thirtieth December 2023
The President of the Worldwide Ski & Snowboard Federation has issued his annual message wanting again on this yr and forward to 2024. NEW
Right here we re-produce the message of Johan Eliasch in full:
“As the top of December nears, we will look again on one other implausible yr for snow sports activities.
2023 noticed some really excellent performances, with feats of ability that can be talked about for years to come back.
Although selecting highlights is not possible, I personally will always remember Mikaela Shiffrin’s world record-smashing run this yr, nor the sight of Simon Billy reaching super-human speeds.
All who noticed these skills will understand how exhilarating they have been to look at.
For me, one other 2023 spotlight was seeing Para athletes formally becoming a member of the FIS household.
I’ve all the time passionately believed that the slopes must be open for all, and that aggressive snowboarding and snowboarding have to be one thing that everybody with the required quantity of braveness and endurance can take pleasure in.
This yr we took large steps in the direction of making that inclusive dream a actuality.
Our main flagship occasions have been, as ever, fantastically run.
On the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Courchevel/Meribel we loved blue skies, excellent snow and the warmest hospitality.
On the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Planica, organisers placed on a inexperienced and an environmentally-friendly ski occasion.
The truth that the FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships have been held for the primary time in Bakuriani, Georgia confirmed how the eagerness for snow sports activities is rising throughout the globe.
In addition to this we loved the FIS Para World Ski and Snowboard Championships in Oestersund, Espot and La Molina, in addition to the FIS Junior World Ski and Snowboard Championships all around the world in St. Anton, Whistler, Airolo, Bansko and Cardrona.
Watching these occasions was a fantastic supply of satisfaction for me because it confirmed, as soon as once more, how FIS employees pull along with native organisers to stage spectacular occasions.
The staff has additionally been pulling collectively this yr to confront the problem of local weather change.
All who love snow sports activities can be acutely involved about the way in which that adjustments to our planet’s local weather are already affecting the habitat on which our sport relies upon.
It’s due to this existential risk to snowboarding and snowboarding that I consider we must be ambassadors for a brand new, extra sustainable method of doing sport on the worldwide degree.
Our intentions on this entrance have been made clear in 2023 with the rent of a highly-experienced Sustainability Director whose mission it’s to have an effect on actual change throughout our organisation.
In observe this implies a variety of issues, together with a brand new calculation of our emissions
a big programme of actions to chop emissions that FIS has direct management over.the event of sustainability tips for Nationwide Ski Associations and occasion organisers.; strengthening partnerships with different Sport Federations and NGOs working internationally on these points, and rather more.
2023 additionally noticed FIS take important strides ahead to a future the place we management our media rights, and decide our personal future.
In the case of the way in which we market and promote snow sports activities, there may be monumental potential for development – and centralising our media rights is an important prerequisite earlier than that potential may be unleashed.
We’re in common talks with Nationwide Ski Associations about centralization, within the perception that it’s solely with the shut cooperation of all our members that FIS can maximise these development alternatives.
As a federation we’re aiming for centralization within the data that this may create important advantages for athletes, who’re on the coronary heart of every part we do.
For our athletes we’re aiming excessive, and the steps now we have already taken to digitalise FIS content material give us a glimpse of how nice our future content material might be.
Now that our digital technique has been finalised now we have:
Modified our social media accounts;Launched FISTV and the FIS TikTok channel;damaged into the massive Chinese language social media scene with exercise on Weibo, DOUYIN and Pink.
2023 centered additionally on the implementation of our five-year technique, during which the event of our sport across the globe was paramount.
On that entrance we have been delighted to welcome 47 nations to the primary FIS Summit, giving an perception into the strategic targets of FIS and forming relationships which is able to assist our sport develop around the globe.
To that very same finish, we launched the FIS Growth and Membership Hub in addition to the FIS Occasion Platform, bettering the switch of data between federations and main FIS Occasion Organizers respectively.
One of the vital thrilling developments now we have on the horizon is the inaugural FIS Video games in 2028, and this yr we laid some necessary foundations for it.
We now have official functions in from St. Moritz/Engadine (SUI) and Lillehammer/Hafjell (NOR), and within the coming months will work with them to develop concepts.
Be in little doubt that whoever wins the bid to host, this 16-day pageant of snow sports activities can be really spectacular.
In abstract, it’s been an exhilarating, thrilling and productive yr – and I wish to thank all those that have contributed to it: our members, the athletes and their assist groups, native organising committees, our sponsors and companions, the technical delegates, judges, officers, FIS staff and each single volunteer – it’s their efforts which assist make our sport nice.
We look ahead to making extra progress in 2024.
Within the meantime, let me take this chance to want you a really joyful New 12 months.”
Johan EliaschFIS President
