Oberstdorf / Garmisch-Partenkirchen / Innsbruck / Bischofshofen From 28th December to 06th January
Source: https://www.vierschanzentournee.com/en/
The Four Hills Tournament (German: Vierschanzentournee) is one of the most prestigious events in the ski jumping calendar, held annually in Germany and Austria.
Here’s a brief overview of its history:
- Inception: The initial idea for the tournament was conceived in the summer of 1949 by ski jump fans from Innsbruck (Austria) and Partenkirchen (Germany).
- First Tournament: The first Four Hills Tournament, also known as the German-Austrian Ski Jumping Week (Deutsch-รsterreichische Skisprung-Woche), was held in January 1953.
- Motivation: In the post-World War II years, German athletes were initially prohibited from competing internationally. The tournament was established to allow German and Austrian ski jumpers, many of whom knew each other, to compete against an international field.
- Venues: It consists of four competitions held on four different hills, two in Germany and two in Austria. The four original and current venues are:
- Oberstdorf, Germany (Schattenbergschanze)
- Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany (Groรe Olympiaschanze) – famously hosts the New Year’s Day jump.
- Innsbruck, Austria (Bergiselschanze)
- Bischofshofen, Austria (Paul-Ausserleitner-Schanze)
- Competition Format: The overall winner is determined by the total points accumulated across all eight jumps (two rounds in each of the four competitions). The tournament is part of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup. A distinctive feature, introduced in 1996/97, is the knock-out system in the first round of each event, where 25 pairs of jumpers (based on qualification results) compete head-to-head.
- Records and Milestones:
- Record Winner: Janne Ahonen (Finland) holds the record for the most overall victories with five wins.
- The Grand Slam: Only three ski jumpers have achieved the “Grand Slam” by winning all four events in a single tournament: Sven Hannawald (Germany, 2001/02), Kamil Stoch (Poland, 2017/18), and Ryลyลซ Kobayashi (Japan, 2018/19).
- The Trophy: The overall winner receives the prestigious “Golden Eagle” trophy.
The tournament is a deeply rooted tradition, taking place between Christmas and Epiphany (early January), and remains a major highlight of the ski jumping season, drawing huge crowds and television audiences.
Oberstdorf
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Innsbruck
Bischofshofen
