Südtirol Skiroll Festival, the big new event in Val Pusteria: the Anterselva and Dobbiaco challenges on 5–6 September

It’s already September, and summer is now giving way to autumn. Temperatures are becoming milder, the days are slowly beginning to shorten and, for cross-country skiing enthusiasts, that irresistible urge to put on their skis is making itself felt once again.

But before the season definitively changes its face, top-level sport still has an ace up its sleeve. Or rather, two days to enjoy: on 5 and 6 September, Val Pusteria is preparing to take centre stage for the Südtirol Skiroll Festival; this is the first, eagerly awaited edition of the festival dedicated to “summer cross-country skiing” and it promises excitement and competition, with two intense days in the free technique.

The stage will be divided between Anterselva, which will host the sprint races, and Dobbiaco, ready instead to welcome the distance events. Senior-category athletes will battle it out, with the Italian team naturally among the leading protagonists, alongside juniors and young athletes. This high-level competition, held under the auspices of FIS and FISI, will also carry significant weight: the Südtirol Skiroll Festival will in fact be the first round of the 2026/2027 Rode Coppa Italia in cross-country skiing which, as has become tradition, will begin on roller skis, immediately awarding valuable points.

Sport OK Dobbiaco will lead the organisational effort, with indefatigable Gerti Taschler at the helm, supported by ASV Antholzertal, which boasts a wealth of experience gained on the major international stages of World Cups, World Championships and Olympic Games.

The curtain will rise on the Festival on Saturday 5 September at the Südtirol Arena in Anterselva; the programme features an exciting sprint format, ready to test Italian and foreign seniors, juniors and young athletes born as late as 2011. The following day, Sunday 6 September, the cross-country and roller-ski athletes’ caravan will move to the Nordic Arena in Dobbiaco, where the athletes will find a completely resurfaced track fitted with a special fine-grain surface.

At an altitude of 1,200 metres, the course is 4 kilometres long, with the possibility of reducing the distance to 2.2 km. The total elevation gain is around 90 metres, and the course also features spectacular banked turns, true magnets for speed enthusiasts and perfect for showcasing the athletes’ technical skills. Sunday’s main event will be an individual distance race: 10 km for the senior and youth categories and 7.5 km for the U18 women. Competition will begin in the morning, from 8.30 a.m., with the seniors receiving the first green light.

And there’s another piece of good news for fans: just as will happen during the cross-country World Cup round scheduled in the Puster Valley resort from 29 to 31 January 2027, Sport OK Dobbiaco has chosen to make admission for spectators completely free. The door is therefore wide open for anyone who wants to experience the challenges up close and admire some of the finest Italian cross-country skiers. The setting will be even more prestigious thanks to the presence of the Italian national teams. In fact, until 6 September, the A, B and C national teams will be holding their training camp in Dobbiaco, preparing for the major event at the end of November: the opening World Cup round in Ruka, Finland.

The Südtirol Skiroll Festival will thus be a special opportunity to see numerous leading figures from the Italian scene in action, following notable results in international summer competitions as well. Among them, Elia Barp stands out after an excellent second place at Blink Festivalen, with Iris De Martin Pinter and Caterina Ganz also shining.

In short, all the ingredients are in place for two days not to be missed. The countdown has already begun. On 5 and 6 September, Val Pusteria will be the beating heart of Italian roller skiing, featuring thrilling sprints, distance challenges and major names from the Italian and international cross-country scene, including the Russians competing as AIN athletes, Savelii Korostelev and Dariya Nepryaeva.