EDITO

"Dear all,
What a pleasure it is to be back in Kandahar! Pioneer event of ski racing since 1948, heir of the first Winter Olympic Games of 1924, it will durably shape the landscape of winter sports in our valley and continues to fascinate adults as well as children who evoke with admiration and respect "the Break" or the famous "Goulet" by dreaming of equalling James Couttet or François Bonlieu, the only Chamonix skiers to win the Kandahar. 
 
This year we will have the joy of witnessing a slalom during which the best skiers in the world will try to reach the finish area after having solved a series of imposed trajectories as quickly as possible thanks to their agility, inventiveness and rigour: indispensable qualities to lift the trophy and to thrill the public who are always present.
 
A great show in prospect for ski lovers and the influence of our Chamonix Mont-Blanc valley thanks to the know-how of our organisers whom I salute here, to the support of the community, to the athletes and to your enthusiasm which is always present."

Eric Fournier, 
President of the Community of Communes of the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Valley

"

The resorts of Les Houches and Chamonix will once again host a stage of the Alpine Skiing World Cup next February.
This stage is very important because it will be the last slalom before the World Ski Championships.
The skiers of the French team will be keen to shine on their home ground, allowing them to build up their confidence before the world championships. 
The desire and will of all those involved in these two resorts (institutions, volunteers and professionals) combined with the unconditional support of the French Ski Federation with the international authorities, will allow the organisation of this slalom in optimal conditions on 4 February 2023.
Setting up such an event requires the skills of everyone involved to make it a complete and perfect success, both in sporting and popular terms.
I would like to offer my sincere encouragement to all those who will be working to organise this World Cup and I wish the skiers in the French team every success.

Good season to all!"

Fabien SAGUEZ,
President of the FFS

"The commune of Les Houches is very proud to welcome the Kandahar, the men's ski World Cup event on the "Verte des Houches".
Skiing competitions have shaped our ski area thanks to the World Championships in 1937 with the creation of the Bellevue cable car, and in 1962 with the creation of the ladies' downhill run, the modernisation of the "Verte" and important work to create the current finish racket. 
The Kandahar also rhymes with a popular festival. The locals and more generally the people of Haute-Savoie are very attached to this event in the same way as our Swiss and Italian neighbours. Everything has been done to ensure that the February 4th slalom will once again mark the anchoring of ski racing in our region.
The French team shone during the last two editions with the victories of Clément Noël, we will of course be their first supporters!

Ghislaine Bossonney
Maire des Houches

"The Kandahar celebrates its 75th anniversary. It was in 1948 that the Chamonix valley welcomed this prestigious circuit with James Couttet's home victory. The Kandahar is the XXL version of the ski festival, but above all it is our sporting and cultural heritage of which we are all very proud. 

Such a success is the result of the collaboration of all the actors of the ski industry through the FIS, the FFS, the ski lifts, our clubs, the ski instructors, the young people of the bi-qualification, but also the 600 volunteers on whom the Sports Club can rely.

I am not forgetting our institutions, the community of communes of the Chamonix Mont-Blanc valley, the departmental council of Haute-Savoie and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region who not only support the event but above all have financed the work on the finish line in 2020, thus offering the "Verte des Houches" the essential tool for the perpetuation of this mythical event.

Beyond the sporting competition and the popular festival, the Kandahar is also an unparalleled vector of communication for our valley. Dozens of TV stations broadcast the race all over the world, highlighting our unique territory. 

Let's leave it to the skiers, all behind the French team.
Long live skiing, long live Kandahar!"

Alain Richier,
President of Club des Sports Chamonix