Are: Val d'Isere 2009 — Everyone gets in for free

It’s fitting that France’s all-time most popular and most decorated ski racer is leading the effort to get French people and the rest of the world excited about the next World Championships in 2009.
    And to hype the coming event, the legendary Jean-Claude Killy announced here on Friday that in Val d’Isere 2009, everyone is invited to see the ski races for free. To make the pot even sweeter, organizers plan to provide free transportation to the picturesque mountain town high in the Alps, aiming to make the games car-free.
ARE, Sweden — It’s fitting that France’s all-time most popular and most decorated ski racer is leading the effort to get French people and the rest of the world excited about the next World Championships in 2009.
    And to hype the coming event, the legendary Jean-Claude Killy announced here on Friday that in Val d’Isere 2009, everyone is invited to see the ski races for free. To make the pot even sweeter, organizers plan to provide free transportation to the picturesque mountain town high in the Alps, aiming to make the games car-free.
    “We want everyone to come visit us to feel warm. Everywhere, if possible, there will be free shuttles and food stands, free soups,” said Killy, executive president of the organizing committee.
Are organizers will pass the World Championships flag to Val d’Isere representatives during a short ceremony Sunday afternoon.
    The International Ski Federation awarded the hosting bid for the 2009 event to Val d’Isere during the summer of 2004. The small French village with a long skiing tradition beat out Schladming in Austria, Garmisch in Germany, and Vail, Colorado.
    The victory for Val d'Isere brings the World Championships back to France after Chamonix hosted in 1962. The last time Val d’Isere hosted a skiing event this huge was in 1992 for the Albertville Olympic Games.
    The men’s and women’s competitions will take place on two facing mountains — Solaise for the women and Bellevarde for the men.
    Jean-Paul Pierrat, former cross-country French national champ and general director of the organizing committee, said work is being done to the Solaise slope, including installing lighting this summer.
    “We have some small modifications on the downhill course for the men. Ninety-percent of it is the same as the Olympic games in 1992,” Pierrat said.
    He also said Val d’Isere hasn’t been as much a victim to the lack of snow this season as seen in Austria and other parts of Europe.
    “We haven’t had a ton, but it was good at mid-December,” he said. “Eighty-percent of the territory was OK for skiing.”

    See more on Val d’Isere 2009 in the next issue of Ski Racing Magazine and read more about U.S. chances of hosting another World Championships.