Go For It!
Dec 03, 2025 08:44PM ● By Lisa Ballard
I will never forget standing between the massive rocks framing The Schuss on the Olympia delle Tofane trail in Cortina d’Ampezzo. I was there just once, in February 2017. The bare rocks jutted over a hundred feet directly upward on either side of the steep slope, like so many of the vertical, jagged outcroppings that define the Italian Dolomites. How exciting to stand on the signature section of this well-known World Cup skiing track!
From the steep slope, the view was a jaw-dropper. Beyond the village of Cortina d’Ampezzo in the valley below, rugged snowcapped peaks stretched to the horizon, but after a glance at the larger landscape, The Schuss had my full attention. Top athletes in downhill and super G dove down The Schuss out of the start, quickly accelerating to speeds approaching 90 miles per hour, before launching off the Duca d’Aosta, a jump at the bottom of the impressive headwall.
I took it slower. I was in Cortina to race, but on the international masters circuit, not the World Cup. That first day, I was merely checking out the Tofane race trail after traveling to Italy from the United States. In addition to The Schuss, the trail had a number of pitches, rolls, and curves that would take getting used to. What’s more, the trail was a vertical skating rink. The World Cup had just concluded, so the surface was as hard as the rocks that framed it. I imagined the world’s top downhillers barreling through The Schuss. Could I handle it?
Benedetta, one of the Italian masters racers, skied up to me. “We don’t run it from the top,” she said, sensing my trepidation. “We start below the Duca d’Aosta.” Somewhat relieved, I reminded myself to sharpen my skis, as the words of one of my coaches from the 1970s echoed through my head: “Stay forward as if your life depends on it.” It might on this hill even if the masters course didn’t include The Schuss and the Duca d’Aosta. The course would still be challenging.
A Legendary Slope
The Olympia delle Tofane is one of the most well-known ski runs in Europe. During the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina, Tony Sailer, at age 20, won two of his three gold medals in downhill and slalom on this trail. (The giant slalom was held on the trail, Monte Faloria.) The men last raced on the Tofane in 1990, but the women have raced on it most years since then. It’s 90 seconds of adrenaline rush through the various parts of the course that are named like a series of whitewater rapids on a raging river.
After the Duca D’Aosta jump, racers zoom through the Delta, a blind section that spills into the Gran Curvone, a sweeping turn to the right. From there, they enter the Scarpadon, a fast, straight section that preps them for flatter, rolling terrain and concludes with a jump above the finish. The Scarpadon is named for a prince in Greek mythology, a son of Zeus who was a valiant swordsman and strategist, but was slain by Achilles during the Trojan War. It’s an important section of the track requiring the precision, strength, and bravery of Scarpadon. Racers need to ski flawlessly through it in order to carry maximum speed into the bottom of run.
The Tofane is nicknamed the Queen of Runs by the Italians, and American Lindsey Vonn is the Queen of the Queen. She earned her first World Cup podium there in 2004 and stills holds the record for the most wins on the Tofane, 12 total–six in downhill and six in super G. After retiring from ski racing in 2018, she famously returned to the starting gate last winter at age 40 and after a partial knee replacement. At the 2025 World Cup in Cortina, the crowds gave her a royal welcome.
“This the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen in Cortina,” Lindsey told the media after the downhill race. “The crowd was amazing . . . Everyone always had that energy here, but this is the next level.” The race did not go as she had planned. She finished a disappointing 20th, 1.68 seconds behind Italian downhill star Sophia Goggia. Lindsey will try to conquer the Tofane one more time, this February during the 2026 Milano/Cortina Winter Olympics. She certainly knows the track.
A Run to Remember
In ski racing, the more often you race on a slope, the more familiar and comfortable it becomes under your skis. The Tofane was new to me in 2017. Adding to the challenge were the tricky terrain and snow conditions. As I placed my poles over the timing wand at the start of the masters super G, I thought about Lindsey Vonn, who had nailed this course so many times. She inspired me.
“Go for it, Lisa!” shouted Benedetta as she waited her turn just behind me. On cue from the starter, I exploded down the first pitch, feeling my speed quickly pick up. It felt good. My skis were running well. I looked for the Gran Curvone. As expected, the centrifugal force tried to pull me wide, but I fought it, urging myself to stay forward, and managed to stay on a good line.
Next came a right-footed turn, then a roll and a blind spot. “Stay middle of the trail,” I coached myself. I tried to get lower in a tuck, but my skis began to skid in the next turn, a cue to stand more solidly on my outside ski. The course dipped down another short pitch, and then another. I looked for the final jump above the finish, pushing myself to go faster despite the fatigue that crept into my legs.
Done! As I slowed down in the finish area, there were no throngs of fans waving banners. Instead, a DJ played an upbeat rock tune while a PA announcer called out my name, country, and time. A dozen of my fellow competitors, who had already finished, cheered and clapped. “Congratulations!” shouted a racer from Great Britain. “What happened?” I gasped. Then I saw the scoreboard. I had won the race by one-hundredth of a second. “Just like on the World Cup,” said a racer from Norway. Or the Olympics.
The 2026 Winter Olympics
This February, the women’s alpine events will be held on the Olympia delle Tofane. (The men will run the new Vertigine course.) I’ll be watching with the rest of the skiing world. Can Lindsey Vonn garner another Olympic medal to cap her sensational comeback? What a fitting conclusion to her ski racing career, a podium at the place where she first broke through on the World Cup. And she would set yet another record, the oldest woman to win an Olympic medal.
By coincidence, I’m returning to Cortina for the first time since my own memorable ski racing experience there. I’ll be there shortly after the winter Olympics for another international masters race. My edges will be sharp, and I’ll remind myself to get forward, just like before. And this time, I’ll know the hill when I go for it.
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