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A letter to the editor...Terje Haakonsen and Henning Andersen have released an official statement (call to arms more like-ed) on the cohesion of the international snowboarding competition circuit.
Photo by Tommy Solstad/TAC
As the Olympic slopestyle/snowboarding discussion is peaking, it is time to cast some light
on this future-defining topic for competitive snowboarding. This upcoming weekend the ski
federation FIS introduces slopestyle on the program, at the same time as the best slopestyle
riders are competing in Dew Tour. And the IOC is about to decide on whether they will
include slopestyle in the Olympic program or not. Some remarkable events have taken place
in the last year. Let us recap:
After the extraordinary TV rating success from the halfpipe contest in Vancouver, top cats from
IOC and NBC saw the potential in expanding the snowboard program at the Olympics. Seeing
the golden boy Shaun White go double at the next winter Olympics (Sochi 2014) would
be a ratings wet dream. In the fall of 2009, USA, Canada and New Zealand had prepared a
proposition for the ski federation FIS’ annual congress in Turkey, June 2010. The idea was to
prepare slopestyle for the 2018 Olympics by introducing it at the FIS Snowboarding World
Championships – the IOC requires two successful World Championships before considering
new sports for future games.
By then, the FIS delegates were euforic by the snowboard hysteria after Vancouver. They
jumped the conclusions and bypassed the requirements, and decided to speed up the process
by submitting an application to the IOC immediately – before having tired it out in a single
world championships. It is reasonable to imagine they felt confident that IOC would be
positive to an application.
The only problem was that IOC had lots on their plates in their next meeting, in Acapulco in
October. The most disturbing topic was women ski jumping; a nightmare for the Olympic
movement. Women ski jumpers have been fighting for years to enter the Olympics, but has
faced serious opposition both within FIS and IOC. Many believe women ski jumping (also
in the sports media) does not have enough participants, it is low on quality and the international
reach of the sport is not good enough. Women ski jumpers have also sued the IOC before the
Vancouver Olympics for discrimination, but they lost their case in the Canadian legal system.
Allowing snowboard slopestyle, as well as twintip ski halfpipe and slopestyle, before solving
the women ski jumping issue probably made the choice impossible for IOC. Rather than
submitting some sports and denying others, they made one statement for all: We will await
and see the quality of the sports at the upcoming world championships. FIS has several world
championships coming up this season; among them the Nordic Ski World Championships
in Oslo, the Snowboard World Championships in Molina, Spain and the Freestyle World
Championships in Deer Valley and Park City.
The only problem was that neither Molina nor Deer Valley/Park City had planned for a
slopestyle! Even worse: Deer Valley bans snowboarding on a general basis and they do not
have a terrain park! In Norway, where the snowboard federation is independent of FIS, and
are part owners of the TTR/WSF World Snowboarding Championships in 2012, this whole
situation culiminated in a public debate. IOC executive board member Gerhard Heiberg
admitted that IOC wanted to check out more than just FIS events when deciding upon the
quality of slopestyle. As FIS did not have slopestyle on their Olympic program, this opened
up for a new scenario in the debate; if the IOC could look at non-FIS events, could they also
approve these events as qualifiers for the Olympics?
Everyone working with top level snowboarding contest know how much the date conflicts in
Olympic qualifying years is hurting the sport. This has been bad before, but in 2013, when
riders are qualifying for both halfpipe and slopestyle, will be a nightmare. And this is the
fundamental problem of competitive snowboarding: It will never reap its full potential before
the Olympic issue is solved. Snowboarding is not a four-year cycle event. It is a daily operation
where progress is happening in all corners of the world – summer, winter, spring and fall. At
the moment the Olympic halfpipe finals is only good for the podium winners, IOC and the
broadcasters. It does not help the sport as a whole.
The date conflicts are the most apparent problem. This was cruely exposed when FIS all of
a sudden decided to include slopestyle in Molina – two months before the event! This was
obviously a move to impress the IOC before the slopestyle decision, but it was not a good
move for the sport: the slopestyle contest in Molina happens on excact the same dates as the
Dew Tour stop in Killington. All Dew Tour riders, being the best slopestyle riders in the
world, are long time signed for these events. Meaning the FIS World Champion in slopestyle
(and in halfpipe for that matter) will be crowned without the best riders attending.
Competitive snowboarding has a fantastic potential. Right now judging formats, slope design,
prize money, TV production/distribution and rider services is progressing fast in TTR events,
X Games and on the Dew Tour. These are the best events in the world. But they are outside the
Olympic family. As the biggest winter sports event in the world, we believe IOC holds a
corporate responsibility for directing the solution. This will not only release the potential of
the sport, but also speed-rocketing the quality of snowboarding contests at the Olympics.
All of us, including event organisers, FIS, IOC and federations, should find a solution for
the better good of the sport. Otherwise the losing party will be the riders; they will be forced
into making impossible choices between conflicting events in 2013 – on any given weekend
throughout the season.
We believe such a solution could be a common Olympic ranking, not sanctioned by FIS or
TTR, but a joint ranking list based on results from the best events in the world. By embracing
this, the IOC would take a credible position for the youth of the world and take charge in
the ongoing action sports revolution. We are willing to talk to find a good solution for the
sport. But we are also willing to keep fighting for snowboarding like we have done for over a
decade. The Olympic system for snowboarding is wrong; preserving the status quo is not an
option.
Terje Haakonsen
Henning Andersen
Owner and organiser of The Arctic Challenge
Posted by Online Editor - Wed, 19/01/2011 - 10:33am
Terje Haakonsen and Henning Andersen have released an official statement (call to arms more like-ed) on the cohesion of the international snowboarding competition circuit.
Photo by Tommy Solstad/TAC
As the Olympic slopestyle/snowboarding discussion is peaking, it is time to cast some light
on this future-defining topic for competitive snowboarding. This upcoming weekend the ski
federation FIS introduces slopestyle on the program, at the same time as the best slopestyle
riders are competing in Dew Tour. And the IOC is about to decide on whether they will
include slopestyle in the Olympic program or not. Some remarkable events have taken place
in the last year. Let us recap:
After the extraordinary TV rating success from the halfpipe contest in Vancouver, top cats from
IOC and NBC saw the potential in expanding the snowboard program at the Olympics. Seeing
the golden boy Shaun White go double at the next winter Olympics (Sochi 2014) would
be a ratings wet dream. In the fall of 2009, USA, Canada and New Zealand had prepared a
proposition for the ski federation FIS’ annual congress in Turkey, June 2010. The idea was to
prepare slopestyle for the 2018 Olympics by introducing it at the FIS Snowboarding World
Championships – the IOC requires two successful World Championships before considering
new sports for future games.
By then, the FIS delegates were euforic by the snowboard hysteria after Vancouver. They
jumped the conclusions and bypassed the requirements, and decided to speed up the process
by submitting an application to the IOC immediately – before having tired it out in a single
world championships. It is reasonable to imagine they felt confident that IOC would be
positive to an application.
The only problem was that IOC had lots on their plates in their next meeting, in Acapulco in
October. The most disturbing topic was women ski jumping; a nightmare for the Olympic
movement. Women ski jumpers have been fighting for years to enter the Olympics, but has
faced serious opposition both within FIS and IOC. Many believe women ski jumping (also
in the sports media) does not have enough participants, it is low on quality and the international
reach of the sport is not good enough. Women ski jumpers have also sued the IOC before the
Vancouver Olympics for discrimination, but they lost their case in the Canadian legal system.
Allowing snowboard slopestyle, as well as twintip ski halfpipe and slopestyle, before solving
the women ski jumping issue probably made the choice impossible for IOC. Rather than
submitting some sports and denying others, they made one statement for all: We will await
and see the quality of the sports at the upcoming world championships. FIS has several world
championships coming up this season; among them the Nordic Ski World Championships
in Oslo, the Snowboard World Championships in Molina, Spain and the Freestyle World
Championships in Deer Valley and Park City.
The only problem was that neither Molina nor Deer Valley/Park City had planned for a
slopestyle! Even worse: Deer Valley bans snowboarding on a general basis and they do not
have a terrain park! In Norway, where the snowboard federation is independent of FIS, and
are part owners of the TTR/WSF World Snowboarding Championships in 2012, this whole
situation culiminated in a public debate. IOC executive board member Gerhard Heiberg
admitted that IOC wanted to check out more than just FIS events when deciding upon the
quality of slopestyle. As FIS did not have slopestyle on their Olympic program, this opened
up for a new scenario in the debate; if the IOC could look at non-FIS events, could they also
approve these events as qualifiers for the Olympics?
Everyone working with top level snowboarding contest know how much the date conflicts in
Olympic qualifying years is hurting the sport. This has been bad before, but in 2013, when
riders are qualifying for both halfpipe and slopestyle, will be a nightmare. And this is the
fundamental problem of competitive snowboarding: It will never reap its full potential before
the Olympic issue is solved. Snowboarding is not a four-year cycle event. It is a daily operation
where progress is happening in all corners of the world – summer, winter, spring and fall. At
the moment the Olympic halfpipe finals is only good for the podium winners, IOC and the
broadcasters. It does not help the sport as a whole.
The date conflicts are the most apparent problem. This was cruely exposed when FIS all of
a sudden decided to include slopestyle in Molina – two months before the event! This was
obviously a move to impress the IOC before the slopestyle decision, but it was not a good
move for the sport: the slopestyle contest in Molina happens on excact the same dates as the
Dew Tour stop in Killington. All Dew Tour riders, being the best slopestyle riders in the
world, are long time signed for these events. Meaning the FIS World Champion in slopestyle
(and in halfpipe for that matter) will be crowned without the best riders attending.
Competitive snowboarding has a fantastic potential. Right now judging formats, slope design,
prize money, TV production/distribution and rider services is progressing fast in TTR events,
X Games and on the Dew Tour. These are the best events in the world. But they are outside the
Olympic family. As the biggest winter sports event in the world, we believe IOC holds a
corporate responsibility for directing the solution. This will not only release the potential of
the sport, but also speed-rocketing the quality of snowboarding contests at the Olympics.
All of us, including event organisers, FIS, IOC and federations, should find a solution for
the better good of the sport. Otherwise the losing party will be the riders; they will be forced
into making impossible choices between conflicting events in 2013 – on any given weekend
throughout the season.
We believe such a solution could be a common Olympic ranking, not sanctioned by FIS or
TTR, but a joint ranking list based on results from the best events in the world. By embracing
this, the IOC would take a credible position for the youth of the world and take charge in
the ongoing action sports revolution. We are willing to talk to find a good solution for the
sport. But we are also willing to keep fighting for snowboarding like we have done for over a
decade. The Olympic system for snowboarding is wrong; preserving the status quo is not an
option.
Terje Haakonsen
Henning Andersen
Owner and organiser of The Arctic Challenge