While most would agree the FIS is struggling with the format of parallel races, the World Pro Ski Tour is growing and now organizing races for women for the first time in several years. In an interview courtesy of our friends at SKINEWS (which has been translated from German), Mathias Berthold, a former pro tour racer and coach, weighs in on the subject of parallel racing at the World Cup level and how the FIS can better coordinate with the pro tour.

Berthold competed in professional races in the U.S. in the ’90s and became world champion in 1993. From 1985 to 1989, he competed in 23 World Cup races and after his active career as a coach in the U.S., he worked with the Austrian women, as well as the Austrian men and German ski association. At the end of the 2018-19 season, the 56-year-old from Vorarlberg bid farewell to ski racing and resigned as national coach for DSV.

Berthold has been involved in soccer since 2019. First as a mental coach at FC Nürnberg and now as a mental and motivational coach for the Austrian team Sturm Graz.

SkiNews: Are you an advocate of parallel races?

Berthold: Because of the six years that I spent on the U.S. Pro Ski Tour at the time, I am definitely a proponent of parallel races. The experiences I made back then are very positive. I am of the opinion that parallel races with clear rules and well-organized processes would be an enrichment for skiing – at the highest level.

SN: Are you in favor of parallel races in their current form and as a World Cup discipline?

Berthold: With the current form and the way the discipline in the World Cup is carried out, from my point of view, there are certainly some things that need to be changed. Whether this is sensible or even possible with the already dense program in the World Cup, one must certainly question.

SN: The FIS has been struggling with this format for several years. Has the world ski association forfeited the credit for a fundamentally attractive discipline? Can the FIS even make corrections here again?

Berthold: I see a major problem here. The FIS introduced the discipline without having a clear plan or clear rules for it. For this reason, parallel races have become extremely popular with both athletes and fans. Correcting these things again is extremely difficult and, due to the fact that the discipline is only allowed to run ‘half-heartedly,’ almost impossible.

SN: Could the World Pro Ski Tour (WPST), which experienced a rebirth in North America about five years ago, be an alternative as an independent racing series outside of the FIS World Cup? How should or could this tour look like? A mixture of invitation and show races that take place around the world?

Berthold: I really like this idea. I think the FIS could do this very successfully in cooperation with the WPST. It should be a bit more than just a mixture of invitation and show races. For example, you could do a completely independent parallel World Cup. Some of these races could also be integrated into existing World Cup events at various locations. In this case, from my point of view, it would be important that the marketing of the races is done by the FIS, but the sporting organization remains entirely in the hands of those responsible at the WPST.

SN: From the perspective of racers, whether active in the World Cup or not, what could be the plus point of a tour with parallel races outside of the World Cup?

Berthold: For example, it would be an additional alternative for athletes to be able to practice alpine ski racing. At the moment, leaving the funding systems of the national ski associations automatically means the end of your career. In this way, a lot of talent is lost and a lot of careers end far too early. After that, there is no possibility for those affected to be able to actively practice their profession or sport.

SN: What would the task of the FIS as a declared sponsor of winter sports be if the WPST were the only organizer of parallel races?

Berthold: In contrast to when the U.S. Pro Ski Tour existed, the FIS would have to accept this tour and strive for close cooperation. It would be the FIS for the possibility of rearranging the now ‘annoying’ appendage and integrating it in close cooperation. Should this, as already mentioned, result in the possibility of establishing an additional World Cup discipline, I primarily see marketing as an essential part of the funding by the FIS. The best possible coordination with the World Cup, as far as the racing calendar is concerned, is certainly also an essential point. But with such a step you should also be prepared to think creatively. A year-round implementation of a newly created World Cup discipline would be an attractive idea. Detached from the current allocation of appointments to the various national associations, it would also be easier to win new markets. Furthermore, it would also be a vital step to be able to establish the ‘new discipline’ at the Olympic Games, which would certainly be very difficult to achieve without the FIS. Well … maybe all a little daydreaming. On the other hand, such visions are quite feasible with a clear plan and a convincing commitment to this discipline.

SN: Starting this winter, the WPST is also organizing three races for women. Is that the next step in the right direction? Also in the direction that the format of the parallel races could emancipate itself from the FIS?

Berthold: That is definitely a step in the right direction. This type of race is suitable for both men and women. Parallel races thrive on excitement and high-quality sport. Both things can be offered by both women and men at the highest level.

SN: What went wrong back then, that the US tour suddenly disappeared from the scene? What lessons can the WPST learn from this?

Berthold: I’m not entirely sure, as I wasn’t on the tour in the end. But I think that the dominance of Austrians and Norwegians has led to a certain lack of interest in the USA. According to various reports, there are also certain financial inconsistencies. The establishment of professional leadership and a marketing strategy at the highest level are, in my opinion, those things that will be essential for the WPST.

Interview courtesy of SKINEWS.