The Arlberg Kandahar.

The Arlberg Kandahar men’s downhill takes place successively at Saint Anton (Austria), Garmisch Partenkirschen (Germany) and, since 1948, Chamonix (France). A selection of internationally renowned ski resorts hosting one of the greatest events on the international ski racing circuit. This legendary race has become the main sporting event in Chamonix, and is one of the reasons for the valley's celebrated skiing reputation.

For many years the Kandahar took place every two or three years however, since 2004, the Chamonix event on the Verte piste in Les Houches has taken place yearly. As the only men's downhill World Cup approved piste in the region (and only one of two in the whole of France), Chamonix and Les Houches have a unique and precious privilege. Today the Kandahar is among the great downhill courses alongside Wengen and Kitzbuhel.

It was in 1898 that Arnold Lunn first skied in Chamonix. It was Arnold’s father who founded the “Public School Winter Sports” the first Ski Club of Great Britain and was responsible for the very first competitions in alpine skiing. In 1924 Arnold Lunn created the Ski Club of Kandahar, and the first international alpine competitions imposing slalom and downhill. Also, in January of that year, the first Winter Olympic took place in Chamonix and the International Ski Federation was formed. Thanks to these early pioneers, and others, the skiing facilities in the Chamonix valley have developed ever since Chamonix achieved international recognition for the first time by hosting the inaugural Winter Olympics. The development of Chamois’s ski areas opened up some impressive sites. Sitting at the foot of Mont Blanc Chamonix’s ski areas offer exceptional panoramic views, superb high altitude skiing, reliable snow conditions and a variety of differing terrains. Chamonix offers everything from the majestic Vallee Blanche - a 20km off piste glacial itinerary - the steep and deep of Les Grands Montets, the stunning panoramic views of Brevent and Flegere and the tree line cruising of Les Houches. It is natural that such a infamous event should be held in such a prestigious resort with such close links to the development of skiing and alpinism.

Created in 1928 the Kandahar was in existence long before the creation of the World Cup Circuit. The first race was held in Saint Anton in 1928(Austria) and it was the first international alpine ski race to combine the downhill with the slalom, a combination which still exists today in both the Winter Olympics and the World Championships. In those pioneering years those who won the Les Houches Kandahar would be legends in their own time, and for decades the Arlberg Kandahar races were the ultimate events in alpine skiing. The first trophies for the winners of the Kandahar were awarded by Lord Roberts of Kandahar. Lord Roberts had been awarded his title in recognition of his liberation of the battalion surrounded in the town of Kandahar during the Afghanistan war. After his victory Roberts, then a Field Marshall, became one of the most popular men serving in the British army.

The Kandahar lost some of its influence with the introduction of the World Cup skiing events in 1967, when the classic combined event lost ground to the increasingly sought after individual events. But when the combined event became an official Olympic discipline in 1988, and was included in the Olympic Games for the first time at Lillehammer (Norway) in 1994, it won back much of its prestige. Even today the combination of the downhill and the slalom is not only a fascinating event but also very challenging for the skiers - indeed there are few modern skiers suited to such events.