Vail-Beaver Creek 2015 preview with Markus Waldner

At the one-month countdown to the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail-Beaver Creek, FIS Chief Race Director for the men’s World Cup Markus Waldner took a moment to look back at the dress rehearsal in early December and also ahead to the season highlight.

How important was the FIS World Cup on the Birds of Prey as a test for the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships?

The final test in Beaver Creek was very important for us for many reasons. For one, it was an ideal opportunity to try all the new technologies that the host broadcaster EBU’s production unit will use for the TV production of the World Championships. Working with director Michael Koegler and his team, we have defined 160 possible camera positions for the ladies’ and men’s races. We also used the Birds of Prey races to run the precise start intervals for the three competitions, as planned for the World Championships.

Moreover, it was an important opportunity for our FIS men’s team, which to a large extent is new this season, to integrate with the local LOC team and to familiarise ourselves with the procedures on site.

Overall, what do you expect from Vail-Beaver Creek 2015?

Beaver Creek is one of the top FIS World Cup Organisers: Their team of volunteers – the Talons Crew – is world-renowned and that’s for a reason. They are extremely motivated with a superb attitude. It is also great fun to work with the local leadership team. The courses are fantastic; team accommodation is well taken care of. Everything is at a high level. I am convinced we will see great World Championships in February!

Is there anything that worries you?

At title events, the biggest challenge is also the greatest unknown: the weather. We had a great test event, but it’s an easy ride when you have excellent slope conditions and perfect weather. That’s why it is important to be ready with contingency plans; you need plans B and C as well. For example, we’re used to racing Birds of Prey in December, but in February it is not unusual to have massive snowfall. Fortunately the team in Beaver Creek has shown that they can manage any challenge. In the case of snowfall we already know that they are prepared with 49 snow cats.

What will be your personal highlight?

I think the Nations’ Team Event in Vail will be spectacular. We are expecting 16 nations to fight head-to-head for the medals. It will be compact and the course will feature two jumps. It’s just the perfect competition for a title event!

What else is new?

Based on the test on Birds of Prey, we will continue to refine the downhill race line, to see if it can be amended further. We – Hannes Trinkl, FIS Race Director for the men’s speed events, and I – took quite some time this spring and summer to discuss our downhill philosophy with the Organisers and athletes alike, including meeting all downhill teams during their training camps, gathering feedback and establishing dialogue.

We will seek to make the downhill courses a bit faster and somewhat straighter, and the jumps a little bigger to underline the main characteristics of a downhiller: Courage, and the ability to push one’s own boundaries but also respect self-responsibility. Skiers should race against the mountain, not each other.

This is not a revolution. Safety remains our first and foremost objective. We simply want to make alignments to certain hills and build perfect jumps given each hill’s profile. This is made possible by the current course conditions, state of the equipment and professionalism and preparation of the racers. It will be great to see this put in practice at Vail-Beaver Creek 2015.

Release courtesy of FIS