USSA boosts numbers on key FIS Alpine Committee

By Published On: October 6th, 2008Comments Off on USSA boosts numbers on key FIS Alpine Committee

The FIS Autumn Technical Meetings concluded in Zurich on Saturday, and a number of USSA officials attended the gathering that typically focuses on any outstanding technical issues for the upcoming season in all disciplines, new committee appointments, and competition calendars for the 2008-09 season.  
    USSA National Competition Director Walt Evans outlined a few highlights of this year’s fall meeting for Ski Racing.
The FIS Autumn Technical Meetings concluded in Zurich on Saturday, and a number of USSA officials attended the gathering that typically focuses on any outstanding technical issues for the upcoming season in all disciplines, new committee appointments, and competition calendars for the 2008-09 season.  
    USSA National Competition Director Walt Evans outlined a few highlights of this year’s fall meeting for Ski Racing:

U.S. representation on FIS committees
— USSA Vice President of Events Calum Clark was appointed to the Alpine World Cup Committee
— Bruce Crane replaces Ted Sutton on the Alpine Courses Committee
— Karen Korfanta was appointed chairperson of the FIS Alpine Ladies Subcommittee by the FIS Council
— Bob Dart was elected chairman of the FIS NorAm Cup Committee
— Jeff Byrne was appointed to the Nordic Youth and Children’s Committee
— USSA Alpine Director Jesse Hunt, a member of the FIS Alpine Executive Committee, is one of three USSA officials along with Korfanta and Dart now on the FIS Alpine Committee. That is the most representation USSA has ever had on this committee.

Alpine information
— The Alpine Ladies Subcommittee will conduct an inventory and demographics study of alpine skiers of all ages in all nations.
— The Alpine Courses Committee is working to upgrade course approval procedures and systems to an electronic database to make for easier access of course homologation files.
— The World Cup alpine calendar for the 2008-09 season was confirmed, with one notable change: the Aspen World Cup women’s alpine stop now calls for the GS on Saturday, Nov. 29 followed by the slalom on Sunday, Nov. 30.
— The Alpine Youth and Children’s Committee confirmed that Garmisch, Germany, will host the 2009 World Alpine Junior Championships. Mont Blanc in France will replace Chilean resorts La Parva and El Colorado as host of the 2010 event, and the FIS Council will decide between proposals submitted by Switzerland and Italy for the 2011 event.

Youth and Children’s Seminar
The FIS Youth and Children’s Seminar kicked off the technical meetings last Tuesday and Wednesday, and more than 50 participants from more than 30 nations gathered to review and provide feedback on the current status and future plans for the FIS campaign, “Bring Children to the Snow.”
    Facilitated by Canada’s Ken Read, the chairman of the FIS Coordination Group for Youth and Children’s Questions, together with Youth and Children's Sub-Committee chairpersons Satu Kalajainen of Finland and USSA’s Polly-Jo Clark, the seminar provided great feedback and perspective for developing the next steps of the campaign. Clark will lead an international study group to brainstorm strategies in helping to launch the international “Bring Children to the Snow” campaign.

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About the Author: Pete Rugh