All language subtitles for Streif.One.Hell.Of.A.Ride.2014.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC-[YTS.MX]

Downloaded from
YTS.MX

Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX

There is nothing
bigger in the ski world than
racing in the Streif.

Especially
the self-accomplishment of

being able to attack that thing
top to bottom.

It's the most treacherous
downhill out there and,

it's ended careers,
it's ended,
you know, dreams,

it's crushed people
in certain ways,

but it's also, like,
elevated people
to another level.

The one thing that really
separates the Streif from
any other race

is just what's at stake.

It's that win that
everybody is searching for,
trying to fight for

and mark yourself in history
as one of the legends
of the sport.

You're willing to die for it,
almost.

Yeah, I mean, it's...
The Streif is worth it all.

And so in the starting gate
of the Streif,

it's all about kicking as hard
as you can, saving nothing.

You know, just,
you put everything you have
into it.

That's the time that
there's a race you live for.

You live for that moment where
you're gonna be fully tested

and you have to fully commit
and that's hard to do

with the consequences
and the fact that,

you know, that things could,
like, go wrong quick.

The first time in Kitzbuhel,
you're not really confident.

And the first time
I was at the start,
I was really scared,

because all the guys
are making joke in the evening
and they say,

"Don't unpack too much
your stuff.

I don't wanna pack for you
tomorrow if you go to
hospital."

The first time you cross the
finish line,

it's good, you survived.
But the second time, it's worse

because you know
what you have to face.

The Streif is the most
challenging race you have
on the World Cup Tour.

The high level of risk
and the thin line you have
there

push you really back to...

give your best,
to push your own limit
so far.

To be...

really close to your best
skiing.

That's maybe why
I won five times there.

History was made.

First American downhiller
to win on the Streif.

It was such an intense dream
that I've had for a long time.

It was a great moment for me,
the win in 2003.

But...

there was no Austrian
on the podium.

Didier Cuche was second,

Kjetil Andre Aamodt, the
Norwegian, was third.

And in the national paper,

front page,
the next day in Austria,

had big letters.

And it said, "Black Saturday."

Thank you.

It's different. It's not like
any other World Cup race.

If you just came out of there
and you're still in one piece,

no damage done, that's
how tough Kitzbuhel is.

It's how difficult
that course is...

...that have made
Kitzbuhel what it is,
the Streif.

Kitzbuhel... Pure goosebumps.

You don't even have to win it.
Just have to finish it.

And people will say,
"You had the guts
to ski that course?

Incredible."

And that's often,
actually,

the feeling that I get
in Kitzbuhel
is encouragement.

I mean, they're there to see
a show. They're there
to see a champion.

They're there to see
somebody risk it all.
And I never feel like

the athletes come secondary
to the show.

I feel like the athletes
are the gladiators in the show.

So all eyes are on them.

Pumped!

You need the balls to ski down,

to take every turn head-on
and to defeat the Streif.

Having the courage to do that

is difficult.

With speeds like 150
kilometers per hour,

the feeling, the adrenaline,

I feel special that
I'm a downhill skier.

Max, it's extremely important

that we work on your core
strengths.

We have to work a lot harder
on your stability.

Everything, your abs, back
muscles...

they all have to be trained
much better.

No matter what cost

and whatever happens,

this winter you must be able
to keep it up for two and
a half minutes at full speed.

Only if you are strong enough
and keep your head straight,

you will be able to follow
your chosen line

totally controlled and close
to the limit.

Yeah, Max, it's 50 kilos.

I want to see more stability
in press form.
Should be much higher.

Okay. Thank you.
Very good.

Come on!

Keep at it.

Grit your teeth.
Come on!

Ta-tow!

Core strength.
Toss your opponent.

Sweating and working out
in summer is all part of it.

If you crash
or you hurt yourself,

you can't help thinking,

"If I trained more,
it might not have happened."

The fitter you are,
the safer you are
on the course.

Yes! Once more!

Come on!

The Hahnenkamm is known
worldwide. It's the biggest
stage for ski racing.

It's not like a football field

where it's manicured, just,
you know, a week before.
It's an outdoor arena.

This is a year long project by
the Kitzbuheler Ski Club.

I mean, there are so many
factors.

Weather changes,
the elements of the race hill.

It's a dirt surface.

I mean, the netting

which is all the fencing,
the protection.

Those things we don't see
as a racer.

To get your name on
a gondola in Kitzbuhel,

it's like getting a star
on the Walk of Fame
in Hollywood.

Just better.

It's a big victory to win
the Super in Kitzbuhel.

But, somehow, you want more.

It is a dream to win
the Kitzbuhel Downhill.

And that's something
that I still miss.

But I have my eyes on that race
every single year.

Being at the Streif in summer
is just great.

You know, in winter,
when you get down
to the finish,

all hell breaks loose.

Fifty thousand are cheering.

Even if you come in 20th,

they cheer for you
because you made it down
in one piece.

Off Hausberg,
it's really important to

just get back into
that full-tilt pin mode.

I mean, you're not thinking
about anything else,
but just attacking.

You think, "Don't be stupid."

At the same time, you think,

"You have to ride the risky
line.

The safe one won't get you
anywhere."

It's all or nothing here.

You have to, like, get
everything going,

your trajectory just right,
so you, like, take all
the speed across the side-hill.

And just hang on.
I mean, it's bumpy.

It's another, like,
blind sector. You can't see
the end of the turn.

And you're trying to let it
go a little bit, so you can
maximize the speed here.

Gonna have to fight too much to
get back up to that last gate.

And once you see
that you're clear,
you're just letting it go

and shooting into
the Zielschuss right there.

This is the fastest part
of the course.

This is where you're tired,

but you're trying to be
as smooth and relaxed
as you can...

and still fighting against
the forces.

And then it's, like,
the home stretch coming up.

And then that moment
of crossing the finish line...

You hear the crowd erupt
and you've made it down the
Streif.

It's just the most
intense feeling

in the world of skiing
that I've ever felt.

The Steilhang demands
full commitment.

It's super icy, really bumpy,

it's dark.
You don't have a chance to,
like, relax for a second here.

The exit of the Steilhang
decides how much speed
you will have

in the flat section.

If you come in
two kilometers per hour faster,

you gain two-tenths at
the end of the flat part.

That makes the Steilhang exit
and finding the killer-line
very important.

And here it's really critical.

Exit Steilhang,
but take the speed
out of this basketball turn.

This is where you pretty much
make or break your run.

The Mausefalle
is a ghastly stretch

because you have to push it
right to the limit.

A mistake is fatal.

What separates
the Streif from any other
World Cup track

is the top 30 seconds.

You have no chance to
build into this race.

It's in your face from the
moment you kick out of
the start and it's game on.

You have no chance for fear.

You have no chance for fear
to set in at all on the Streif.

Once you do that,
you've already lost.

You're going for it.
You're throwing yourself down
the hill

and there is not a second
thought about anything
you're doing.

And you have to ski that way.
You gotta ski to own it.

You gotta ski to take control.

I used to think downhill skiers

had to be heavy men,
weighing about 100 kilos.

Hard-nosed daredevils.

But since I have seen
Daron Rahlves,

a guy who weighs only 80 kilos,

I thought,
"Okay, even a lightweight,

given a good technique
can be a downhill racer."

The thing about downhill is,

the only way you can get
really good downhill training

is in downhill races in
the World Cup Tour,

because the training you do
is never gonna be

as extreme as a downhill race.

I mean, for a downhill, you
pretty much need to block
out the whole mountain.

You have to ski in the summer
and the fall.

There is not time for
training in the winter.

There will be racing and
traveling, because when
the winter comes,

if you are not ready
and you have to go training

then
you will have to skip races.
And if you wanna win titles,

you can't skip races because
you're losing points.

Speed is not about how many
kilometers per hour or
miles per hour,

it's about how fast you can
go through the challenges
that are thrown at you.

You have to push yourself to
go faster than what feels
comfortable.

And that's exactly what you do
when you're doing downhill.

It almost doesn't matter what
kind of competition it is.

You immediately build up
that feeling that,
"I wanna try to win this."

In the racetrack,
there is a lot of similarities

to downhill skiing.
You have the speed.

A lot of the same skills

you need to have to win in
order to pick your line,
carry the speed.

Get the maximum grip.

You have the g-forces,
you have a lot of
the same feelings

that you do have in skiing.

But there's one part that
we're missing in skiing.

And that's the part
you're able to see
your competitor

as you're racing against them.

Marcel Hirscher and I,
we have a lot of fights
going on

in the World Cup,
but he slalom GS

and then I have
my downhill Super Gs,
the speed-runs.

It's kind of like a big fight
happening on almost on
separate arenas.

I mean, I know myself
and I don't like to lose.

But from how I know Marcel,

I think that he's almost worse.
I think he hates to lose.

It's the feeing of

controlling something
that's uncontrollable.

It's going down
something as crazy as Kitzbuhel

and going 140 kilometers an
hour.

And the best feeling is
thinking,

you know,
"This isn't enough.
I want more."

And when you get down
to the bottom and you know
you've done everything possible

and you're standing
in the leader's box, nothing
really compares to that.

That was sweet.

You know, I finished second
in Kitzbuhel, I finished,
a couple times, fifth.

But winning Kitzbuhel, I think,
would be something else.

And I haven't experienced
that yet, but,

I think, that's when
I'd be truly proud of myself,

is when I can say
that I won the Hahnenkamm.

So, it's difficult, you know,
to sit on the sidelines

and not get anything out of it.

You have to be really patient
and

ultimately trust yourself
that it's gonna be
all right at the end.

You know, you have
to be very strong mentally

to be able to bounce back
from those sort of injuries.

But ultimately, you know,
if you love your sport

and you love being out there
and you wanna compete,

and you're there for
the right reasons, then

it's a no-brainer,
you put in the effort.

You do everything you can to
get up back on track and
then you let it fly again.

Certainly, injuries
are part of the career.

I think that I've had my fair
share.

I hope this is the last of it
and I won't have any more
to deal with.

But, yeah, it is absolutely
a roller-coaster ride.

I mean, you go through these
ups, where you think
everything is going so well,

You feel like you're building
and progressing and
you're, sort of, on a roll

and in that one little movement

you hurt yourself and
you're out for the season,
possibly even longer.

Some people don't even
come back from
those injuries, you know.

The Kitzbuhel Downhill
is something I still watch
like a little boy.

I mean, it is unbelievable
and everyone of us knows
that it is dangerous.

Ski racing is dangerous.

Well, Max is here because
of our friendship.

During our school days,
we were rivals.

The differences between us
were clear even then.

When I did one back-flip on
skis,

Max did two. He was always
more willing to take risks.

More open to that.

But I had the slightly better
technique,

so we parted company.

But Max still has no fear.

He doesn't even care
if he is a daredevil.

In this way, a slalom racer
trains with a downhiller.

It is a good way to see what
my physical condition is,

what Max's physical
condition is

and where the differences lie.

At least, for me,
it is a lot more fun

than lifting weights
by myself all day

and pursuing my activities
alone.

Slalom skiing is wild.
You must be fast and agile.

But now we are talking about
negotiating gates nine meters,

a part which is pretty
difficult to manage.

Additionally, you have to have

extra power to accelerate on
your skis,

to be able to compete
at an international level.

The only way to achieve this

is to keep your training
as versatile as possible.

To train a slalom
and a speed-skier together

is almost an experiment.

The skiing is completely
different.

High-speed in downhill

and short dynamicrophone
turns in slalom.

But at then end,
both learn from each other.

I remember, three years ago,
everyone thought,

"If Hirscher races
he must win."
It was awesome.

People expected this of me.

But then again, I thought,
"Come on."

Just like the Streif has
the prettiest legends,

so has the Kitzbuhel Slalom.

And I think the amount of
energy there

definitely equals what you see
in the downhill race.

Whoever wins at Kitzbuhel can
be sure

of a certain place of honor.

So there is a lot of respect
and fear to fail.

If we feel pressure,
you must be able to deal with
it,

or it is all in vain.

There are 50,000 people
on the slopes, supporting you

and two million in front of
the TV in Austria alone.

There is no holding back.

You can only push forward.

I don't really know how,

but I seem to be able
to beat gravity again
and again.

Later, I think,
"How the hell did I do that?"

It gives me chills because,
I have to admit,

I don't know, I really don't.

The Kitzbuhel Slalom,
just like the Downhill,

has produced legends
of our sport.

Names like Ingemar Stenmark,
Tomba La Bomba

Marc Girardelli.
You don't see this
happening today

where someone wins
the slalom and the downhill.

But back in the 60s,
Jean-Claude Killy won 'em both.

One of the most impressive
ski races of all time.

Wins the Streif Downhill and
the Slalom.

It'd be incredible to
see that happen again.

In 1937,

the Streif, as we know it,
kicked off.

The first race.

But back then, with the
equipment,

it was an unprepared course,

with grass growing
out of the snow,

rocks, so much terrain
and no gates.

It was just racing down the
mountain, top to bottom.

And back then there was even
tonnes of spectators
checking out the race to see

who had the balls to go for it.

Ski racing in the 1950s
was dominated
by the Kitzbuhel Wunderteam.

Six racers from Kitzbuhel
that consisted
of two standouts,

Anderl Molterer
and Toni Sailer.

The men's downhill event at
the Streif, the climax

of the Hahnenkamm races.
That's the heavily favorite
Anderl Molterer from Kitz.

And like a bolt of lightning,

the Blitz speeds down
the final slope to cross
the finish line

with a time that will hold up
for quite a while.

He can almost smell victory.

And now, Toni Sailer!

He flies through
the Mouse Trap,

only 3,900 meters left,
part of the icy routes.

At first, slower than Molterer
on the bottom half, however,

the three-time Olympic winner
overtakes him with the
precision of a Swiss watch.

A top speed of over
100 kilometers an hour,

Toni Sailer wins the downhill
race at the Streif in
Kitzbuhel,

in two minutes
and 47.1 seconds.

In the 1960s,

things started really evolving
for Kitzbuhel,

with the rich and famous
and there's girls and parties,

fast cars. It was the place
to be.

And it hasn't changed till
this day.

The next hero was Karl Schranz.

He managed to win the Streif
four times.

And that held on for a long
time.

In the 1970s,

a new kid in town showed up
in the Streif, Franz Klammer.

This guy brought his wild style
to the Streif

and everybody had to watch
out, 'cause he just ended
up racking up wins.

In 1975, he won his first win

and that was the start
of a three-year streak.

I was thinking about
Kitzbuhel a lot

and I was there,
standing, I couldn't
believe. I was shocked

because it was unbelievable,

this Mausefalle, Steilhang.

And it was so brutal.

It's the best downhill
in the world, for me.

It's throwing yourself down
the mountain with no fear.

You have to fully commit
and that's hard to do,

with the consequences and the
risk.

And then I had won it
a third time in a row.

After that it was a big gap.

For seven years,
I couldn't believe, but then

back in 1984, I knew I will
win it.

And I was going for it. I was
really attacking like the
first victory.

It just came back. I skied

like I had to ski and then
I succeeded again.

This was beside
my Olympic win,

my most memorable moment
in my downhill career.

And a win like that
at Kitzbuhel,
it's just...It's unbelievable.

The crowd, the spectators,

grabbing, just wanting a
piece of him.

Just holding on to him.
Pushing him around the
finish line. It was...

The pride of Austria was
riding high at that
moment when

Franz Klammer won in 1984.

I just wanted to ski,

but, obviously,
my way of skiing

inspired many people
and so I became a star.

Fritz "The Cat" Strobl,
to this day,

has the record time
down the Streif.

It all came together in 1997.

There was a little straighter
set under the Hausberg.

I think it's four or five
seconds faster than any
time after.

It's gonna be untouchable.
It's gonna stand
the test of time.

Hermann Maier,
he was the next...

hero of the Streif.

This guy was the best skier
during this time in
the early 2000s.

It was an emotional time
for him

because he was at the top
of his game,
he was the guy to beat.

With several wins under
his belt, from the Super G
to Hahnenkamm,

he finally won his first
downhill victory on the Streif.

Hermann Maier, I mean,
caged animal.

He had a horrible accident.

No one knew if he could ever
come back, he never knew
if he could walk again.

But he came back in 2003,
under a lot of pain

and he surprised all of us.

I think he surprised himself.

He came back and won
a Hahnenkamm Super G race.

It was an exceptional
achievement.

Hats off to Hermann Maier.

Another thing to note in 2003...

was...
History was made.

First American

downhiller to win in the Streif.

I was feeling I was destined
to win that day.

I was just living for that
moment.

Daron Rahlves, from
the United States of America.

I had a little scary moment
across the traverse,

where I hit this, like,
bump I couldn't see and almost

made the splits right there,
but pulled it back and...

I came across the line and I
was leading.

Just so pumped and, kind of,

felling, like,
out of this world
that moment, but that was

the greatest day of my life
as a skier.

USA! USA!

2004 was...

It was probably my best week
in Kitzbuhel.

I came in there

on top of my game
with a Super G win,
the day before.

It was my time to do it again.
I came down

with so much determination
and confidence
and skied really well.

Came down with the lead
and I thought,
"Here it is."

You know, but, there was this
other guy, Stephan Eberharter.

He came out of the gate
with everything he had.

I mean, just full-tilt,
so precise

with, like, the timing,
the rhythm
of how he was skiing.

And he was so aggressive
and everything was just
clicking.

It was just happening just
right for him.

The split comes up
and he's so far ahead
and just thinking,

"Man, slow down somewhere,
please."

You know, "I want this repeat
of a downhill win here."

I think he records, like,
the best run,
top to bottom, of all time.

Stephan, hats off to you.
That was
one hell of a ride.

Looking back in history, with
Karl Schranz's four wins
on the Streif,

Franz Klammer, four wins on
the Streif,

no one could ever imagine
somebody surpassing those
victories.

But this one guy from
Switzerland, Didier Cuche,

he made that happen and
squashed the record with
five wins on the Streif.

The first time I was
at the start in Kitzbuhel,
I was really scared.

From the first top five guy,

four crashed, three had
to go to the hospital.

And I said to myself,

"How can I reach
the finish line if the
best guy are crashing?"

I actually wanted to go
backwards

out of the start house
and going down with the gondola.

The first time I reached that
line,

it was for me like a victory,
my arm went just up,

like,
I would have win the race.

1998, that was
my first victory ever.

And that's why it was really
emotional.

And I never expect myself
to ski so fast on that hill.

But I had to wait ten years,
2008, to win again.

Two years later, 2010,

it was the double victory.

I won the Super G
the day before
and I won the downhill.

2011, the day was perfect,
the sun was there

and I won with almost
one second ahead.

I was really happy with myself.

And I finally slept like a baby.

It was my perfect run.

A long series of success,

as long as she is, you approach
the end of that series.

And when you realize in
Kitzbuhel

so many guys
crashed really hard, like

Macartney, like Albrecht,
Grugger.

Those guy

had to quit their career after
that.

And I realized next time could
be myself.

And 2012,

it was the last race

in Kitzbuhel for me
and two days before the race,

I announced my retirement
at the end of the season.

I put myself, maybe,
under pressure with that.

And finally winning again
by the last time I raced there,

I was really thankful
to the hill

and to the whole region of
Kitzbuhel.

My name is Yuri Danilochkin.

I'm a Belarusian skier.

The way to Kitzbuhel, for me,
starts here in Minsk,

where we don't have mountains,

where we don't have snow.

This is strangely,

but this is truth.

Everything started when I saw
Hermann Maier
and Stephan Eberharter

skiing down
the Streif in Kitzbuhel.

And I believe that one day

I'll become one of the
legends like them.

I wanna find out about myself.

And alpine skiing is giving
me the chance,

especially downhill.

And in a few days

we will go back to winter,
we will go back to Alps

and we'll go back to ski
and for the downhill.

I am driver my car.

Tractor.

Yeah, I'm very motivated
for the next season

because I want to come back
to the World Cup circuit.

We don't have a possibility
to go Canada

or America because it's too
expensive.

But we can travel in Europe.

I don't have any possibility
to train downhill
before Val Gardena.

This is the beginning for me.

This is big problem for result.

Not money go to Canada and
America.

Very expensive Flugzeug.

I am said my
Weissrussland Federation,
"Please, help me."

No possible.

When the season starts,
the pressure mounts.

The question is,
"How good are you?"

You won't know
until the first race.

The way to the World Cup
is long.

My first time on skis was at
18 months.

I first took part in kids
races at five.

Started FIS races at 15.

And then raced
in the European Cup
and the World Cup,

where things get really
serious.

You have to face the world's
best skiers.

Yeah, every time difficult.

Every time, kalt.

No time eating, no time...

I wash my hair.

We're only two in our team.

Me and my mother, Natali.

To survive on the tour,
we're asking our friends

to give us accommodation
sometimes.

To give us the money for the
fuel, because we don't
have the money

to continue our trip between
the World Cup stages.

I'm trying to think about
that it's very difficult job,

that it's tough
for both of us.

Any mistake
is like nuclear bomb.

Sometimes it's pretty difficult

to talk with her.

I cannot stand that.

But I love her, anyway.

My son very, very talent.

My son...

I think, best downhill man.

Being among the best is about
much more.

About training technical skills
and testing skis.

So you know which skis to use,
which finish,

which wax is the best, boots,
hard ones or soft ones?

These are all very important
things if you want to
compete with the best.

My konkurrent have a lot
of ski and ski and ski
and ski and maybe 20 ski.

My son have small ski.

I am preparing ski every day.

I no sleep,
my legs stress every day.

It's really tough to prepare
the skis all night long.

I am Terminator woman.

Yes, Terminator.

The air is thin at the top.

It's about hundreds of
seconds... centimeters.

Without a professional team,
you don't stand a chance.

We have to change something.

We need more money
and a good result in Kitzbuhel
can help us.

Streif gives me the chance

to show something better,
be better, ski faster.

It's been five weeks
of really warm weather.
And it's taken away

all the snow from
the Hausbergkante
through the traverse.

The result of the Fern,
which is the warm wind
from the south.

And it's unbelievable,
I mean, to have this kind
of weather.

It's a shame, because,

you know,
the course is prepared
90% to race perfect conditions.

I mean, all we need
is two cold nights

to make sure the snow
sets up, so we can have
the race to the bottom.

Behind the scenes,
we don't know, as a racer,

what's going on at the
mountain. And what
the Kitzbuhel Ski Club does is

building out the entire race
course to have
the Hahnenkamm.

It's an unbelievable challenge
every year.

Hi, wife.

Hi, Lenny.

So, six weeks until
you get to see me again.

I know.

They confirmed Kitzbuhel today.

Good. Even with the snow?

Yeah, it was a bit of a question
mark because it was quite green,

but I guess they confirmed that
it's gonna happen today, so,

you know Kitzbuhel, they'll do
everything for it to happen.

Helicopter snow in and bring
truck-loads.

So, in Europe, they're, kind of,

playing up the battle between
Aksel and me.

Because right now it's one
and two in the standings.

Good thing you guys are such
good friends.

Well, yeah.
We're friends off the hill,
but enemies on the hill.

The battle is on.

So these next races are
gonna be important, you know.

Wengen and then right into
Kitzbuhel.

I'm excited, I'm really
looking forward to it.

Challenge accepted.

Erik on.

I think I have a fair chance
this year of winning it.

I think it's all in your head
when you get there, you know.

At the beginning of the year,
I wasn't even sure how
my knee was gonna react.

Now I know that my knee
is solid and in a good place.

When you go to Kitzbuhel,
you have to decide

whether the reward is worth
the risk.

And that, sort of, depends on
how much risk you wanna take.

Aksel Svindal is probably
the number one challenger.

Bode Miller, who's coming back
this year,

you know, they're looking
to win just like me.

Go watch some GS and then go do
some GS.

Yeah.

Say, "Bye."

Bye, Lenny. Bye, Logan.

-Kisses.
-Bye.

Okay, I love you, guys.

-Love you.
-Talk soon.

Love you.

-All right. Bye-bye.
-Bye.

I don't remember why I fell.

I just saw it once quickly on
TV.

And it looked about the same
as I feel now.

I have a headache and a knot
in my back.

I hurt my knee again
a little bit too,

but I don't think
it's a real big problem.

The question
if the risk is too high or not

is something I didn't think of
before the accident.

Of course, I saw what happened
to Daniel Albrecht

and hoped he was all right.

But as soon as you hear Danny
has woken up from his
coma and he's all right,

it's no longer an issue
for an active skier.

You try to get it out of your
mind...

...as quickly as possible.

Only then you can continue with
the sport.

But looking back,
you do start asking yourself

whether it was all worth it.

The first few years
at the Streif, I didn't really
feel true of myself.

And I never had good results.

Two years after Hans' crash,

we went to the Streif again.

And it was my first time up
there.

I remember when
we were standing
at the Mausefalle

I was speechless. It was...

Yeah, it is such
a demanding and very,
very difficult course.

Of course, for Hans,
the crash was a big turning
point.

It changed his life
and it changed everything.

If you look at
the initial images
from the CT scan,

he was at great risk of dying,

or at least of being severely
disabled for the rest of
his life.

The first seven days
are just about surviving.

The first few hours
after Hans' crash
were extremely critical,

so were the first few days.

And we didn't know
if he would make it.

One of the problems is he had
damage, a tear to the
artery in the neck

and the problem is that
if you get a thrombus or
embolus,

then you will have a
stroke which can have
dramatic consequences.

Nobody, after a severe head
injury...

...will be the same.

Every patient shows some change
in character and behavior.

If he had taken Hans
just ten minutes longer
to get to the hospital,

he certainly wouldn't have
survived.

Of course there were thoughts
like what if Hans stays
dependent on care.

You know, I just made sure to
support him,

to dedicate all my energy on
him,

arrange things for him.

When my memory came back,

my therapist came to me
and I tried to stand up.

And this was the moment
I would never ever forget.

It really made me very sad.

It was the first time...
I realized

what had happened to me.

My biggest concern during
therapy

was if my mind could ever
return to normal again.

The first time I looked at
the images was eight or
nine months after the crash.

I was terrified
before I hit the play button.

I didn't really
recognize myself
in the film.

To me, it was
just some person who crashed.

That's what I felt
when watching the whole thing.

Before the crash
we were equals.

And after it,

we suddenly no longer were.

And you have to get back to that
situation as a couple.

And that's not easy
and it doesn't happen overnight.

I think that the best result was
that he was able to recognize

that it's better to stop and not
continue his racing activity.

That was very important that
Mr. Grugger was able to
recognize his limits.

I gave up my plans
for a comeback

once I realized that my foot
wouldn't work properly again.

I trained very hard for months,

but I just couldn't get control
over my foot.

And that was the main reason
I had to admit to myself

that it wouldn't work out
at a professional level.

To return to be a top athlete
it's not a good idea

because we know that downhill
skiing is a quite dangerous
sport.

After all that happened,
my life is good

because I'm thankful
that the Streif let me live.

That I'm still able to ski
the course,

certainly not at racing speeds,
but still on skis.

So, as far as that's concerned,
what I have is the Streif

is more like friendship
and not at all a sad
relationship.

Well, with all this hard work,

the Kitzbuhel Ski Club
trying to pull this race off,

the FIS has decided
to take the alternate route.

To not go over traditional
Hausbergkante traverse

and for safety reasons,
it's not gonna happen.

But the good thing is

there's an alternate route,
it's a new challenge,

it's still really difficult
to win on the Streif
today.

And that's the way it goes.
Mother nature has the
upper hand.

We, as racers, have to deal
with it.

Kitzbuhel, for me,
is the ultimate test

...of strength and courage in
ski racing.

It's not only that
you have to be physically fit

and skiing technically well,

it's also that you have
to find a lot of courage.

And I think that's what
downhill is really about.

Yeah, of course,
you have to be a good skier,

but you also have to be willing
to risk it all

and, you know, maybe end up
in the fence, but maybe
winning.

I think Kitzbuhel is really
the pinnacle

because it's a race that we
go back to year after
year,

it's a race that people know.

If we go to someplace like
Russia or China for the
Olympics,

you don't really know what to
expect,

you haven't had a lot of
experience on the track

and sometimes, it's a little
bit of luck.

You know, if you win
Kitzbuhel, you're not
lucky, you're the best.

It's tough though, 'cause all
year you get ready for
Kitzbuhel

and these big races
and then you hurt yourself
right before.

It's like...

You know, the moment
you're hesitant

the moment you're a bit back,
it's the Streif
that takes control.

So, on the contrary, over the
years, the more you ski
it,

the more you become aware

that it's you that has to
take control, it's you
that has to attach it,

and just on the edge of
disaster, but being able
to push it anyway.

And I think that's the reason
that the victories are
that much more special.

Because you can see
the kind of destruction that
happens

if you mistime something
by only a fraction of a second.

So, you know the kind of fine
line that you're playing
with.

Even though every year
the Streif has the same
starting house...

...and the same finish
area, doesn't mean the
course is the same.

Like you... I mean,
we're skiing on snow.

Overnight, there's a couple
of degrees different
temperature,

and it's a total different game
the next day.

So, you inspection and
looking at the surface
that you're gonna ski on,

that's where you lay out your
game plan.

One turn that will be
really easy one year,

can be the toughest turn on
the course the next
year

just because you have that
much more speed coming in
there

and that's always the first
thing you look for,

how fast is this going to be?

There's no limits to how much
forces, how many Gs you
can pull.

Like, it's... your body's
gonna collapse before
that snow's gonna break away.

Listen to that.
Always impressive.

Even for me, now...
Really.

Three years, not skiing,
I'm almost scared to...

Yeah?
...to go down there.

No way!

Not really, but...

it's really still impressive.

Yeah, absolutely.

If you mess up a turn,
you have two options.

You either improvise
and return to the ideal line

by drifting a little bit,

or you can go for it
and hold the line.

It's something you have to
decide instinctively.

But you only have a fraction
of a second to do so.

I suppose it's a matter of
feeling,

it's the years of experience
that makes the difference.

During the inspection you look
at what changes
from day to day.

At this gate, it's a bit bumpy.

That mountain there,
is a bit more aggressive.

The more often you check,
the more secure you feel.

Basically, you take all the
lines you ran best over
the years

and turn them into a run.

I ski best when I trust my
instincts.

If you start thinking,
you're past the turn

and off the course.

There's no time to think,
only to act.

If you manage to do just that,
you can ski your best race.

D Money!

Erik, what's up, buddy? How you
doing?

How are you feeling? Heard your
back's a little tweaked.

No, it's the knee.
Really?

I fucked my knee up
when I banged in there.

Man, you're skiing so strong
this season.

You still think you can do it
today? And win it?

I'm not gonna do the downhill
though.

It's tough, but that's how it
is.

...four ninety-three.
Unbelievable!

I mean, we only have one
training run this year here,

so, I felt like I had to go out

and really try to push the line
and see what I could do.

and you know, I've been waiting
a long time to try to win this
race.

It's still a great course.
I mean, there's no question

Hausberg adds something to the
sell because it is so demanding.

So, to ski that hill like that,
be as aggressive,

I wouldn't have wasted it.
I wouldn't have backed off today

because it would have been
an absolute travesty in my mind

to waste that opportunity
to ski that hill the way I
could.

Yeah, it's a little bit too
full,
obviously.

I am disappointed
that I can't race Kitzbuhel.

I mean, I prepare all year
for this, and last year I
came so close to victory.

But on the other hand, I mean my
knee is in no place ready to
race.

Kitzbuhel's not the kind of
place you want to push
out of the start

if you're, you know, even 90
percent.

So, it makes the decision easy
and easier to deal with.

And there's always next year,
you know.

I'm confident that I have
a couple of years in front of
me,

so, I know I'll be back.

Bode Miller, a sensational
training run.

You have to push like he does
to win the race.

This is not the problem for me,
my back is the real one.

During summer training,
at the Stelvio Pass,

I hit the single bump,

and I had back catches
for the rest of the season.

Until Kitzbuhel, it was all
under control.

I really hope and pray
I will fit again in time.

I can't let anything stop me.
I just have to ski.

As an Austrian, I have to ski
the Streif.

...and say thank you
and a huge, huge compliment

to this guy with his crew,
chief of course.

They've worked hard.
We have an excellent
race course...

The only thing we have to
deal with is the
weather.

The atmosphere in Kitzbuhel
is really special

because you feel that a lot
of people, volunteers,
workers,

have prepared the course
to have a big show.

Thousands of spectators are
coming just to watch that
show.

And you know that you are
part of that big show

you have to show yourself for
two minutes and that
makes you really proud.

Welcome to the Hahnenkamm race.

For me as a racer,
I always use that,

that crowd energy to get
me a little more there at
Kitzbuhel.

And it helps me go for it
a little bit harder on the
Streif.

You go up to the start,
and when you get there

that's when
the concentration phase begins.

There are people everywhere,

you have to ignore them
and everything around you.

You have to be focused.

Keeping a cool head,
that's the trick in Kitzbuhel.

Even on the year when
it's not as crazy as the worst
year,

everyone is pushing as hard
as they can,

little bit faster
than they really want to go.

because they're trying to win
it.

Kitzbuhel is not just because

of all the many crashes,
that it's a big challenge.

It is a major technical cross.

Everyone is nervous and tense,

not just the racers.

The whole team is on the edge.

Everything you do is
targeted at getting into
your race mode.

The power I have to build up
inside to be in a mental
state of mind

where I can try
to win something
that I'm actually afraid of.

For me that's Streif...

That's what makes Streif
different from any other
course.

When you're out racing,

you're doing all through...
You're racing against yourself.

It's a pretty singular battle,
there's no other athletes

in your mind at that point.

When you're skiing, you're
basically skiing against
the course.

When you hurl yourself into
the race...

...you are on a real thin line.

You have to find just the
right balance to ski at
the limit.

That's what it takes.

Downhillers are fighting
against themselves.

We fight against the
course and our mental
problems to be faster.

To show the best line...

We don't fight with each other

We don't look like,
I got to beat this guy.

No, we just need to be faster.
That's the main goal for us.

I'm have a lot of nervous,

before for strength,
I'm drink whiskey in bar.
Understand?

Kitzbuhel is the last race
this season.

And I need to push the limit
forward

to help me and Natali
out of this situation.

It's challenging,
it's the real thing, you know.

But there is risk, you know,

so you feel every emotion,
you're scared
but you're excited

and challenged.

You know, I go in there
looking to bring out my best.

If you doubt yourself even a
bit, you better take your
skies and go home.

Ready to go?

It's all you.

You know, you have to
attack it or it can beat you
down pretty bad,

You're better of being
aggressive and straight
forward and yeah, try to win.

Try to go out there and win,

not to ski for third place
and fifth place and be safe.

In Kitzbuhel,
so much has happened,
you have to show respect.

When you're too passive
for a single moment,

you're out of the race.

You have to know what you are
doing, that's the most
important thing out there.

When you're at the start
gate, you feel like
you're in a tunnel.

You hear the beep,
you put the poles over the edge

and hammer it down.

To build yourself up to that
moment where you're in
the start gate

and you're looking at probably

the toughest parts
of any downhill
in the world cup

The moment you're able to
tell yourself, this is
true, I've got this.

And I'm going to risk it
and I'm going to win this.

I think the Streif is one of
the places where it's the
hardest to find that level,

you know, what's risking enough
and what risking too much.

There are no lucky winners
in Streif,

you need years
to master the course.

Racers want to be number one.
That's my goal too.

You pick your line and
then it's all about
survival,

kinda like the line you have
picked is gonna be the
line you get.

You can't change that.

The bumps are so brutal when
they come up that your
head starts to bounce

then it's hard to see,
it's hard to focus
on your line.

The king of downhill racing!

At the start I did feel pain.

Half a minute earlier,

I was hanging over my poles
and it was the only position

in which nothing deterred.

I thought, "Right...

I will just ski as far
as the pain allows."

The deal was, if I get through
the compression

without pain getting to bad

then I will go for it.

You must never
lose the momentum
you gained at the start.

There's just no way back.

A single bump that may be
hits your ski in a bad
way

and the next two meters

nothing else will be on your
mind other than,

I only hope this turns out
all right at the end.

Too much line,
or turning too wide,

a little bit of drift,
as a racer you feel immediately

when you are losing speed.

Then there is the moment
you have to decide.

I have to take the killer line,

which means, I'm not going to
end up a meter away from
the net,

but only ten centimeters.

At the end, it is courage and
trust in your ability at
the same time.

The moment I took off
my skis I thought,

it hurts so much you should
be happy.

Everybody is cheering
and you have this immense pain.

I thought, no,
don't show anyone your pain.

Our sport isn't like that,
our sport is so beautiful.

Not what I was feeling at
that moment.

It looks like you need years
to learn more about Streif.

At the Alte Schneise, I tried
to risk,

that's why I made a big
mistake there and almost
slowed down.

Maybe I was kinda lucky.

I'm from Belarus
and I wont give up.

I will come back

and I will do my best to
reach top ten.

This is the result I am
dreaming about.

All the pain is worth it.

Your winner Kitzbuhel
champion 2014...

Representing Austria...

Hannes Reichelt!

Winning Kitzbuhel, Hahnenkamm
downhill

and walking out in front of
twenty-five thousand crazy fans

and hearing those words
Hahnenkamm sieger.

Those words, that's the best.

Winning the Hahnenkamm downhill

and within hours

I was free of pain,

I knew there was something
wrong.

Well, I mean, this past year
at Kitzbuhel,

you know, I was unbelievably
frustrated after the
race.

I think I was clearly the
best there and just made
the wrong mistakes.

You know, I won't change much,

I'll just go back
in there again and
stay really aggressive,

but, you know, it's one of
the races you really want
to win

before you end your career.

The Glockner is really cool
to come down from it all.

The long hike gives you time
to think.

And when you are sitting up
there looking down on
everything

you start setting new goals.

Kitzbuhel is a goal
I absolutely want to reach.

You need to have patience,
the day will come

when everything fits together.

That's what I am waiting for,
I hope so.

To get the cable car named
after you

in the place where
Eberharter and Maier stood.

This is an achievement
of a childhood dream.

So, now, I am in the company
of legends.

This is really awesome.

Hello, are you Aksel Lund
Svindal?

Yes, and who are you?

I'm Enoch, and one day I would
like to race down the Streif
just like you.

I want to race down the Streif
again, but next time I want to
win it.

Hey, Didier, welcome back.

This is one hell of a ride?

Okay, let's get this
baby hill done.

Let's go.

Four, three, two, one, go.