Ski flight crisis in Vikersund: Financial worries are impossible!

Ski flight crisis in Vikersund: Financial worries are impossible!

In the Scandinavian Vikersund, the ski flight competitions threaten to disappear into insignificance due to massive financial losses. This year the losses amount to 3.8 million Norwegian crowns, which corresponds to around 315,000 euros. So far, the event attracted only 6000 spectators, which increases the concerns of the organizational committee. Leif Arne Berget, the head of the committee, emphasizes the need for collaboration in the spring and summer months to clarify the future of the ski flight area, although there were cost reductions and there are other economic challenges.

Despite an existing announcement that the hill will also be found in the World Cup calendar in 2026, the question remains whether it is also financially viable. The persistent challenges of the audience interest and the high costs for snowmaking and maintenance represent serious risks. In addition, the world record of Domen Prevc was exceeded this season, which indicates the competition and the sporting dynamics.

weather -related cancellations

Last Saturday, bad weather conditions caused considerable interruptions in the Skiflug World Cup. Both the premiere of women and the men's competition had to be canceled. With wind speeds of up to 13 meters per second, the race directors decided that the conditions for the athletes were not acceptable. Andreas Widhölzl, the head coach of the ÖSV men, supported the decision for security reasons. The World Cupiter Stefan Kraft expressed that he did not expect a competition and hoped for better weather for the addendum on Sunday at 11:05 a.m.

The program for women, on the other hand, remains unchanged: a competition is planned for 10:00 a.m. CET, while the men compete in two rounds on Sunday. The first duel begins at 11:05 a.m. with one round, followed by a second competition at 3:30 p.m., which is carried out in three rounds.

economic context of winter sports

Winter sports in regions such as Vikersund represents an important economic factor. Every year, millions of people visit the ski areas that not only offer a variety of winter sports opportunities, but also create numerous jobs in the hotel industry, restaurants, retail and service sector. For many alpine regions, these income is an essential source of income, which also leads to infrastructural improvements.

The yields from winter tourism allow municipalities to expand their streets, railways and leisure facilities. These economic impulses are not only limited to the high season; Even outside of this time, the communities benefit from investments that increase the attractiveness of the regions and attract additional visitors.

The challenges in front of which the ski flight area is in Vikersund seem to be an example of the narrow interactions between winter sports and regional economy that contain both opportunities and risks.