Mezzalama Trophy
The Mezzalama Trophy (Italian: Trofeo Mezzalama aka white marathon[1]) is an Italian high altitude ski mountaineering competition in the region of Cervinia. The Mezzalama Trophy, that belongs to the "big three of ski mountaineering" (French: les grandes trois de ski de montagne) besides the two other best-known and classical skimountaineering events, the Patrouille des Glaciers and the Pierra Menta, is the highest alpine ski mountaineering competition of the world. The event in the Monte Rosa's massif was named in honor of the mountain guide Ottorino Mezzalama.[2]
History
The Mezzalama Trophy Foundation was founded by friends of Ottorino Mezzalama in 1933 in his memory,[3] one of them was Mario Corti. The race was held very year from 1933 and to 1938. Entry was open only to men; the first female participant is presumed to be Paula Wiesinger, who had been invited to view the race in 1935. When Giusto Gervasutti withdrew due to injury, she put on his military uniform and cap and, wearing sunglasses, ran instead of him, but was discovered at a checkpoint.[4] The 1935 Trofeo Mezzalama was filmed by Mario Craveri in his film "Maratona Bianca".[5]
After 1938 the race was discontinued (except that in 1940 a platonic race was carried out under the name marcia nazionale Ottorino Mezzalama by the Ski Club Torino).[1] Further races were held in 1971, 1973, 1975, and in 1978,[6] and the Mezzalama Trophy was revived as a regular biennial race with the eleventh race in 1997.[7]
In 1975, the Mezzalama Trophy was held as World Championship of Skimountaineering. 33 civilian teams, 12 mountain guide teams and 11 military teams participated in this event.[8] In that year, the first female team competed officially.[9] Together with the Pierra Menta and the Tour du Rutor event, the Mezzalama Trophy is part of the Trophée des Alpes (French for Alps' Trophy) series.
Editions and results
Winner teams of the 1930s
In 1934, all competing teams were overtaken by the German reserve racer Anderl Heckmair, who started as a single racer one and a half hours after the teams left.[10]
| edition | date | ranking | participants | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | May 28, 1933 |  |
 Luigi Carrel aka "Carrelino" |
Antonio Gaspard |
Piero Maquignaz[11] |
| 2nd | May 19, 1934 | |
Alberto Chenoz |
Francesco Chenoz |
Bartolomeo Carrel[12] |
| 3rd | May 26, 1935 | |
Cap. Enrico Silvestri |
Serg. Carlo Ronc |
Alp. Attilio Chenoz[13] |
| 4th | June 13, 1936 | |
Ten. Francesco Vida |
Serg. Carlo Ronc |
Serg. Luigi Perenni[13] |
| 5th | June 19, 1937 | |
Ten. Giuseppe Fabre |
Serg. Luigi Perenni |
Alp. Anselmo Viviani[13] |
| 6th | June 11, 1938 | |
Aristide Compagnoni |
Severino Confortola |
Silvio Confortola[14] |
Winner teams of the 1970s and 1975 World Championship medalists
| edition | date | ranking | participants | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7th | September 11, 1971 | |
Gianfranco Stella |
Aldo Stella |
Roberto Stella[15] |
| 8th | June 1, 1973 | |
Gianfranco Stella |
Aldo Stella |
Palmiro Serafini[16] |
| 1st World Championship 9th edition on May 10, 1975 |
Category: "civilian teams" | ||||
| |
Renzo Meynet |
Osvaldo Ronc |
Mirko Stangalino[17] | ||
 |
 ? |
? |
? | ||
 |
? |
? |
? | ||
| Category: "military teams" | |||||
| |
Angelo Genuin |
Bruno Bonaldi |
Luigi "Gigi" Weiss[17] | ||
| |
Gianfranco Stella |
Aldo Stella |
Leo Vidi[18] | ||
| |
Willy Bertin |
Felice Darioli |
Fabrizio Pedranzini[18] | ||
| Category: "mountain guide teams" | |||||
| |
Oreste Squinobal |
Arturo Squinobal |
Lorenzo Squinobal[17] | ||
| |
? |
? |
? | ||
| |
? |
? |
? | ||
| 10th | April 29, 1978 | Category: "civilian teams" | |||
| |
 Rudolf Kapeller |
Karl Sinzinger |
Josef Hones[17] | ||
| Category: "military teams" | |||||
| |
Mario Varesco |
Fabio Cavagnet |
Elvio Venturini[17] | ||
| Category: "mountain guide teams" | |||||
| |
Arturo Squinobal |
Lorenzo Squinobal |
Danilo Barell[17] | ||
Top ten rankings since 1997
Literature
- Umberto Pelazza, Antonio Vizzi: Mezzalama Trophy - Myth and Reality 1933-1997
- Rolf Majcen: Bergauf - Abenteuer Ausdauersport (German) ISBN 978-3-900533-39-7
External links
- Trofeo Mezzalama
- Mezzalama at euroski-on-line.com
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Le tappe dealla leggendaria "maratona binaca" (Italian)
- ↑ Trofeo Mezzalama 2007: 16. Auflage des Klassikers am 29. April (German), M2b, April 26, 2007.
- ↑ http://www.euroski-on-line.com/presto.htm
- ↑ Paula Wiesinger (German), FemBio.
- ↑ Trofeo Mezzalama, il fascino di una leggenda che si rinnova (Italian), La Stampa, April 15, 2009.
- ↑ La rinascita degli anni Settanta (Italian), p. 4.
- ↑ Trofeo Mezzalama (Mezzalama Trophy), Fondazione Trofeo Mezzalama
- ↑ Le tappe della leggendaria “maratona bianca” (Italian).
- ↑ Giuseppe Martelli: altre notizie degli alpini bolognesi romagnoli (Italian), November 15, 2005.
- ↑ Trofeo Mezzalama - Ein Hochgebirgswettlauf der Sonderklasse (German), p. 44.
- ↑ Rielaborazione storia libro Camisasca
- ↑ The winners of the 1934 edition, planetmountain.com.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2
- ↑ Compagnoni Aristide, Severino e Ottavio (Italian).
- ↑
- ↑ Gianfranco Stella
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 Albo d'oro
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Genuin Angelo
- ↑ Cavalcata da leggenda Trionfo da Skyrunners, May 4, 1997.
- ↑ La Forestale da record trionfa nel Mezzalama (Italian), April 25, 1999.
- ↑ 2001 Trofeo Mezzalama
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Men's best three and best women since 1997
- ↑ 2003 Trofeo Mezzalama
- ↑ 2005 Trofeo Mezzalama
- ↑ 2007 Trofeo Mezzalama
- ↑ 2009 Trofeo Mezzalama
- ↑ 2011 Trofeo Mezzalama - men results
- ↑ 2011 Trofeo Mezzalama - women results