The skiing nation Norway plans to adapt the World Cup calendar to the climatic conditions. Maria Höfl-Riesch sees the advantages - but also warns of the consequences.
Munich – The ski circus faces major challenges for the future in order to cope with climate change. Now comes a proposal from Norway that is quite something and would amount to a total ski revolution. Maria Höfl-Riesch welcomes the plans, but also warns of the consequences.
In recent seasons, races have increasingly had to be postponed or canceled due to climatic conditions. The weather - be it a lack of snow, wind or soft slopes - often thwarted the organizers' plans. In the last two years, the start of the season had to be postponed, and the Matterhorn race has now ended.
Revolution in the Ski World Cup: Maria Höfl-Riesch hopes for improvements for athletes
In order to counteract this and make the World Cup sustainable and future-proof, the Norwegian ski association “Skiforbundet” has developed a concept together with the auditing company KPMG. The Norwegians' plan called “Change the Course” is to turn the racing calendar upside down. This is intended to ensure that fewer races are canceled and skiers have to travel less.
Maria Höfl-Riesch, who was once part of the ski circus for years, sees the Norwegians' plans positively. “Yes, it would certainly make sense to design the calendar in such a way that some trips can be shortened or even avoided. This would not only serve sustainability, but would also be in the interests of the athletes in terms of regeneration times and training options,” says the three-time Olympic champion when asked by Merkur.de.
World Cup start in the USA – no longer in Sölden?
The plan is that the World Cup opener will not take place in Sölden as usual, but in the USA. Since the majority of skiers are preparing for the new season in South America anyway, the first races could take place immediately afterwards - this would avoid another high-emission flight across the Atlantic at a later date.
Höfl-Riesch, who has already called for changes to the World Cup in the past, sees it similarly: “In any case, all USA races should be connected so that you don't have to take the long flight twice with time changes, material transport, etc. Either at the beginning or at the end of the season.” However, the 39-year-old restricts: “When the better or safer snow conditions are will always be a matter of luck – both in the USA and in Europe.”
Top nation is planning a total ski revolution – Maria Höfl-Riesch warns of worst-case scenario
According to the Norwegians, the season should be geographically divided into four individual blocks. After the start of the World Cup in the USA, it would then go to Europe, where there would also be several clusters by region. The weather conditions at the different locations could be taken into account. In March, for example, the races would take place in Scandinavia; in the far north there are usually optimal conditions with enough snow even at the end of the season.
“It would certainly be an advantage to minimize travel expenses. As already mentioned, it would be better for the athletes in particular, as they would have more time to recover and also to train between races instead of sitting on the plane or in the car,” explains Höfl-Riesch to Merkur.de. The 27-time World Cup winner also warns of a worst-case scenario: “The disadvantage would be that in the event of a lack of snow in a certain region, many races would suddenly be at risk or would have to be postponed or canceled.” At this risk The Norwegians initially had no answer.
Changes to the ski calendar would have a positive effect on the climate
“Emissions could be reduced in this way because the overall need for artificial snow is reduced. The organizers could avoid dates with poor conditions and hold competitions in more reliable snow conditions,” says the Norwegians’ concept.
The changes would allow athletes to stay in one area for several weeks, switching from planes to cars, buses or trains to travel to respective races. The goal in the Norwegian team is to reduce emissions by 14 percent for women and by as much as 29 percent for men. Climate campaigner Felix Neureuther, who criticized the early start to the season, would probably be happy about that too.
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