The largest children’s skiing competition in Europe was being held from the 31st March to the 1st April as a symbolic conclusion to a great season in Zauchensee. ‘Salzburg’s Ski Paradise’, as it is known, is included in Salzburg’s bid concept for hosting the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games as the planned venue for the women’s alpine speed events and the freestyle competitions.

High-level alpine competitions take place regularly in Zauchensee. In January, the Ladies’ Alpine FIS Ski World Cup was held there and in March and it was the turn of the FIS Alpine Junior World Championships, which were praised by many international participants as being the best ever. Now, at the end of March, it was time for the fourth International Kids’ Trophy, which boasted over 1100 competitors from seven countries. The children demonstrated their ability in a variety of races and a giant slalom on the famous Kälberloch run, in front of the numerous world-class skiers who were waiting to cheer them over the finish line.

The hosting of the Kids’ Trophy, which accepted participants aged five to fifteen, was yet another demonstration of Austria’s indefatigable commitment to the promotion of winter sports, with the event benefiting from the same perfect organisation afforded to World Cup races. The social programme included ski tests, a kid’s disco, clowns and magicians so that, after all the professionalism of the race track, the young athletes were provided with the opportunity to relax and enjoy themselves.
 
Michael Walchhofer, downhill world champion and silver medallist at Turin 2006 commented: “The Kids’ Trophy is an excellent event and gives the children a unique opportunity to feel like adults. Zauchensee and the Salzburg Ski Club have made it clear how important the future of skiing is to them. I could have watched from my house, as it is only a few metres away from the finish, but wanted to witness from within the finishing area the stars of the future being congratulated on their races. I have seen some talented young people here, who will be the right age in 2014 to hopefully win some Olympic medals on this very track”.

Rudi Hoeller, Executive director of Salzburg 2014, was also extremely impressed with the event: “You really have to experience the Kids’ Trophy. The enthusiasm it generates is unbelievable. To have over 1000 participants in a children’s event, including many kids from other European countries, is probably unique. Austria’s engagement in staging kids’ races documents again very well the country’s enthusiasm for winter sports.”