Speed skiing, once known as "Kilomètre Lancé" (KL), is one of the oldest disciplines in skiing. Over a century ago, North American gold prospectors and lumberjacks were already challenging each other to speed contests down the slopes of  the Rockies.

The principle of KL is simple: launch yourself down a steep slope to reach the highest possible "pure" speed - that is, a speed achieve as maturally and spontaneously as possible, without mechanical assistance or artificial enhancements. In this sense, speed skiing, along with skydiving, is the fatest non-motorized sport in the world.

Top athletes surpass the speed of a plane during takeoff and experience acceleration similar to Formula 1 car - from 0 to 200 km/h in under 6 seconds. 

Speed skiing became an official sport with the first competitions held in the 1930s. The first recorded speed was set by Austrian Gustav Lantschener at 105.675 km/h - a far cry from the current world record held by Italy's Ivan Origone, who reached 254.958 km/h in 2016. 

For many years, safety concerns surrounding slope design slower the sport's development. However, it os now governed by a specific set of competition rules, ensuring both safety and fairness. These regulations have become essential as technical advances have pushed athletes to unimaginable speeds. Notably, the 200 km/h bariier was broken in 1978 by Steve McKinney.

Two categories with different equipment:

SPEED 1:

This is the historic category, allowing athletes to reach the highest speeds. Their equipment is the most "high-performance", optimized for aerodynamics: a streamlined helmet (custom-made, with regulated size), a "zero-liter" plasticized suit that is airtight, fins designed to improve air penetration with regulated length and weight, skis up to 240 cm long weighing nearly 15kg per pair to provide stability, and standard poles modified to meet weight regulation. A back protector is mandatory.

Downhill:

This category was created in its current form at the end of the 1990s and serves as the entry point into the sport. The equipment is commercially available and easier to handle compared to SPEED 1. Classic downhill skis are up to 220 cm long, with a traditional downhill suit that is not airtight, worn over underwear designed to limit burns in case of falls and slides. Ski helmets and standard poles are used. A back protector is also mandatory.

Gavarnie and speed skiing

A Family Story

It was the MONTES brothers, Bruno and Jean-Lou, who took on the bold challenge of organizing a spee skiing (KL) competition in Gavarnie. With the help of the ski resort staff and the high mountain Gendarmerie, they spent several days preparing the slope by packing down the snow using nothing but their feet, as the steep incline made it impossible for the quipment of the time to work. Twenty-six men and two women took off in this event, which turned out to be a great success. This was back in 1985, and speed skiing has never left the "small resort" of Gavarnie-Gèdre since them. 

Since then, many great names have tried their luck on this slope : Cathy Breyton, 1983 world record holder, Jacqueline Blanc in 1986, the Wilkie brothers in 1987, Stéphane Pujo, a native of Gavarnie and 1992 world champion; the Swiss A. Stump and Beat Engel, Laurent Sistach, Philippe Goitchel and others. They helped buil the international reputation of the Pyrenees in this spot.

Today, Jean-Lou's sons, Jimmy and Bastien MONTES, carry on the speed skiing tradition in Gavarnie and beyond. Both members of the French national team, they are top performers in this discipline: Jimmy is the French Champion with a record of 238.091 km/h, and Bastien is the World Champion with a record of 251.397 km/h. 

Out of the 16 speed skiers on the French national team, 9 come from the Pyrenees. This reflects the fact that the speed skiing adventure has never stopped in Gavarnie, and every yeat, youger generations take part in the Quicksilver Challenge, which gathers nearly 150 young riders seeking thrills on this legendary slope!

The Gavarnie-Gèdre ski resort is gearing up for a very special event this winter: the 40th anniversary of speed skiing at the resort.

A rich and exciting program awaits skiers to celebrate this historic milestone in style!

The Unmissable Annual Competition... Followed by a Night to Remember!

Gavarnie-Gèdre is once again set to host a high-level competition, bringing together the top French speed skiing champions for some truly spectacular races!
Everyone is invited to witness the incredible performances of these real-life rockets flying down the slope!

The highlight of the celebrations will undoubtedly be the grand anniversary evening, with a program full of surprises! This promises to be a memorable night, bringing together ski enthusiasts and party lovers in a warm and festive atmosphere. 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1st

- From Wednesday, January 29th, young ski club racers will get a chance to try the speed skiing slope!

- On Thursday and Friday, training sessions will be held on the KL slope. 

- One the big day - Saturday - the national S2 and S2J speed skiing competition will take place. 

Plenty of activities for both kids and adults are planned, followed by a special "after-ski" moment: 

- The resort's bar will stay open until 6:00 PM

- Live music on the terrace from 4:30 to 6:00 PM

- A magical torchlight descent by pionners of the discipline! 

The evening will continue in the village of Gavarnie-Gèdre with a festive dinner to wrap up the day in true celebratory spirit!