The idea of holding a downhill race on the Matterhorn in October is causing a stir in the ski scene. Germany's most successful skiers are appalled. The plan of the world association backfires. "Chaos is the order of the day," says Markus Wasmeier, looking at the FIS boss.
For Markus Wasmeier, the President of the Ski World Federation (FIS) has no awareness of the ecological consequences of alpine skiing. "Since (Johan) Eliasch has been there, chaos has been the order of the day and there is a great danger that the whole thing will be driven to the wall. I don't think that those in the FIS give any thought to ecological things. Otherwise they would Don't do things," said Wasmeier of the "Augsburger Allgemeine", referring to the plans that failed on Saturday to have the first downhill races of the season next weekend in the area around the Matterhorn.
"It's absolutely crazy, not only ecologically, because skiing on the glacier. It's also crazy for the athletes to start the first downhill run of the season at almost 4,000 meters and then also to ski a mega distance", said Wasmeier. "That would just be a publicity show by the new FIS boss Johan Eliasch. Just how many helicopters would be needed to fly all the material up there. It's crazy these days." The Ski World Association FIS had canceled the races because rain had left the lower part of the route in poor condition. FIS chief race director Markus Waldner admitted a planning error. In the future, a solution must be sought “especially when scheduling the event”. "It's probably a bit early in the calendar." It is important to respect nature.
The event had caused massive criticism in the alpine scene. Above all, the date - for the first time the speed kick-off was to take place at the end of October and thus a month earlier than usual - had caused a shake of the head in many places. "The time for these descents on the Matterhorn comes much too early in the season and is completely outdated," said ex-ski star Felix Neureuther and lamented the gigantic effort: "Glacier crevasses are pushed in and due to the length of the slopes, snow-making machinery is started, which in no relation to contemporary thinking and acting".
(This article was first published on Tuesday, October 25, 2022.)
