A Great Year for Snow Sports

22nd December 2022

Last modified on December 29th, 2022

The President of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation has hailed 2022 as a great season, despite having its share of challenges.

In his end of year message, Johan Eliasch picks out several highlights from the more than 7,000 events held across 50 countries.

They include the ‘fabulous’ Kitzbühel World Cup (which was won by a certain Dave Ryding of Great Britain) as well as the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Eliasch also emphasises the commitment of the world governing body to playing its part in making sport sustainable.

“For the second year in a row FIS is proud to be a Climate Positive sport, off-setting the carbon footprint of our events many, many times over through conservation projects in the Amazonian rainforest,” he says.

“Protection of the climate is essential to the future of our sports – and this commitment to sustainability will remain at the heart of everything we do.

“As signatories to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework we have pledged to reduce our emissions by 50% by 2030, meaning constant efforts to make our events more sustainable.”

This is Eliasch’s second annual message following his election as President in June 2021.

Johan Eliasch, image c/o FIS.

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THE MESSAGE IN FULL

As we reach the festive season, I want to thank you for everything you have done to make 2022 a great year for snow sports.

The year has had its fair share of challenges. Covid continues to have a chilling effect but – thanks to the hard work of local organisers, and to the FIS Covid Protocol – most events were able to run smoothly.

When National Ski Associations and local organisers were hit financially, FIS was glad to step in and help, making special distributions totalling almost ten million Swiss Francs. In difficult times, we in the snow sports community stick together.

Despite these difficulties, 2021/22 was a great season, with more than 7000 events held across 50 countries.

There were countless highlights, from the fabulous World Cup in Kitzbühel to the Ski Flying World Championships in Vikersund and the Junior World Championships for Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski in Leysin and Veysonnaz, Switzerland and Valmalenco, Italy.

A very special highlight was, of course, the Winter Olympic Games, where more than half of the medals were awarded in FIS disciplines.

Anyone who witnessed those extraordinary performances in Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou will never forget the magic or the spectacle – and the story did not end there.

Thanks to careful planning, these sites will continue and the power of these Games will endure. In order to be a part of that legacy, we established the FIS China Liaison Office in Beijing, helping to support China in its goal of attracting 300 million people to winter sports.

Behind the scenes, this was a year we made some important changes at FIS. We were very fortunate to hire as Deputy Secretary General Niklas Carlsson, who has a long history in the world of winter sports and who has brought dynamism and passion to the role.

The launch of FIS Media & Marketing – a focal point for media, marketing and sponsorship opportunities – underlined our determination to sharpen up our commercial activities. With Christian Salomon in charge and Oliver Kraus, Oliver Quast, Roberto Nosotti and Benjamin Stoll as Directors we are committed to adding new value to FIS and elevating its sports to a new level.

Already for the 2022-2023 season, FIS and the Freeride World Tour (FWT) have joined forces. Through the acquisition of the FWT, FIS will further unite all the disciplines in skiing and snowboarding, giving them more strength and power to develop on the global stage.

FWT 2020 in Hakuba - @freerideworldtour/©JBERNARD

To guide FIS to a strong future we drew up a wide-ranging and ambitious strategic plan, to be finalised by the spring. This is currently being consulted on by all members so that together we can determine our destiny.

Most importantly, we continued to lead the way on sustainability in sport. For the second year in a row FIS is proud to be a Climate Positive sport, off-setting the carbon footprint of our events many, many times over through conservation projects in the Amazonian rainforest.

Protection of the climate is essential to the future of our sports – and this commitment to sustainability will remain at the heart of everything we do. As signatories to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework we have pledged to reduce our emissions by 50% by 2030, meaning constant efforts to make our events more sustainable.

We want to protect snow sports, and we want snow sports to be open to all. That is why I am so proud that this year we transferred the management of three Para snowsports (alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboard) from the International Paralympic Committee to FIS.

We welcome these new athletes to the FIS family – and in a bid to welcome more young people to the sport we held our 11th World Snow Day, part of our Bring Children to the Snow initiative. With 148 events in 42 countries, thousands of children and young people experienced the joy of learning, racing and having fun in the snow.

We look forward to many highlights next year: from the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Courchevel/Méribel, the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Planica and the FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships in Bakuriani over the Para World Ski and Snowboard Championships and Telemark World Championships to our Junior World Ski Championships.

This is our sport: exciting, forward-looking, inclusive and diverse. It is only that way through the support of all our member associations, organisers, athletes and their teams, FIS staff, volunteers, suppliers, sponsors, partners and fans.

Thank you for all your efforts in 2022 – and may I take this opportunity to wish you a happy and healthy 2023.

Johan Eliasch
FIS President

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