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The Return of the Kandahar in 2016?

Absent from the World Cup calendar for 2 years, could this be the return of downhill racing to Chamonix?

featured in News & reviews Author Ellie Mahoney, Chamonix Editor Updated

The Kandahar is a renowned men's Alpine downhill ski race that had been held in Les Houches from 2004 to 2012. Alongside Kitzbuhel and Wengen it's course has legendary status in World Cup skiing and the FIS are keen to get it back on the calendar.

Chamonix's mayor Eric Fournier is keen to see the race return although he has his work cut out convincing Xavier Roseren, the mayor of Les Houches, especially since the date suggested would fall in the peak of the school holidays on 20th February 2016.

Concerns have been raised not only over security at such a busy time, but the volume of traffic that always comes with this popular event and the fact that La Verte piste (used for the races) would be unavailable to other skiers.

Suggestions have been made to allow cars and other vehicles to park on the Autoroute Blanche and to increase the number of gendarmes to help control traffic on the roads, but it's all going to come to the crunch in a meeting on 5th November where the city council will decide..

Here are some of the things they'll need to consider organising - Stats from the 2012 event:

  • Between 25 000 - 35 000 spectators
  • 600 people on the ground: 200 volunteers, 400 professionals
  • 4000 accreditations distributed.
  • 100 gendarmes (police) in charge of traffic
  • 40 CRS (riot police) from the CNEAS in charge of piste security
  • The participation of soldiers from the Ecole Militaire de Haute Montagne
  • 20 firemen from CDIS and Chamonix
  • 50 persons involved in security
  • 20 persons from PGHM (military mountain rescue guides) for the athletes' security
  • 25 persons from Croix Rouge
  • 50 people involved with television set-up
  • Approximately 100 students from the Frison-Roche high school in Chamonix on special mountain studies.
  • Participation of 170 mountain professionals from ski instructors belonging to the ESF ski schools in Chamonix, Les Houches and Argentiere, UCPA ski instructors, mountain guides from La Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix Mont-Blanc, the ENSA teaching school, and neighbouring clubs.
  • 15 coaches from the ski club maintaining the slalom run
  • 300 journalists (written press, TV, radio, national and international)
  • 25 kilometres of net, 15,000 poles, and 50 km of TV cables
  • 300 journalists (written press, TV, radio, national and international)
  • 2000 parking spaces along the Route Blanche motorway only metres away from the finish area; 20 km of netting and 15,000 netting posts.