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Every January, tens of thousands of ski-racing fans flock to Kitzbühel, Austria, for the Hahnenkamm Races, an event photographer and lifelong skier Kari Medig calls “the Wimbledon of ski racing.” But instead of swatting a fuzzy ball back and forth, athletes hurtle down icy slopes and through blind corners at upward of 75 miles per hour. And rather than don swanky “smart casual” attire, spectators come decked out in vintage ski gear. The downhill race is the start of a three-day spectacle that includes slalom, super-G, and sprint competitions. Integral to the scene are the crowds themselves: the events draw up to 50,000 attendees. Austria’s biggest newspaper sends a couple dozen reporters to document the frenzy, and military cadets work long days shoveling snow and prepping the courses. Growing up in British Columbia, Medig watched VHS recordings of the Hahnenkamm after days on the slopes with his local ski team. He went on to document a wide range of subjects as a photographer, but skiing has always been his favorite. So when he was given media credentials to photograph the 2023 Hahnenkamm—placing him closer to the action than spectators get—he knew he couldn’t pass up the opportunity. It was a technical challenge shooting the skiers as they blurred past at impossible speeds, and a logistical one too, since he wanted to capture the vibe among bystanders. “The fans and their connection to the race was so special,” he said. “It felt like a place where people love the sport as much as I do.”