In Saalbach, the night becomes day, not only when the après-ski-gaudi takes over. You just have to drive through the valley to Hinterglemm, where the floodlights show you the way from afar in the darkness. The twelve -kogel slope had been illuminated in the past two weeks until late in the evening, night skiing was announced and gave an idea of what the future of ski racing could look like.
At the town of the World Ski Championship, which comes to an end here on Sunday, they want to break new ground. As could be experienced in the Hinterglem district, the organizers are striving to be represented in the World Cup permanently, with a world first. In the history of skiing, a descent or a Super-G at night is to be held for the first time. So far, this is only available in slalom, giant slalom and in the parallel formats. Maybe, according to Wolfgang Quas, the marketing manager of the Saalbach tourism association, knew at a meeting, the Glemmtal could in future replace Bormio as a World Cuport. The appointment in northern Italy “wobbles”, said Quas. It is conceivable in Saalbach “a speed competition that could also take place at night”, even if the idea is still “very vague so far”. Basically, only floodlights in the upper part of the Zwölferkogel are missing. Can you think that is good? Or do you have to raise the warning index finger immediately?
The skiers are the focus of the climate debate – other sports should be viewed just as critically
From this World Cup in Saalbach, the message also remains that the ski world is changing progressingly, which at least the parties involved have obviously accepted here. The organizers of the World Cup – the team around Quas and the Austrian Ski Association – are important to change things in such a way that skiers can get into the gondola with a better conscience in the future. According to the figures of the tourism association, the range of public transport, new bus terminals, better and faster connections was used much better than expected. This would have been difficult to imagine a few years ago. As was to be guessed at the World Cup classic in Kitzbühel a few weeks ago, where tens of thousands arrived by train, more and more skiers are moving on the rail when arriving. Those who appreciate winter sports and take care of their future viability can applaud.
The ski scene has long been the focus of the climate debate. The truth includes that other professional sports are viewed relatively less critically. In motorsport, on cycling and insane car fleets, with more and more footballs on the world, there is rarely asked about ecological footsteping. Warm winter and white artificial snow bands in the green show the most pointed as to how global warming affects.
It is good that the pictures are shown. With all of this, however, it should not be neglected that professional ski racers are only one of tens of thousands of actors who contribute to global warming. Which does not mean that the ski circus should take responsibility, on the contrary.
Good news of this Ski World Cup is that you have embarked on a more environmentally friendly way in Saalbach. For example, when it comes to promoting public transport. The arrival of the skiers must be significantly higher when evaluating the sustainability performance of a winter sports event than everyone else. Alone because the emissions of the cars on the arrival and departure to this ended around three quarters of the environmental impact. The more ski areas and their infrastructure develop in cooperation with rail and bus providers, the better. Saalbach has given the goal of becoming “100 % energy self -sufficient”, says Wolfgang Quas. This would also undoubtedly go out of a good message: that new ideas and sustainability can get along.