Andy Varallo: “The system worked in Sölden”

In the following short interview, Varallo reveals what he observed in Sölden and how the preparations for the two races on the Gran Risa on December 20th and 21st are going. Mr. Varallo, how did you follow the start of the World Cup in Sölden? Andy Varallo: “As a member of the Future Mountain International Foundation, whose founder is OK boss Jack Falkner, I was lucky enough to be able to experience the races on site in Sölden. What immediately struck me was that the space that is normally available to around 20.000 spectators was needed to accommodate athletes, service people, media and volunteers in the so-called bubble according to FIS specifications. The organizers in Sölden worked seriously, the system worked. In terms of atmosphere, the races were certainly not an experience - not even for the athletes. But it is important that you could see that the snow situation on the glaciers is excellent and that skiing is possible again. This is also an important sign for the tourism sector. “ “We will hold the races without fans” How are the preparations going in Alta Badia? “Similar to the organizing committee in Val Gardena, with which we have been in very intensive contact over the past few months, we have also worked with four different scenarios. Finally, there were two plans for how we could implement the event: one with a reduced audience and one completely without spectators. After in-depth meetings with our stakeholders, we have come to the conclusion that we will hold this year's races on the Gran Risa without fans. We have a meeting with the FIS this week where our project will be finally approved. Then we can start with the final planning and implementation. But we are on schedule.” How difficult is it to plan a World Cup stage in times like these and what are the biggest challenges? “The difficulties so far have simply been that we had no planning security and had to prepare several options. Now that we know what direction we are going in, we can finally put the plans into practice. Of course, the financial aspect is also a big question mark. Fortunately, the state government supports the World Cups in South Tyrol. She has already emphasized the importance of these events several times and will help us where necessary. That makes us all sleep a little more soundly.”

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Andy Varallo: “The system worked in Sölden”

The World Cup opening last weekend was a first benchmark for the entire ski circuit. No wonder that Alta Badia's OC boss Andy Varallo was on site in Sölden and looked closely at the Rettenbachferner to see how his colleagues in North Tyrol were implementing the FIS guidelines.

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