All that for this ! Criticized for several weeks for their impact on the environment, the Zermatt-Cervinia ski events, scheduled for this weekend, were finally canceled. The fault was heavy snowfall and strong gusts of wind which forced the best downhillers in the World Cup to stay warm.
The stage at the foot of the majestic Matterhorn, on the border between Switzerland and Italy, was to launch the season for speed specialists. Alas, it has only attracted criticism since environmental associations, in October, denounced in court the use by the organizers of excavators digging in the Théodule glacier to prepare the track, partly outside the domain. skiable. The images then illustrated the extensive artificialization of the mountain to hold the race.
The Zermatt stage seems cursed. Already last winter, the events – the first cross-border events (departure in Switzerland, arrival in Italy) in the history of the world circuit – had to be canceled due to lack of snow, this time at the bottom of the route. A height on a glacier, symptomatic of the accelerated climate changes taking place in the mountains.
The Frenchman Johann Clarey was moved. “This race is nonsense (…) I don’t know if we are giving a very good image to our sport,” criticized the Olympic downhill vice-champion, who was withdrawn from the circuit at the end of the winter. Alexis Pinturault was also reserved. “This competition, especially at this time of year, is meaningless. The test is not in keeping with the times. It shocks everyone,” the combined world champion told Swiss media 20 Minutes in mid-October.
“Put groceries later.”
Among skiers, many are asking the International Ski Federation (FIS) to adapt the World Cup calendar in the face of climate change. The NGO Protect Our Winters has just sent a new petition to the FIS, after the one signed by more than 500 winter sports athletes at the beginning of the year, including American superstar Mikaela Shiffrin, to denounce the ecological aberrations and the inaction of the federation.
Mountain professionals note year after year the arrival of snow later and later. One of the options mentioned would therefore be to postpone the start of the World Cup to avoid seeing event cancellations become the norm at the start of the season. “There is no or little snow at Christmas in certain resorts while there is some in March and even April,” observes former German slalom skier Felix Neureuther in an interview with L’Equipe. So to make people want to go skiing later than before, we also have to hold races later in the season. »
The problem is that the FIS does not want to postpone meetings that it considers essential for the ski industry by launching equipment sales and resort reservations for the end-of-year holidays. Sooner or later, however, she will be forced to do so: the 2023-2024 World Cup season has still not started for the men. Before Zermatt-Cervinia, it was the traditional stage of Sölden, in Austria, which had to be canceled at the end of October. A few flakes had fallen on the Rettenbach glacier, but the wind then got the better of the inaugural giant slalom.