At each World Cup event, a different ceremony for the podiums.
Local cultures are often put forward.
Certain stages compete in inventiveness: a calf in Val d'Isère, a reindeer in Levi, a sweater in Madonna Di Campiglio.
Hours and hours of training, the risk of sickness on icy slopes, knees (at best) that are the trunk, victories that are played in the thousandth of a second. All this for what ? A small medal and a bouquet of flowers upon arrival on the podium. Frankly, it almost makes you want to store all the gear in your little mountain chalet and stay in front of the fireplace enjoying your hot chocolate. But, when you are honored as in Zagreb (Croatia), where the men's race will take place this Thursday, you ask for more.
A crystal crown, a throne and a cape.
The winner of the slalom is crowned king in Croatia.
"It's nice to make this tradition on the races in Zagreb," explains Clément Noël, the fastest two years ago.
It's a bit kitsch and it's funnier than anything else.
Either way, the throne is comfortable and the crown is really pretty.
"In detail:" 38 pieces of crystal, everything is handmade and only 22 people touch the object before it is handed over to the winner of the day ", describes Ana Jelusic Black, a former slalomer who now works at the Croatian Federation.
Things are wrong in Adelboden
This ceremony was established to pay tribute to Janica Kostelic, quadruple Olympic champion, five times world champion, ten large crystal globes to her credit. "Her nickname in the media was Snow Queen, so we named the race that way and we made a reward for her," Jelusic Black continues. It's a different experience from other podiums, a theatrical moment, with a few shows around. Athletes appreciate this kind of moment. "
They are doing well.
Because, after the Croatian stage, the skiers will take to the road to reach Adelboden, in Switzerland.
And, there, on the podium, no coronation à la Clovis, no: a huge bell as a reward and the possibility of leaving his footprint on the village square for the winner.
“The Adelboden bell is really the trophy that I would have liked to have,” says Jean-Baptiste Grange, two-time world slalom champion, now a consultant on La channel L'Equipe.
Alexis Pinturault has two lying around in his living room, according to the latest news.
Calves from Val d'Isère
Each World Cup stage has its own particularity, its little local touch. Example in Val d'Isère, where the one who wins the descent leaves with a calf (yes, yes, you read that right) in her paws. “It started in 2005 with a coup with the Bourg-Saint-Maurice dairy cooperative, which manufactures Beaufort, which brought a cow to the foot of the track,” explains Maiwenn Cloerec, communications officer for the event. At the time, farmers had thought of writing a compensation check, thinking of bringing their cows home. Except Lindsey Vonn didn't want the check. The animal was therefore brought in the spring to Austria, where the American was training by a whole delegation from Val d'Isère.
After a few years without, the calf at the edge of the track "is now an integral part of the folklore that accompanies women's races", continues Cloerec.
And has become a source of motivation for some, like Sofia Goggia.
The Italian, winner of the last two races, who will be given a second calf before the summer, sees it big: “She wants to make cheese with the calves won on an agrotourism farm near Bergamo.
“Moreover, the organizers of Val d'Isère never had to sign the compensation check: all the skiers left with their calves.
"Behind every trophy, there is a story"
Another country, another animal. In Levi, Finland, a reindeer has been waiting for the winners at the foot of the track since 2013. “We choose the two reindeer according to their ability to adapt in public, we buy them and we leave them on the farm. where they live peacefully, details Satu Pesonen, race director. The victors are not allowed to take them with them, but they can name them and come back to see them when they come to Levi. "
On the farm of Ounaskievari, we find for example Rudoplh, Sven, Herra Gru and Ingemar, the reindeer of Mikaela Shiffrin, or Michael, named after the friend of Petra Vlhova.
The Slovak already has a small herd, since she already has five reindeer after her five successes, and will be ready to take Santa Claus' place next winter.
"It's good that the World Cups have their particularity and that we can perpetuate that", assures Clément Noël.
“Behind each trophy, there is a story, a symbol, which celebrates a local culture and you do not think as an athlete whether it is pretty or not pretty”, adds Ana Jelusic Black.
Italian fashion
Moreover, one of the most "outdated" awards, to our taste, is nevertheless one of the most popular: the chamois trophy from Kitzbühel (Austria). "It is the most emblematic, because it is Kitzbühel", explains Noël. Understand the Mecca of alpine skiing. A bit like the Augusta Masters for golfers. "I was not lucky enough to have the trophy because, for ten years, they no longer did it for the slalom," adds Grange. Suddenly, I asked the organizers to send me the real Kitzbühel chamois [trophy]. "
To end this short tour of Europe, head to Madonna di Campiglio, in Italy, where the winner is presented with a "magnificent" yellow and red sweater: the
maglia fulminates
, in their original version.
“The idea came in 1950 to give the combined leader an award like the yellow jersey for the Tour de France,” explains Paolo Bisti, photographer who wrote
La Grande Storia della 3Tre
.
In the 1960s, the Ski World Cup was established and old traditions were abandoned.
And we waited for 2016 before rethinking to bring this sweater up to date.
It is a very precious cashmere [made by the Falconeri brand].
It remains to be seen how many skiers would be ready to trade a gold medal at the Olympics for this Italian sweater.
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