The cornerstone for the winter sports classic was laid on May 17, 1952. At that time, night ski jumping took place on the Seegrube above the roofs of Innsbruck. An idea that had been in people’s heads for a number of years was also put down on paper there. The newly conceived competition was to start on January 1, 1953.
Fascination of the four ski jumps
Since then, the fascination of the tour has arisen every year anew from the question: who can do best on four very different hills? In addition, there is always some German-Austrian rivalry.
However, before an Austrian, Sepp Bradl, could be the very first to enter the list of winners, a fourth organizer was needed: Oberstdorf, which was already organizing ski flying weeks at the time, had to be persuaded – so the legend goes – with a little vigour, to participate in the new format. That worked right away.
20,000 people follow the first jumping
20,000 people watched the very first competition on New Year’s Day on the Olympic ski jump in Partenkirchen. However, the order soon changed to what is still classic today: the start is always shortly after Christmas in Oberstdorf im Allgäu, followed by the traditional New Year’s competition in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, then it’s on to Berg Isel in Innsbruck and finally to Bischofshofen in Pongau.
The tour quickly established itself. The first German winners were Helmut Recknagel from East Germany, who won three times, and Max Bolkart from Oberstdorf in 1960. They were at the center of a bizarre political dispute because West Germany did not accept the new GDR flag.