It is 07.30 in the morning, the majority of Kitzbuehel is still snugly tucked up in bed and yet a group of hardy souls are waiting to grab the first lift up the Hahnenkammbahn. The purpose of the ride up is to go and do the Jury Inspection ready for the first training run of the downhill for Saturday's race. Günter Hujara is the 57 year old Race Director for the Men's Alpine Skiing World Cup from Germany; he has been involved in ski racing for over twenty years and has the experience of running over 1,200 events, not just World Cup but also the World Championships and Olympic Winter Games. As the last of the early group arrives, we jump in the Gondola with Lorenzo Conci, the technical delegate for the race, and Michael Huber, president of the Kitzbuehel Ski Club. On the ride up Hujara's total dedication to the sport becomes apparent.

At the top of the lift and after a short walk to the start house, one starts to feel the tension comparable to what someone must feel when lead to the gallows. "I feel we should place a sign above the door in the start saying 'Racers be aware when entering the course. This may result in bodily harm and serious damage to your health'," Hujara says later on, down in the Jury room at the Red Bull Restaurant. These words certainly stick with you when looking through the Rolex timing gate ready to release the racers down the Hahnenkamm course!

"Ski racing never was and never will be safe," responds Hujara as an answer to the constant questions regarding the safety issues in the sport. "Skiing is a sport in which the athlete takes the acknowledged risks and pushes himself to the limit. Because it is based on speed, it will never be safe." Hujara then makes the important point that underlines his role: "We can improve safety and we can change the circumstances that might lead to bad consequences but we can never change the sport and turn it into a safe sport."

It is through the combined efforts of both the Men's and Women's race directors that the publics awareness of the dangers involved and what is being done to counter this, has been improved. Hujara: "There is no one way to solve this with one issue," before adding "this forces us to be more positive and serious with our discussions. It is speed squared. We have to be aware of that."

Since ski racing began, man has strived to go faster and faster. Looking up at the Hausbergkannte and Zielschuss, Hujara comments that the course has never before been in better shape safety wise. The final jump has been tinkered with and he acknowledges that there will always be one who does not agree but that it is the need to stop one from going too far and crashing that interests him more. "It's like working in the twilight zone," explains Hujara, "there are kids and there are grown men. The grown men take responsibility and know one hundred per cent what they are doing."

Günter Hujara is a self admitted ski racing fan. "I prefer alpine ski racing," he answered to whether the technical events or the speed events gave him the most satisfaction. Come the time for training and the race, the place to find the man leading the team making sure the race is safe and successful, will be at the Mausefalle. Is this the best seat in the house or the best seat in the office? Hujara thinks long and hard about this before saying "Some days it is best to be in the office or at home or in the FIS offices to get things done, but for sure the Mausefalle is the best place for the Hahnenkamm as I can control the race from there."

Hujara leads a dedicated team for the 70th running of the Hahnenkamm. Lorenzo Conci, doing his third year as TD for the race, says that Hujara works closely with his team to achieve the best possible result. "I try not to say 'I'," explains Hujara before adding "I am focused on delivering the best race course, the best event, but in the end it is a team effort! It is my wish to have excellent races, spectacular race action and maybe some falls BUT," he emphasises, "no serious injuries!"

Günter Hujara has a tough job to do: Every one has his/her own ideas and proposals yet he has no problem to say 'No.' "It is a very complex game," he acknowledges "but I have a great team. Ski racing is a risky game. Risk is something you have to acknowledge," Hujara honestly reflects, adding "we deal with facts, opinions, realities and there is always a solution." Canadian Mike Kersetz who is part of Hujara's team briefly sums up the process: "Every situation comes to us as a problem and every problem is solvable. Maybe the solution is not exactly what the person bringing the problem forward expected but it solves the problem!"

Hujara makes sure that the spectacle is brought to the viewer by trying to guarantee the best conditions: "People know we are trying to do our best. Under current conditions we try to deliver the maximum. We may not always be able to reach optimum but the maximum we can do is what we try."

The conversation goes full circle and ends where it started: the safety issue. Hujara is frank and honest and concludes: "People have to be aware of one of the oldest but maybe also a newer realization: It is a risky sport but the racers choose to do it!"

And we love watching them!

KPMS
January 22, 2010
Kitzbuehel, Austria