Justification causes incomprehension
World Cup race in Austria canceled at short notice
November 17, 2025 – 12:20 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
A new World Cup race in Upper Austria already seemed to be dry. But now a last-minute decision by the organizers has caused an abrupt withdrawal.
The women’s World Cup race planned for Christmas 2026 in the Upper Austrian ski resort of Hochficht will not take place. As the “Kronen Zeitung” reports, the Hochficht Bergbahnen, in which the Schröcksnadel family and Schlägl Abbey are involved, have surprisingly withdrawn their commitment. In advance, the Austrian Ski Association (ÖSV) and the World Federation Fis had classified the terrain as suitable for racing and the World Cup.
The plan was for Hochficht to host a giant slalom and slalom every two years, alternating with Semmering. The ÖSV wanted to take over the traditional event from Lienz, which is leaving the calendar after many years. The new location in the Bohemian Forest would have closed a gap in the women’s World Cup.
But despite the long preparation time, it was canceled – and with a reason that was met with incomprehension by the Upper Austrian Ski Association. The operators explained that a race date in the middle of the Christmas holidays would have too much of an impact on regular ski operations. Although the period was known from the start, the lift company decided against holding the races.
Klaus Kumpfmüller, President of the Upper Austrian Ski Association, clearly criticized the turnaround. He spoke of a “huge opportunity” that would be lost for the region and local skiing. Hans Pum, a long-time ÖSV official and jointly responsible for the Fis inspection of the area, also sees the cancellation as damaging the image of the world association.
What will become of the open ÖSV date between Christmas and New Year remains unclear for the time being. Association President Roswitha Stadlober recently spoke out in favor of increasingly holding World Cup events outside of the traditional winter sports countries. Upper Austria will not meet this requirement for the time being.