Will an Austrian win at home in Bad Gastein?

Jan 12, 2026·Snowboard Alpine

The famed slope in Bad Gastein. Photo: @FIS/Miha Matavz

Just three days later, the Visa FIS Snowboard Alpine World Cup makes its traditional stop at the historic Bad Gastein. There will be no time for a breather after Saturday’s race in Davos. The snowboarders will hit the start gate for a parallel slalom race under the lights on Tuesday. They will then mount up on Wednesday for the first mixed parallel slalom team event of the season.

Bad Gastein is a tour favorite for many of the athletes. There is always a rocking crowd and mountainous energy from the fans. It will be the 26th consecutive race at Bad Gastein after the venue debuted on tour in 2001.

There will be plenty of dramatics on the slope and at the finish line. The organizers are also planning an opening ceremony with parachuting skydivers.

The switch to parallel from PGS changes up the contenders and opens up the field. It is a crucial event as there are only five individual PSL races this season.

Auner looking for another PSL win

On the men’s side, Arvid Auner is the favorite to win on home snow. He loves the venue and will have the home crowd. Auner placed second there last season and is seeking redemption. He won at this venue in 2022. Auner took first in the PSL race in Davos earlier this season.

After Auner there is a large pack of potential winners who may win. His teammate Andreas Prommegger (AUT) is a sneaky pick too after some early season struggles. He loves the home crowd advantage.

“The home crowd provides extra motivation and pushes me to higher limits. On the other hand, there's also a bit more pressure racing in front of family, friends and fans. I had a lot of podiums so far at Bad Gastein in front of the home crowd so it looks like I can handle extra pressure well,”– Prommegger said.

Prommegger knows the course well. His experience could be key despite the extra pressure.

“To win in Bad Gastein, you need a lot. It is one of the most difficult slopes on the tour. You don’t win the race in the first gates on the steeper part. You have to stay focused all the time because you see and hear the crowd at each part of the race,”– Prommegger said.

Prommegger made both podiums at Bad Gastein last season. Photo: @FIS/Miha Matavz

The Italian men bring the biggest threat to Austrian hopes. They have taken 13 of 18 podium spots so far this season. Gabriel Messner (ITA) is hoping to be the next Italian man to grab glory.

Messner has three PSL career World Cup podiums. He has the expertise to master the trials of parallel racing.

“Slalom is definitely shorter and more intense than PGS, so everything happens much faster from start to finish. You don’t really have time to recover, which means you have to stay fully focused and ride very precisely. There’s less margin for error, so clean and accurate riding is key,”– Messner said.

He will hope to best his Italian teammates. The friendly competition has pushed the team to new heights.

“The vibe within the team has been really good so far. The level in training is extremely high, but in a very positive way – everyone is pushing each other and bringing a lot of motivation. That makes the sessions quite intense, but at the same time it’s a lot of fun and helps everyone improve day by day,”– Messner said.

However, anyone could win. Benjamin Karl (AUT) is racing in his final race in Bad Gastein. He won once in 2011. The rest of the Austrian and Italian teams will be in contention as well.

Hofmeister goes for fifth win in Bad Gastein

Ramona Theresia Hofmeister (GER) came back from injury with a bang. She immediately announced her return with a win in her first race back in Scuol. Hofmeister becomes one of the favorites in every race after proving her health.

The German has won in Bad Gastein four times and it is one of her favorite slopes. Sabine Payer (AUT) will hope the Austrian crowd helps her hold off Hofmeister and others.

Payer suffered an ankle injury on Saturday in Scuol. She avoided any serious injury after medical examinations. Payer will be a game-time decision for the race in Bad Gastein.

Julie Zogg (SUI) has made four podiums in Bad Gastein and could be in the mix. She will be looking for a bounce-back performance and first podium of the season.

“The final in Scuol was tough, but success and defeat are all part of sport. I'm glad we now have two days to get back on the slalom board. I'm looking forward to trying a different discipline. In slalom, I need to get into the flow, then the fun comes back,”– Zogg said.

Julie Zogg racing through the gates in Bad Gastein. Photo: @FIS/Miha Matavz

The women’s tour has seen plenty of surprise results this season. Annamari Dancha (UKR) is looking for her first career podium and could be one of those shock results this week. She has plenty of experience to lean on to help her break through.

“The main thing I have learned over the years at the World Cup is that the most important thing is my path. I am getting better every year in all aspects of life, not just in sports. I have come to terms with the fact that my path is longer than others, but no less interesting. The main thing I lacked for a long time is self-belief. And I am learning from this, correcting mistakes, concentrating and striving for more. Sometimes it turns out better, sometimes not, but I am following my own path, also helping the team grow, and this makes me happy,”– Dancha said.

The women’s race should be thrilling with names like Tsubaki Miki (JPN) and Elisa Caffont (ITA) also leading the charge.

In the mixed team event, a team from Italy or Austria should win it. Hofmeister could lead a German surprise. The events will kick off with a public bib draw on Monday.