The FIS 2023 Alpine Calendar Makes the US a Big Winner
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Peter Lange
ASPEN, CO. MAR 15, 2017 – FIS World Cup Final, downhill, men.
Photo: GEPA pictures
FIS Considerations for Assigning Events
The FIS considers many factors when assigning World Cup races. The regional significance is near the top of the list. They also heavily weigh the public profile of the host resorts. Regionally the FIS sees the US as an underdeveloped fan base and views Palisades Tahoe and Aspen as high-profile locations. Satisfying these two critical considerations helped create the opportunity to host the two additional US races series.
It is an advantage that the FIS sees the United States as an underdeveloped resource and a considerable snow sports market in a large economy.
The Past Reality in the United States
The United States hosts World Cup races every year. Due to the ability of Beaver Creek and Killington to make early season snow and provide quality race surfaces at the beginning of the season, they have become favorite stops on tour. However, the events are in late November and early December, before most US skiers have started their season and their attention is on the sport.
During the rest of the season, few American viewers wake up to watch European races live in the middle of the night. Many of those who ultimately care and view the replays are already aware of the results before watching. These realities have not been a recipe for a growing US fan base.
New Opportunities to Showcase the Sport
The agreement between the FIS and USSS means the FIS Alpine World Cup returns in February with races in Palisades Tahoe, CA, and stays for Aspen, CO races in early March – races in resorts US viewers know and in time slots that work for US sports enthusiasts.
Welcome Partnerships
US Ski & Snowboard see these additional opportunities as game-changers for the US. They also recognized it took a partnership to make them happen. Sophie Goldschmidt, President & CEO of US Ski and Snowboard, tells Ski Racing, “I need to express our sincere gratitude; we’re very thankful for our relationships with the resorts, organizing committees and other partners. Without them, these events wouldn’t be happening. They gave us the best chance of obtaining these events. . We are genuine partners sharing the risks and rewards. We can’t thank them enough.”
Benefits to the Home Team
Goldschmidt points out three of the most exciting things she sees coming from hosting events in the US.
Goldschmidt comments, “First, it provides additional opportunities for fans and the next generation of skiers to witness the best athletes in the world perform live. Some of these people will become inspired and motivated to participate in the sport and many will become lifelong fans. Everyone leaves a winner.”
She continues, “Second, it will enable us to engage with our partners. These new events allow us to showcase our sport to our current stakeholders. Also, the races and the celebrations around them will enable us to encourage new commercial partnerships and individuals to get involved with USSS and our sports. These events multiply the opportunities for partners to activate and see the value of working with our athletes and us. It is more compelling when you have a competition on your home soil rather than having to tune in to a race across the globe in a different time zone.
“Third, we know it helps our athletes develop and perform. It is common for athletes to find new performance levels while competing at home. They often experience an extra boost and an extra edge that is hard to duplicate. We feel that a home race can improve the trajectory of their careers, especially for our younger athletes. We believe it will help them open opportunities and achieve higher athletic performance. Having additional race venues can also provide development and training opportunities for our athletes pre and post races,” says Goldschmidt.
The Challenge of Fiscal Responsibility
Goldschmidt is known for her sports business acumen. She is aware that previously the USSS has hosted some exciting events that caused losses for the organization. She clarifies that if the additional races were not economically viable and sustainable, she could not support hosting them no matter how exciting. Determined to learn, Goldschmidt says, “We have many other initiatives. Priority one is to support our athletes and work with our stakeholders to support participation and the growth of our sports. But as long as we can achieve a sustainable economic position, I think hosting World Cups across all sports and genders is strategically important for the reasons I’ve mentioned.”
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