Levi World Cup slalom races cancelled: millions in losses anticipated for local entrepreneurs

FIS inspector unimpressed by snowmaking potential, despite weekend frosts

print this

The Lapland ski resort of Levi suffered a major disappointment at the weekend when the FIS Race Director for the men’s technical events Hans Pieren resolved on Sunday morning that next weekend’s men’s and women’s World Cup slalom events would have to be cancelled. The reason given was a lack of snow and too great a risk that the competition slope could not be made ready in time.
      Although there was optimism late last week when the snow cannons finally went into action on Friday after an exceptionally mild autumn, it turned out to be too little, too late.
     
By Sunday morning, when the final inspection was made, the temperature had gone down to -10°C, but even so the prognosis from the Finnish Meteorological Institute was not good.
      The weather forecast for the early part of this week was for warmer weather that would preclude the effective use of snowmaking equipment, and FIS and the local organisers did not dare take the risk.
      On Sunday, the upper part of the Levi Black slalom slope had only 30% of the required amount of snow, while in the middle section of the course the level was 60%, and in the finish area it was the full 100%. Snowmaking on the upper part of the hill had also been hampered by strong winds preventing the artificial snow from laying properly.
      Pieren said the decision, taken together with the local competition organisers, was a heavy but unanimous one.
      Levi was to have hosted the season’s first slalom races on Saturday (women) and Sunday (men). FIS has now made alternative arrangements, and Levi’s place will be taken by Reiteralm in Austria.
     
The autumn and early winter in Levi has been exceptional by any standards, with the only recent point of comparison being in the early 1960s.
      The decision to cancel is likely to cost local businesses at least five million and possibly as much as 10 million euros in lost revenue, as hotels, restaurants, and retailers will not see the expected influx of customers.
      On a more general level, the entire area has just lost an excellent opportunity for raising its international profile. The events would have been televised - and last year’s slalom races in Levi were seen by an estimated 120 million viewers.
      The competition organisers were naturally bitterly disappointed, even though there were the usual insurance policies in place to safeguard against such an eventuality.
     
Although in a sense it is a blot on the Finnish winter sports escutcheon to have to abandon an event such as this, there are no fears that Levi will lose the right to stage future FIS World Cup events: the resort is in the provisional FIS calendar until 2011-2012.
      Besides, Finland is in good company - far more famous resorts than Levi have had to hold up their hands in the face of capricious weather and global warming.
      Last year’s opening event in Sölden, Austria had to be cancelled because of overly warm conditions, and Sölden’s racing is on a glacier with the start at 3,038 metres above sea level!
      In an ironic twist, Sölden’s loss in 2006 was Levi’s gain, as Levi then opened up the entire Alpine skiing season last November. And the racing took place in temperatures that were decidedly on the chilly side: -16°C.
      The Alpine classic competitions at Kitzbühel have also had difficulties with the climate in recent years, and last season’s ski-jumping calendar seemed at times to have more cancellations and reschedulings than actual competitions, albeit that high winds are more often a factor than lack of snow.
     


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Cold weather predicted: relief in Levi over FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup event (2.11.2007)
  Levi ready for FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup - but where is the snow? (30.10.2007)

Links:
  Levi
  FIS pages

Helsingin Sanomat