Hofmeister eyeing triple triumph on home snow as World Cup season concludes

The FIS Snowboard Alpine World Cup tour enters its final round of competition this weekend, following the cancellation of next week’s World Cup finals in Berchtesgaden, Germany due to a lack of snow.

With those scheduled individual parallel slalom and mixed team PSL events now off the calendar, riders are ready to battle for the parallel slalom crystal globes – with one race to claim glory.

In the women’s competition, it's a head-to-head scrap between Ramona Theresia Hofmeister (GER) and Sabine Schoeffmann (AUT) who are separated by 73 points. Schoeffmann will likely need a win to lift the PSL crystal globe.

The 27-year-old Hofmeister will be a winner either way. She comes in with plenty of confidence after claiming her fifth PGS title last week. The honours kept coming as she clinched the overall title – her fourth in five years – with the cancellation of the final weekend in Berchtesgaden.

“The season started almost perfect with three wins in a row,” Hofmeister said. “That gives you self-confidence for the whole season. Even though my flow slowed down a bit in January, I was still able to stay focused and do my best.” 

Feelings are running high for the German star no matter what happens this weekend – but she wants triple glory.

“I’m incredibly proud,” Hofmeister said. “Also for the entire team. Only together can we be consistent like this in the long term.

“The chance that I can even win all three globes makes this season very special. That would be so emotional. Also because the PSL globe would mean a lot to me.”

A first PSL season title would add to an already-crowded trophy haul for 2023/24: Hofmeister began the campaign with victories in Carezza, Cortina d’Ampezzo and Davos, and has won five of the 11 individual PSL or PGS races so far this season.

Hofmeister will once again have to navigate the role of favourite, with her opponents gunning to spoil her fairytale ending to an incredible season. No problem for the two-time Olympian.

“This situation is not entirely new for me,” she said. “That’s part of the game. You cannot be always at the top. In the end, what matters is that you gave everything. And I definitely tried that.”

There could be one giant roadblock in her way. Fresh off the podium in her latest Alpine ski super-G race in Kvitfjell, Norway last week, Ester Ledecka is swapping her skis once again for the board to compete in the final Snowboard Alpine event of the season.

Ledecka claimed victories in the only two Snowboard Alpine races she has competed in this season – both in in parallel slalom in Pamporovo (BUL). The first of those wins came at the expense of Hofmeister in the big final.

Ledecka should be the toughest competitor in Hofmeister’s way this weekend, although the German has the advantage of home support.

Bagozza leads men’s chase for glory

Daniele Bagozza (ITA) leads the men’s parallel slalom standings by 27 points over Lee Sangho (KOR). Bagozza will be the favourite to top the podium having won two of this season’s four PSL races so far.

Lee has also tasted PSL victory this season, taking a win in one of the two races in Pamporovo. He leads the contenders chasing down Bagozza. Arvid Auner (AUT) and Edwin Coratti (ITA) can also take the PSL globe with a win on Saturday if other results go their way.

Maurizio Bormolini (ITA) is faster in giant slalom but knows how to win in PSL and could play spoiler. He won the PSL race in Bad Gastein (AUT) in January. Alexander Payer (AUT) is another dark horse as he topped the podium on the Winterberg slopes last season, and will be brimming with confidence going into this weekend’s racing.

“The keys are to keep the speed from the starting section into the middle flat part, and try to put as much power as possible into this transition zone from more steep to flat,” Payer said. “My goal is to claim a podium again and finish the season with a top 3. My knee is ready (following injury) so I should be too.”

The race also presents an opportunity for a victory lap for Benjamin Karl (AUT). The Austrian locked up the PGS globe in late January but was always striving for something bigger – and now he has claimed it.

With the cancellation of the final weekend of the tour, no one can catch the 38-year-old at the top of the overall standings, making him the winner of the big globe. Karl knew this was the goal this season after winning the second race of the campaign in Cortina.

“It was my goal already last year,” Karl said. “But we recognised early that we have to improve to be a step ahead. This year, the plan worked. The hard work paid off. But I’m still waiting for this winning feeling, where every stress is going away. I think it will come when the first sip of beer is drunk out of the globe.”

The Austrian has won everything possible in the sport. He has an Olympic medal in every colour and five world championships to his name. Karl maintained that this was not the finish line. He is still pushed by his teammates and will defend his title next year.

“Sure (I am coming back). I have a job,” Karl said with a laugh.

“Now it‘s about to break records. And I’m motivated like in my early years to compete and to fight for the win. Virus (the snow sports equipment manufacturer), Frank Dietzel (Virus’ owner and founder) and my team is the reason for that feeling. It’s all teamwork. The possibility to still improve the game. To show everyone that anything is possible.”

The season concludes with a mixed team event on Sunday. One man will pair up with one woman from their respective nations to battle in a knockout-style tournament for the final prizes of the season. Andreas Prommegger (AUT) and Sabine Schoeffmann (AUT) start as favourites after winning the previous two team events this season.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

The weekend begins with a public bib draw of the top 16 men and women tonight (Friday) at 18.00 CET, before qualifying for the individual PSL race gets under way early on Saturday. The men and women will then face-off in the knockout rounds beginning at 16:00 CET. On Sunday the men and women team up for the mixed parallel slalom event beginning at 15:50 CET.

QUICK LINKS

2023/24 FIS Alpine Snowboard World Cup calendar
2023/24 Women’s overall standings
2023/24 Men’s overall standings
FIS Alpine Snowboard photos
FIS Snowboard YouTube

WHERE TO WATCH

Info to follow.