The FIS inspection in Voss (NOR), the Candidate for the organization of the FIS Freestyle World Championships 2013, took place last Wednesday in beautiful winter weather. Voss, located near Bergen, has very long traditions in skiing (having produced 14 Olympic medal winners in skiing), and especially in Alpine and Freestyle Skiing. It has hosted 42 Freestyle FIS World Cup competitions so far, among other high level competitions. It is also known as the home of Kari Traa, the three-time Olympic medalist in mogul skiing and the most successful and famous female freestyle skier ever. Moreover, Voss is the renowned host of the so-called Extreme Sports Week - regarded as one of the world's premiere extreme sports festivals - held annually in late June - and considered as the Norwegian capital of extreme sports and freestyle.

The candidature committee led by Oddvar Jansen and representatives of the Norwegian Ski Association, including the long-time member of the FIS Freestyle Committee Hans Stub, presented their plans for the 2013 championships to the FIS Freestyle Coordinator Joe Fitzgerald and Event Manager Niklas Carlsson. The current event concept calls for holding aerial and mogul competitions in Voss, and the ski cross and half-pipe events in nearby Myrkdalen. Myrkdalen is a new resort that started operations in 2003 and has grown very rapidly. Significant investments in hotels, restaurants and additional slopes and lifts are planned to take place in the near future. Voss, for its part, is in the process of developing a custom-made training and competition arena for mogul and aerial skiing. The championships are planned to serve both as promotion for the destination but more importantly as promotion for the sport in order to engage more kids involved in skiing.

The FIS Council will elect the organizers of the FIS World Ski Championships during the FIS Congress in Cape Town (RSA) in May 2008.

FIS press
21.11.2007

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