Since 1982, when it entered the international circuit with the opening of the World Series, the Stelvio has carved indelible memories in ski history, even hosting two World Championships, in 1985 and 2005. With its 3442-meter course and gradients touching 63 percent, the Stelvio is a testing ground for athletes of the highest caliber who, starting from the 2268-meter altitude of the Praimont area, embark on an adrenaline-fueled and breathtaking descent.

The course winds through technical jumps, such as those of the Rocca and San Pietro, which already test the skiers’ physical endurance. The Carcentina diagonal represents one of the most feared points, thanks to its reverse slope, and the last section, the Konta wall, separates champions from mere athletes, requiring absolute precision in the last turns before crossing the finish line.

Over the years, many big names in world skiing have made their mark on this slope. These include Switzerland’s Pirmin Zurbriggen, France’s Luc Alphand, Norwegians Lasse Kjus and Aksel Lund Svindal, and Austrians Hermann Maier, Hannes Trinkl and Michael Walchhofer. American champions such as Bode Miller and Daron Rahlves and Italy’s Christof Innerhofer have also triumphed. Yet the name most closely associated with the Stelvio is that of Dominik Paris: an honorary citizen of Bormio, he has triumphed six times in the downhill, including five consecutively, and once in the super-G.

On December 28 and 29, the speed skiing superstars will return to confront each other on this course: the downhill, followed by the super-G, will see the world’s fastest skiers compete against themselves, against the clock and against their opponents. After last season’s successes, France’s Cyprien Sarrazin and Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt will return to the Stelvio to defend their titles, ready to renew the myth of the “Ladder of Speed.