Val Gardena is one of the great "Classics" of speed skiing. It was an FIS World Championship host in 1970 and has been a regular World Cup stop since 1969. All top downhillers try to win on its long and bumpy course in the mid-December. Dominated by the magnificent scenery with craggy Dolomites Peaks and greyish-pink rock, the challenging "Saslong" course is famous among the fans with its "Camel Jumps" and the icy turns on the "Ciaslat". Skiing in this part of the beautiful Dolomites started after the railway was built during World War I as a former part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Yet ski racing has an even older tradition and the first races were held early in the 20th Century. A Val Gardena Ski Club was first founded in 1908. Traditional wood-carving and tourism are the main business in the valley where the locals speak three languages: Ladin, an old Alpine language, German and Italian. Thanks to the "Superski Dolomiti" ski-pass, its possible to ski to many resorts in the area - including more than 1,100 km of slopes and 470 lifts.