalp Pass, the entire safety equipment was checked one last time, from avalanche transceiver, avalanche shovel and probe to crampons, back protector and helmet, before the skins or snowshoes were finally put on and the two-hour hike to the SAC Maighelshütte was undertaken. Bright sunshine and mild temperatures accompanied the eco-conscious riders who, in keeping with the environmentally friendly and alternative event concept, covered all the meters of altitude using their own muscle power. On Friday, in addition to an extensive riders' meeting, the competition slope was inspected for the freeride contest the next day and there was plenty of talk shop about the perfect line choice, snow conditions and jumps in the face of the Piz Piogn Crap. It quickly became clear that the competitors were facing a real technical skiing and snowboarding challenge on the north-west face of Piz Piogn Crap, which is up to 47 degrees steep and interspersed with rocks and gullies. And so every participant set up camp very early that evening at the rustic and cozy Maighelshütte.
The competition day started very early. The first skiers set off at sunrise on the arduous route to the summit of the Contest Face, which could only be mastered with a lot of stamina and the necessary equipment. Hard snow and extremely steep terrain required the use of crampons and the crossing of the rocky ridge at the summit put a strain on the nerves of many participants! Every participant was visibly relieved when he or she reached the start in the steep gully of the Piz Piogn Crap unscathed.
The following contest run, however, once again required a high level of concentration, attention and strength. The good, soft snow had to be searched for in the face and the contours were barely visible due to the diffuse light. The enormous length of the slope also taxed the riders' strength. With each additional skier, the speeds finally became higher and the jumps more spectacular and further. There were also a few falls and ski losses among the skiers, which fortunately all turned out to be minor.
More pictures from Kick the Vic 2012 in the gallery
Despite the difficult light, weather and snow conditions, the organizers of the Eco Freeride Contest Kick the Vic once again put on a unique and successful event this year. Wherever you looked at the subsequent award ceremony, you only saw beaming and satisfied faces. The atmosphere at the Maighelshütte and the mood among the participants was extremely relaxed over the three days spent together at the SAC hut. Viktor Kickthevik and his friendly team certainly made the biggest contribution to this, and they will be serving up an impressive visual event review in the coming days.
The results of Kick the Vic 2012
Ski Men:
1. Sten Lundstrom (SUI)
2. Cornel Russi (SUI)
3. Per Landmark (SUI)
The best telemark skier Michael Trojer achieved 7th place in the overall ranking.
Snowboard Men:
1. Remo Maffiew (SUI)
2. Thomas Krättli (SUI)
3. Ueli Kestenholz (SUI)
Ski Women:
1. Verena Fendl (GER)
2. Hanna Finkel (GER)
3. Janine Quaas (GER)
Snowboard Women:
1. Madeleine Grimmhall (SWE)
2. Deborah Priestley (UK)
3. Claudia Alig (CH)
The other results of the Eco Freeride Contest Kick the Vik can be found here
