Four Hills Tournament - New Year ski jumping since 1953, Sekt at midnight

The Vierschanzentournee starts every December 29 at Oberstdorf's Schattenberg hill - one of ski jumping's most prestigious events since 1953. 25,000 spectators watch athletes fly 140+ meters. The atmosphere is electric: cowbells, flares, and when midnight hits on New Year's Eve, the entire valley erupts with Sekt (German sparkling wine) and fireworks reflecting off snow-covered peaks.

What to do there

3 things to do

1. 1 Find Where 20,000 Screamed on New Year's Day 1953 History · Free

   January 1, 1953: 20,000 spectators crammed into Garmisch-Partenkirchen to watch the first Four Hills Tournament, but Oberstdorf moved to December 28-29 by 1954 and has opened this prestigious ski jumping event for 72 years at the Schattenberg Schanze (10-minute walk from Oberstdorf train station to ORLEN Arena). The current record holder is Sigurd Pettersen (Norway) at 143.5 meters in 2003 - jumping 1.5 football fields at a hill built in 1925 and rebuilt in 2003. Walk to the ski jump complex, find the inrun and look up at the 120-meter height, then find the 1925 cornerstone marking this hill's 100th anniversary in 2025.

   Backup: If you can't visit in person, Oberstdorf Tourismus (Prinzregenten-Platz 1) has a photo exhibit of Four Hills history with winner lists since 1953.

   Log Memory
2. 2 Watch 40,000 Germans Erupt When Someone Flies 140 Meters Adventure · Price: high

   When a German jumps 140+ meters, the roar from 40,000+ spectators with cowbells, air horns, and flares is seismic at the December 28-29 Four Hills Tournament opener (qualification Dec 28, competition Dec 29) at ORLEN Arena Oberstdorf. Tickets go on sale September 1 via Arena Ticket Allgäu (+49 8322 80 90 350, [email protected]) and sell out early - this is ski jumping's Grand Slam where athletes fly 140+ meters at 90+ km/h while Bavarian winter culture erupts around you. Dress warm, bring a cowbell if you have one (everyone does), and expect crowds, beer, sausages, and 40,000 people losing their minds when someone sticks a landing.

   Backup: If tickets sell out or you can't make December dates, watch the event on German TV (ARD/ZDF broadcast live). Or visit the arena in summer when it's empty and imagine the roar.

   Log Memory
3. 3 Toast Sigurd Pettersen's 143.5-Meter Record with Sekt Wine · Price: low · Optional

   December 2003: Sigurd Pettersen (Norway) flew 143.5 meters down the Schattenberg - still the hill record 23 years later and the benchmark every competitor chases when they look down that inrun. Germans toast ski jumping victories with Sekt (German sparkling wine), so find the Sekt stands at ORLEN Arena during the event, order a glass, ask someone wearing a German flag "Who holds the Schattenberg record?" and toast to 143.5 meters. If you're not at the event, visit any Oberstdorf bar (Spezerei, Die Vinothek, any gasthaus) and order Sekt while telling them you're toasting Pettersen's record - they'll know.

   Backup: If Sekt isn't your style, substitute with local Bavarian beer - the Four Hills crowd drinks both. But Sekt is the traditional ski jumping toast, so you're missing a cultural moment if you skip it.

   Log Memory