The ski resort Flachau has seen a rise in popularity in recent years, which it ows largely to Austrian skiing legend Hermann Maier who is from Flachau but retired from competitive skiing in October this year. The 'Herminator' who has made his World Cup debut in 1996 at the relatively advanced age of 23 and was once considered not good enough for a ski academy as a teen, has scored four Olympic medals, four overall World Cup titles and will be remembered in the history books for having accomplished one of the greatest comebacks in sports. Maier further cemented his legend at the Nagano Olympic Games with his epic crash.

So far, Flachau has staged three other ladies World Cups. The last one took place in 2001. For the past eight years, the venue has not been a stop on the World Cup circuit. This season's ladies night slalom in January will put Flachau back on the calendar.