Ski World Cup 2029 in South Tyrol? That's it

“Yes, we discussed the topic too. Basically, it has to be said that it is not yet clear whether we will actually submit our candidacy,” says Wolkenstein Mayor Roland Demetz. Discussions have been ongoing since March, reports Demetz.

Rainer Senoner, the OC president of the Val Gardena Ski World Cup, spoke to the president of the Italian winter sports association FISI, Flavio Roda, about whether Val Gardena and Val Badia should try to run for the Alpine Ski World Cup in 2029. We have also already spoken to Governor Arno Kompatscher. Clubs, tourism clubs and associations commented positively on this in a declaration of intent to FISI. Now she has to answer what she thinks about it. Joint candidacy The aim is for both valleys to run together. “But if we can’t do it together, then Val Gardena should do it alone,” says Demetz, “we have the conditions and the slopes, certain infrastructures are there, they just need to be improved.” This interest has already been communicated to the Wolkenstein local council: “I don’t know that anyone was against it,” says Demetz. In Abtei/Badia, however, there is no consensus.

The Wolkenstein local council must deal with the issue and make a decision at the latest when it comes to the formal candidacy, for which funds would then have to be made available. “It wouldn't be necessary to expand the competitions themselves,” says Demetz, “because nowadays an Alpine World Ski Championships is no longer as huge an event as it used to be, it's much quieter - it's more than just a World Cup race, “But you don’t have to completely overhaul the entire valley.”

Some infrastructure could be expanded with a view to a World Cup, which would be urgently needed, says Demetz: The Oswald von Wolkenstein cultural center is now 50 years old, and traffic in the valley is also a problem. “I suggested running for office in 2003 after the World Cup in St. Moritz,” says Demetz. But St. Moritz set the bar so high that it was recognized that a comparable World Cup would not be possible in Val Gardena.

“Nowadays, world championships are awarded under different criteria and the requirements are no longer as high,” says Demetz. He rejects a comparison to the 1970 World Cup: “Back then there was nothing in Val Gardena. Today places are being chosen where you can hold a World Cup without having to turn everything upside down.” Eternal duel with Sestriere Demetz has some regrets: In 1992, a candidacy for the World Ski Championships was rejected in a referendum in Val Gardena, and the World Championships were then held in Sestriere in 1997. “If we had tackled the candidacy, we might have had the Val Gardena railway for a long time,” says Demetz: “They invested 300 million euros in Sestriere at the time. If we had run, we would have won the World Cup,” Demetz is convinced. By the way, Sestriere also wants to apply for the 2029 World Ski Championships.

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Ski World Cup 2029 in South Tyrol? That's it

“Yes, we discussed the topic. “Basically, it has to be said that it is not yet clear whether we will actually submit our candidacy,” says Roland Demetz. The mayor of Selva mentions a possible candidacy of Val Gardena and Val Badia for the 2029 World Ski Championships.

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