Ryding Calls for Slalom Races to be Moved to Higher Altitude

9th April 2024

Last modified on April 13th, 2024

As climate change impacts snowsports the UK’s most successful alpine skier says races should be moved further up the mountain.

Three out of the 13 scheduled slalom races last season were called off due to the weather.

In an interview with the BBC he said it was time for the sport’s governing body, the International Ski & Snowboard Federation, FIS, to come up with a “Plan B” and that “this year was maybe a season too late” for change.

Many slalom races are held at resort level rather than higher up the slopes.

The finish area is often in the resort where the bars and restaurants are, plus the grandstands and other infrastructure.

Heavy rain led to the cancellation of last month’s slalom at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia (just above 800m), where temperatures were way above freezing.

Slalom races were scrapped in Val d’Isere, France in December because of rain and snow, and Bansko, Bulgaria after heavy rain in February.

Some of the races that went ahead were still affected by higher temperatures and soft snow.

PlanetSKI was at the Schladming night slalom in Austria last January where conditions were affected by heavy rain.

A wet Dave Ryding after the Schladming night slalom 2024. Image © PlanetSKI

Ryding comes 14th in Schladming

Dave Ryding dips for the line to finish 14th at the 2024 Schladming Night Slalom. Image © PlanetSKI

At the slalom race in Chamonix in February the Swiss skier Daniel Yule staged an unprecedented comeback from 30th place after the first run to win the event.

Some think climate change played a part as the top 30 from the first run race in reverse order, meaning Yule started first on the second run with the better conditions.

The climatologist, Mark Maslin, claimed Yule raced before “snow started to melt quickly for the remaining racers in the sizzling 12 degrees Celsius”.

Chamonix World Cup slalom. Image © PlanetSKI

Seven of the first nine alpine skiing World Cup men’s races across all disciplines were cancelled in the 2023-24 season.
In total 13 men’s and eight women’s races were cancelled, with five of those replaced.

At 37-years old Ryding had his best ever season last winter as he finished 7th in the slalom rankings.

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The Norwegian Ski Federation recently sent a report to FIS proposing changes to the World Cup calendar that it claimed would decrease the carbon footprint of international ski racing and help in the fight against climate change.

The suggestions include organising the race schedule in geographic clusters, postponing the start of the competitive season and establishing the first cluster of World Cup events in the USA.

The report suggests reduced long-distance travel will result in environmental benefits.

In January 2024 the International Ski and Snowboard Federation released its strategy on tackling climate change within the organisation.

We reported on it at the time: