The Streif is the downhill course on the Hahnenkamm that has defined Kitzbühel's identity since the first race in 1931. It drops 860 metres over 3.3 km, reaching speeds of 140 km/h on the straight sections and involving sections so steep and icy that conventional ski technique breaks down completely. The course passes through a series of named sections — the Mausefalle, the Steilhang, the Hausbergkante — each with its own character and its own history of crashes.
In January each year, the race turns the otherwise quiet town into a carnival. The grandstands at the bottom fill with tens of thousands of spectators, the broadcast audience runs to hundreds of millions globally, and the winner's trophy — the crystal Hahnenkamm Globe — is one of the most coveted prizes in sport. Outside race season, you can ski the course from the same start house, though the conditions are considerably less severe than what the racers face.