Development camps to Shred Parks, FIS rolls out a summer of snow sport activities

Across the summer months, FIS has continued to host a variety of development activities for participants across the globe.

From Snowboard to Nordic Combined, young athletes have attended camps to aid their growth and hone their skills as we edge towards the 2025/26 season on the snow.

At the end of June, between 24-29, over 20 participants travelled to Southern Europe for a Cross-Country camp in San Marino. Across the five days, they underwent practical and theoretical sessions which allowed those involved to be social and share their experiences, culminating in a competition.

With support from San Marino’s National Ski Association (NSA), FIS was able to provide the tools to help increase technical skills and preparation for not only athletes, but coaches too.

This took form in a number of ways, ranging from skiing technique and strength training to equipment maintenance and fun races.

Overall, the week-long event was a resounding success with the host nation actively engaging with all activities. As highlighted by camp coordinator Alberto Rigoni, FIS were able to support the camp with equipment to aid the participant’s experience.

A second summer camp held in July saw athletes from 12 nations head to Gozd Martuljek in Slovenia. Time across the week was spent between the ski jump hills in Panica and the neighbouring Villach in Austria.

For those involved, it was a chance to develop their abilities in Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined.

The major highlight, however, was the arrival of three-time World Champion and Olympic gold medalist Peter Prevc. A role model to many young hopefuls, the former ski jumper was on-hand to provide expertise and coaching knowledge for two of the five days.

“The camp is received in a fantastic way by the athletes. For many, this is their big highlight for the whole year,” said Assistant Race Director, Jan Rune Grave.

“It is important to always try to develop the sport in small or new nations. Through the development support system, we are able to help nations try to keep activities alive and maybe create athletes that can take the step into top sport.

“My personal [favorite] experience in this camp was watching the Nordic Combined competition, especially the performance and effort the young athletes gave.”

FIS continues winter sports promotion

As part of FIS’s strategy to continue bringing winter sports to those all over the world, a promotional event held in Montenegro helped do exactly that. With several clubs involved, along with the help of the country’s ski federation, a successful afternoon brought together the past and present.

In the city of Žabljak, the occasion was attended by two-time Olympian Jelena Vukicic, and snowboarding Paralympian Andrej Sibalic who were able to provide their own unique insights into life on the snow.

They were also on-hand to witness the next generation of skiers at the Nordic and Alpine Skiing training ground, along with Snowboarding. This was donated by FIS, with a continued commitment to helping the disciplines grow.

“We are promoting sports that have been a tradition, history, and more than just sports in this area for more than half a century,” said Vidomir Spanjevic, former Nordic skier and now sports officer in the Municipality of Žabljak.

Staying in Europe, an exciting Shred Park venue was opened in Portugal offering a dedicated and innovative space for year-round training and progression.

For the Portuguese Ski and Snowboard Federation, it provided the perfect platform to promote snow sports to young people and beginners, effectively removing any barriers – such as access and geography – that would otherwise keep them from participating.

“By providing a safe, accessible, and urban-friendly environment to experience skiing and snowboarding, Shred Park plays a vital role in talent identification and recruitment,” explained Pedro Farromba, member of the Portuguese Olympic Committee.