In Vuokatti, during the Junior World Championships, all the races started directly on the field. Of civilization – only a stand (a converted cargo container) of a commentator and the same judiciary. Hot toilets (Alena, you remember, don’t you?) – five minutes at a hard trot to the gym. Further than the top of Thea!
In Lillehammer, the organizers’ bus dropped everyone practically on the pitch. A two hundred meter walk on virgin snow is no problem for the best skiers, is it? (The Norwegians, however, came in their cars and straight into their own mobile dressing room).
In Davos they changed clothes before the race and afterwards directly on the street. Formally there was a tent for this, but it was badly located. Yes, why not strip in the freezing mountains, right?
The organizers of the World Cup stages did not feel embarrassed by the modest accommodations – on the contrary, they showed a certain pride. The less (clean) you build – the more energy you save, the less carbon emissions and the fewer problems with radical environmentalists. All within the framework of the fight to save nature. Well, in general, do not mess around!
I think the ski organizers were tricky. The atmosphere is not polluted in carbon by the skiers, but by the planes which transport the tourists in summer like the trams. Only airplanes are profitable, and winter sports (with the exception of hockey) are mediocre.
There is no way to make the world ski races a more or less profitable spectacle, you have to save on everything, starting with the athletes. However, for now, this is not our problem.
And what do we have? Until recently, we tried to build a sort of palace out of every second ski (biathlon) stadium. Dozens of rooms and/or thousands of stands for five people. The question is why?
These stands remain empty, except perhaps for one or two of the most interesting events. No championships – specific races. In our sport, there are not enough supporters to fill the stands of large ski stadiums. Here and around the world. Previously, perhaps they were. About 60 years ago I saw old pictures. Also, as in this joke: “And then we bought a TV.”
First, it’s cold. It’s our sport. Probably, before the Internet, in the absence of other entertainment, the arrival of Olympic champions in the city was an event. They came to see the “tour of the stars”. But not now. And they will never come, do not fantasize. One and a half to two thousand active ski enthusiasts at the stadium is the number to be reached. So far, almost nowhere.
Secondly, from the stands of the ski stadium you can see and hear so-so – I tried to watch. It is not for nothing that football is no longer played in stadiums with athletic tracks, fans want to get closer, feel the breath of an athlete and hear with what catchy words he expresses his joy. Have you all seen the clip of one of our tennis players? Millions of views – and not a game at all. reactions!
Thirdly, we have absolutely no thoughtful interaction with the fans – it’s easier to reach Ronaldo when he comes off the pitch than towards Bolshunov. Because in football it’s part of the show, everything is very well arranged. It’s no coincidence that Ronaldo isn’t touched by healthy men, but by children – it sounds much better in a PR sense. And we organize such “shows” with fans ourselves – depending on the condition and mood. Nowhere is it written that this or that skier must spend fifteen minutes after the race taking selfies with the supporters of the stadium, and there is no place provided for this purpose either. Impromptu in the snowdrifts – yes, Kirovo-Chepetsk!
Does this mean that cross-country skiing, or any outdoor winter sport in general, can be ended as a show for the fans?
Any skier will tell you that spectators along the piste are very important. They inspire, motivate, stimulate. Where it was last year, I personally ran better. I understand that in our difficult times, it is not easy to organize a security check and maintain order along the route. But we have to figure out how to do it. For example, change the layout of the track to go around the “island” with the fans. For example, in one of the best stadiums in the world, the “Pearl of Siberia”, this has already been implemented. Don’t let this “fan intimacy” turn into a drinking fest for young people like Holmenkollen. I haven’t tried it myself, but I’ve heard it.
It is necessary to use the experience of other winter sports in other countries. I once asked: why are there few people at ski competitions almost everywhere and why ski jumpers have nowhere to fall in love with an apple? But because a good half of the spectators are members of the fan clubs of a particular athlete. They will support their favorite athlete, like football fans go to their club on the go. With paraphernalia, portraits of their heroes, bagpipes and drums.
Bolshunov, Ustyugov, Nepryaeva have long deserved such clubs – only I don’t see them. Let’s make it fashionable, here the Internet will only help to federate.
It is not by chance that I ponder such questions: in my hometown of Elizovo, Kamchatka, they decided to build a new ski stadium. I was drawn, of course, primarily as a “face” – but I am actively pushing my own thoughts. I think you should not build a beautiful stadium with stands, but above all good roads leading to the stadium (half an hour after your plane lands from Moscow, you are already on the ski slope, if you really want it!). Plus parking lots, small hotels with cafes and just cafes – like in Odintsovo or Meshchersky. The fan has to go to a mixture of spectacle and an outdoor picnic, in which the cross-country skiing itself is only an excuse to get together. And after our race, get on the skis yourself.
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
