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Recent FIS News
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Season Review Snowboarding with Uwe Beier
Uwe Beier, the race director of the FIS Snowboard World Cup, took some time to reflect the past season.
Looking back, what is your overall impression of the past season?
Uwe Beier: In general, we can look back on a very successful season with a total of 55 competitions hosted at 17 different venues in 13 different countries.
Only two events had to be cancelled (Jasna, SVK and Bardonecchia, ITA) which unfortunately equalled the loss of two of the slopestyle events planned for last season. Given our focus on quality and reliability, no alternative slopes or resorts could be considered. However, FIS and the respective Organizers proved their capabilities in staging high-class slopestyle events at the Stoneham World Cup, Youth Olympic Games and the FIS Junior World Championships in Sierra Nevada.
Nonetheless, slopestyle will be one of the events on which we will put additional focus in future seasons to guarantee competitions at the highest possible level. We will have slopestyle on the World Championships program, at the season finals in Sierra Nevada, at the Sochi Olympic test event, but likely at more sites too, which are not absolutely confirmed yet.
What about the other events?
Uwe Beier: In the halfpipe events, every competition was run in 22 foot superpipes; a high level achievement towards which we have worked over the past years. And some big air organizers, too, pushed the limits. Stockholm built the largest jump ever used, whilst London is already planning a move to a larger area in order to fit the increasing number of spectators. In addition, the athletic performances at the Big Air World Cups were incredibly high.
The snowboard cross events took place on a consistently high level despite often difficult snow conditions. All events in the 2011/12 season finals were held in heats of six. This format proved dynamic with high future potential, although further adjustments are still needed.
The parallel events saw especially successful night events in Jauerling (AUT), a great ramp event in Moscow (RUS) and much success in La Molina (SPA) and Sudelfeld (GER). All Organizers and National Associations did well in not only providing high level slopes, but also creating real events with up to several thousand spectators and great side events.
What about the test events for the upcoming major events?
Uwe Beier: The test event for the 2013 FIS World Snowboard Championships in Stoneham and Quebec (CAN) went very well, so expectations are high now. It was the second time in history that a World Cup with five events (HP, SBS, BA, SBX, PGS) was held, let alone within just little more than a week.
The Sochi European Cup "test events" were very satisfying thanks to the great motivation and skills of the Organizers. We are proud of the productive, long-term cooperation with FIS in Sochi.
What can we expect in the Snowboard World Cup in the near future?
Uwe Beier: The challenge in Snowboarding arises from the specialization due to the ever-increasing level of the different events. The evolution of the sport leads to three distinctive groups: freestyle snowboarding (HP, SBS, BA), snowboard cross and alpine snowboarding (PGS, PSL).
Each of them has its very own attractiveness and potential as well as specific needs, from independent calendar planning to staffing and venues, etc.
The quality and safety of our competitions for the good and growth of snowboarding will remain our major goal. This is the fundament from which all stakeholders will benefit: athletes, National Associations, Organizers, TV right holders, sponsors, partners, and fans.