Alpine Skiing
The Streif’s most unforgettable rides – and they’re not all on skis
The Streif in Kitzbühel is one of the world’s most demanding downhill ski race courses. Over the years, it’s also been the site of some of the wildest runs ever – not all of them on skis.
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High above the town of Kitzbühel in Austria sits one of the most famous downhill race courses in the world of alpine skiing. Known as the Streif, it hosts the annual Hahnenkamm Downhill Race, an event so feared and revered that winning it can define a skier’s entire career. The 3,312m track drops 860m of altitude, reaches a maximum gradient of 85 percent, and demands total control at extreme speed. Even for the best skiers on the planet, a single run is a full-body, full-focus challenge.
That combination of thrill and fame has given the mountain a pull that extends beyond ski racing, inspiring some extraordinary descents – on foot, on bikes, in a Formula One car, and even in an aeroplane. These are the most unforgettable runs on the Streif.
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Jason Paul turns the Streif into a freerunning challenge
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Jason Paul turns the Streif into a parkour run
Jason Paul runs the Streif on foot. Ice, speed, no second chances.
Ahead of the 2026 event, German freerunner Jason Paul put a year of planning into action as he executed a dramatic drop from a helicopter before reinterpreting the Streif as only an experienced parkour athlete could. Paul turns the infamous slope into his personal playground, covering its icy slopes, grandstands and infamous jumps with a series of precise, high-risk moves that serve to highlight the beauty of the World Cup venue.
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Dario Costa soars down the Streif in a plane – reaching 350kph
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Dario Costa's Streif course preview
Dario Costa gives us the ultimate track review of the world’s most dangerous skiing challenge: the Streif.
In 2025, Italian pilot Dario Costa brought the Streif to the skies. The renowned aerobatic performer, known for feats such as setting a world record by flying through a tunnel in Turkey, delivered a run on the Streif unlike any other. Flying his specially modified Zivko Edge 540, Costa traced Kitzbühel’s infamous downhill from above, matching its brutal bends and drops with breathtaking precision. Alongside him, 2003 Hahnenkamm downhill winner Daron Rahlves raced the slope below, turning the mountain into a speed playground where aviation and alpine racing collided.
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Lindsey Vonn tackles the Streif in pitch-black conditions
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Lindsey Vonn takes on the Streif
Lindsey Vonn is the first skier to take on the ultimate challenge in downhill skiing – the Streif – at night.
The Streif is intimidating in daylight, but at night, it’s a whole different challenge. That didn't stop American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn from strapping on her downhill skis once again in 2023, four years after retiring from competitive action (and a year before making a full comeback). “The Streif is the most difficult course in the world,” Vonn said ahead of tackling the legendary course. “Getting this unique opportunity to fulfill my big dream on the Streif is, after my Olympic gold medal in Vancouver, one of the absolute highlights of my career as a ski racer.”
That night above Kitzbühel, she pushed off the start gate into near-total darkness, facing the steepest drop on the course with almost nothing visible ahead. “When you look out of the starting gate and it’s dark and you can’t see the Mausefalle (the infamous steep jump near the top of the Streif), it looks like you’re jumping off the edge of the world,” she said.
Her bold ride down the Streif at night showcased the exceptional skill that Vonn has – and just two years later, she returned to pro ski racing, ready to create more history on the slopes. Let’s see what she conquers next!
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Max Verstappen turns the Streif into his own F1 track
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Max Verstappen’s F1 show run in the snow
Max Verstappen drives a Formula One car around an iconic ski hill in Austria.
Dutch racing driver Max Verstappen is used to setting records in Formula One, but nothing could have prepared him for this unforgettable run at Kitzbühel’s Hahnenkamm Festival. The youngest-ever driver to win a F1 race, Verstappen was presented with a unique opportunity in 2016 by Oracle Red Bull Racing. Instead of tackling the course on skis, he would race his F1 car on the snow. “I’d never driven on snow before,” Verstappen said. "We had to put chains on the tyres - such a unique experience.”
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Delivering a BMX show in the snow
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Behind the scenes with Matthias Dandois on the Streif
Go behind the scenes as flatland star Matthias Dandois performs on the Streif to a unique soundtrack.
Back in 2022, BMX met skiing and classical music combined with drum and bass as French superstar Matthias Dandois performed a series of tricks on the roof of the iconic Streif start house to a unique soundtrack. The 10-time flatland world champion brought his innovative style to the snow as he conjured up a world-class performance.
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A unique view of the Streif with the Red Bull Skydive team
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A flying Streif preview by the Red Bull Skydive Team
You've never the seen the fearsome Streif downhill like this before. Strap in for the Red Bull Skydive Team's unique preview.
Who says you need skis to experience the Streif up close? The Red Bull Skydive team created this action-packed preview in 2021, which perfectly illustrates just how steep and fast this slope really is. Jumping from a helicopter 2,500m above Kitzbühel, wingsuit pilots and speed paragliders flew the Streif from start to finish. Along the way, they hit 60kph in under a second and reached speeds of up to 250km/h above the steepest sections.
It's certainly a memorable way to preview a ski race
© Philip Platzer
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What happened when Mad Max took on the Streif
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Max Stöckl vs Streif
Watch Max Stöckl take on the infamous Streif downhill ski run in this action clip.
Swapping skis for wheels, Austrian mountain biker Max Stöckl took a specially prepared bike onto the actual race-ready Streif in 2018 and totally nailed it. You'll see what we mean from his tyres. Watch the full clip above and then go on board for the incredible POV below.
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Max Stöckl vs the Streif POV
Get a POV view of Max Stöckl's Streif run.
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See why skiers fear this Streif hill in A Hell Of A Ride
Streif – A Hell of a Ride takes you inside the minds of the athletes as they prepare to take on the Hahnenkamm Downhill. Released in 2014, it features some of the world's best skiers of the time, including Aksel Lund Svindal, Erik Guay, Max Franz, Yuri Danilochkin, Hannes Reichelt, Marcel Hirscher and Felix Neureuther. Capturing the pressure, focus and emotion behind every run, it highlights what it takes to go all-in on one of sport’s most intense natural stages.
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Fabio Wibmer's memorable Kitzbühel run
Austrian cyclist and renowned trials rider Fabio Wibmer had wanted to take on the Streif for years, but not on skis. Growing up near Kitzbühel, he watched the world’s best race the course and eventually set his sights on riding it by bike, with extra obstacles added for an even bigger challenge. Because the Streif’s race-prepped snow can feel more like ice, his set-up had to be completely reworked, including custom spiked tyres. After nearly two years of preparation, Wibmer and his team finally made it happen in 2023.
Just what the Streif was missing – obstacles
© Philip Platzer/Red Bull Content Pool
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Riding the Streif - uphill - with MotoGP™ legend Marc Márquez
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Marc Márquez brings MotoGP™ to Kitzbühel
Marc Márquez tackles the Hahnenkamm on his MotoGP™ bike.
Proving that he can ride a motorbike absolutely anywhere, multiple MotoGP™ champion Marc Márquez decided in 2017 to attack the world's most famous ski run on two wheels, but up the course. He even managed a wheelie or two, which really is just showing off. That's the mark of a true champion.
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Soar like an eagle over the Streif... literally
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Eagle Cam POV of Streif Hahnenkamm race course
This is the coolest way the Streif ski race course check has ever been done – by eagle-eye POV.
Back in 2018, a trained eagle that also starred in the Terra Mater film Wie Bruder im Wind (Brothers of the Wind) took a flight down the Streif with a camera on board. You can enjoy the soaring view in the video above.
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Must-watch: Downhill Skiers Ain’t No Mountain Steep Enough
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Downhill Skiers: Ain’t No Mountain Steep Enough
Get an insight into the emotional and psychological worlds of elite alpine skiers during the 2024/25 season.
To get in the mood for a spectacular 86th Hahnenkamm weekend in Kitzbühel, there’s a new documentary that is a must-watch for ski fans. Downhill Skiers: Ain’t No Mountain Steep Enough goes inside the world of alpine speed specialists, offering rare behind-the-scenes insight into what it takes to race at the limit. Directed by Gerald Salmina, the film has already drawn big crowds to cinemas and will be available on Red Bull TV from January 23, 2026. It's a powerful reminder of what makes downhill skiing so addictive to watch.
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