On Friday, October 23rd, FIS held its 2009 Forum Alpinum in Sölden, Austria one day prior to the opening of the FIS World Cup season.
FIS President Gian Franco Kasper began the forum with a question and answer session for the numerous journalists in attendance.
Below are some of the questions, answers and excerpts from the morning session...
Brian Pinelli: Obviously we have an important season ahead for the FIS. The Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver are now less than four months away and in February the federation will celebrate the 100th anniversary of international skiing. What are your thoughts and feelings about the state of the sport today?
Gian Franco Kasper: Good morning everybody. It's a pleasure to welcome everyone on behalf of the International Ski Federation. I'm pleased to be here for the opening of the World Cup season in Sölden, a place which has seen success for us for many years as the opening of the FIS World Cup season.
Regarding the state of our sport, we are in good shape in principle. This season we have over 6000 international events controlled and supervised by FIS. It is an enormous amount. We are working closely with the National Ski Associations and still expanding.
I have to say there is a certain decrease in the interest of sports in general and in our traditional Olympic sports. I think this is a question of the youth of today. They have different interests then perhaps we had in our young days. We have to do everything we can to fight against this, fight is a strong word but we have to do what we can to keep their interest.
BP: Regarding the upcoming Olympics in Vancouver - is FIS satisfied with the efforts of the Organizing Committee and in particular at the alpine venue, Whistler Creekside?
GFK: I have been to Vancouver many times over the past 6 years to meet with the Coordination Commission of the IOC. The organizers have done an excellent job there is no doubt. They have finished the road from Vancouver up to the Whistler area. In Whistler, the alpine courses are ready and have been so for quite a long time.
The entire Whistler area will also have the Nordic events - Ski Jumping, Cross-Country, Nordic Combined and Biathlon. They are in excellent shape - there is no doubt about that.
We now have a very acceptable athletes village up in the mountains for the athletes competing.
On the way down to Vancouver, we have Cypress Mountain for Freestyle and Snowboarding. Things are ready there, but we had some problems last winter with the snow conditions.
In Vancouver, the priority will be ice hockey with the Canadian fans. Of course there will also be a big interest in Alpine Skiing so we have to be ready.
Kasper is satisfied with the state of Vancouver's Alpine skiing venues at Whistler Creekside.
BP: Discuss the importance of promoting the sport in an Olympic year? Sports fans, people and potential corporate clients who may not have interest in a non-Olympic year will now be watching.
GFK: You're absolutely right. With the Olympics we have a completely different audience. The Olympic Games are watched and seen by millions. There are always potential new clients, however we have had our corporate partners in place for a long time now.
Of course, it is important for the image of our sports to have our athletes seen by the world. Particularly, this season in China our events will be seen all over the country and not only in China but with many other nations that let's just say are not involved in Alpine Skiing or winter sports.
BP: You have been involved with promoting the sport of skiing since the mid-1970's and have seen the growth of the FIS World Cup since its inception in 1966-67. Where would you say the sport ranks in comparison to other winter sports?
GFK: I think since the 70's that sport has changed all over whether it be summer or winter sports. Sport has also become more important and also more commercialized with the main reason being media coverage.
Among the winter sports, I am sorry to say to the others that we are still number one. In the Olympics we have 47% of the medals, almost 50%. We also have the most nations participating in our sport.
BP: Last year, Audi who has been the title sponsor of the FIS Alpine World Cup over the past 7 years, agreed to extend the partnership up to and including the 2011-12 season. It seems that this relationship has been very successful for both parties?
GKF: Audi for us is not just a sponsor, it is really a partner and an excellent one. We have many common interests and goals. Of course they produce excellent cars, especially for driving in the snow.
It's a partnership that we will continue for 4 or 5 more years and that I personally hope we will continue forever.
BP: Regarding improving television coverage and the use of new media, particularly live streaming webcasts of events as provided by Universal Sports. Will we see more of this in the future and will it conflict with television rights?
GFK: It might be a sensitive topic in the future with television contracts. We all know that the broadcasting end of things is changing very fast. We now have contracts with these so-called new media rights. I will say that the International Ski Federation was involved with the growth of new media in the beginning as everything came up.
We will have to see how things develop. I cannot tell you what we will be doing two years from now. Everything now is very important, new and exciting. We will have to be alert and on top of these developments to do what is best for the sport and the interest of our spectators.
My vision is that every human being on the planet should be on the courses and on the slopes, but I know that it is an illusion. New media is more or less the goal and the direction in which we are going.
BP: One of the hot topics this weekend is whether or not you will sign up for a Facebook account so that journalists can ask you questions 24 hours a day?
GFK: Can you imagine what kind of criticism I would get from everybody every minute? If I have one it will for sure be one that nobody knows about.
BP: How has the global financial crisis affected the FIS and its partners?
GFK: If we had a solution for this we would have already done it for the entire world. The International Ski Federation of course is not recession proof. We have not been hurt so much during the past year. But of course we are concerned about our organizers, sponsors and tourism.
We were very lucky that last winter in 2008-09 we had lots of snow so it attracted many tourists. We can only hope that we get a lot once again. As you know it has started well over the past week with the new snowfall.
We have been affected by this financial crisis for sure but we are lucky to have long-term contracts where the obligations have been fulfilled by all of our partners.
We have also started the television negotiations for our World Championships, both Alpine and Nordic starting with 2015. We have to do everything possible to get at least the same amounts as we did in 2011 and 2013.
I'm very optimistic and honestly whether or not the financial crisis is now over or not, I think people are still very interested in our sport. If television wants to show something interesting, then they need our races.
BP: The FIS has received criticism regarding its lack of support for Ladies' Ski Jumping and its inclusion in the Olympic program for Vancouver - can you discuss this issue?
GFK: We have been criticized but there is no reason for it. It was decided many years ago in our Congress that we wanted to include ladies' Ski Jumping in the Olympics and we submitted the request to the IOC.
The IOC did not accept it in the Olympic program. It was purely for technical reasons and not a gender discrimination issue as was particularly said in Canada.
We hope that in Sochi 2014 that the ladies will be ready, the sport will be more developed, more countries will be participating and the level of sport from the majority of the ladies will improve.
Personally, I'm extremely optimistic that the IOC will include it in the program for Sochi 2014.
Kasper hopes to see Ladies' ski jumping included in the Olympic program of the Sochi 2014 Games.
About ski cross making its debut in Vancouver 2010...
GFK: We are very proud and happy that ski cross for the first time is in the Olympic program. It took some time for the IOC to commit and include it.
It is part of Alpine Skiing. However, we cannot include it in the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. There is not enough space on the schedule and that is why we put it in the Freestyle discipline.
Regarding global warming and its effect on the sport...
GFK: A lot of people talk about skiing in indoor facilities for competition. Skiing will not survive in only indoor facilities. The sport is about mountains, blue skies and snow. We have to think about our leisure skiers and the future cannot be indoor skiing.
About early preparations for the 2011 FIS Alpine World Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany...
GFK: I believe that the organizing committee for Garmisch and the German Ski Association will do a fine job in 2011 at the World Championships.
They had to make a few changes with the courses and also with the infrastructure in Garmisch. The World Cup Finals this upcoming March will be a huge test for the organizing committee.
I was there five days ago and I can tell you that I am more than optimistic. We will also have a new format with one of our disciplines - the team event as a parallel event.
Regarding FIS once again hosting an alpine event, the Audi FIS Ski Champions Cup on a uniquely designed ramp and course in Moscow, Russia on November 21...
GFK: For us the Moscow event is somewhat of a promotion for the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi 2014. We have almost never held alpine events in Russia.
This year the ramp will be higher and the ladies will also participate. We hope to have lots of spectators once again in the city of Moscow so we invited them to host this event in between events on our World Cup schedule.
Pertaining to working with the Athletes Commission relating to various issues in the sport...
GKF: The athletes' commission is not just for the athletes but also for us. I think we are both very happy about this. They have to learn and we have to learn. We've had an athletes' commission for many years but unfortunately they were not very active.
With so many athletes there are so many issues to discuss on a general basis - safety and prize money being among the most important. They can discuss these first among themselves and then move them forward to the Council.
Regarding safety in the sport...
GFK: I can tell you that our professionals and race directors are constantly discussing safety daily. We have to give safety an absolute priority and be at the top of development even though it is very costly.
We are also working very closely with universities which are involved with making analyses about the development of safety protection and what is possible and what is not. We need this in Alpine Skiing because it is a risk sport, but to exclude every risk would not be possible.
About the FIS "Bring Children to the Snow" program and youth in sport...
GFK: For me "Bring Children to the Snow" is an extremely important campaign. We have to move back to our roots, bring this sport back to the youth and find a way to impress them.
Along with the IOC, we will also have the first Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012 here in Innsbruck. It will be a big challenge and we have to find a bridge between the traditions of the past and the future with our young athletes.
On rising young stars emerging in the sport...
GFK: Sports are always made by champions and fans are always looking for new champions. Of course athletes will retire after long and successful careers like Hermann Maier, but we will have new champions. Who knows it could be tomorrow or the day after. We need champions, we need stars, but remember stars are not made they are born.
