For the 1936 Winter Olympics in neighboring Garmisch-Partenkirchen, it was the starting line for the downhill portion of the combined event, the first-ever alpine skiing events in the Winter Olympics. Prior to the launch of the World Cup in 1967, the downhill course was one of the venues of the rotating Arlberg-Kandahar races. In addition to hosting numerous World Cup races, Garmisch Classic was the site of the World Championships in 1978 and 2011.