We must work with organizers and not fight with them to increase turnout. But if nothing happens, we have to act and respond, he says Sandro Bertil, Racing Director of the International Ski Federation (FIS).
There were plans to have a hopping party in Lysgårdsbakken this weekend. Polish Mikey and DJ Ocho were among the artists brought in to make sure things went well in Lillehammer.
For the Poles in the DJ duo, the crowds of fans are specifically known for bombarding them with pressure and putting the finishing touches on ski jumps all over Europe. On the weekend, it was one of the many entertainment features during the Jumping World Cup weekend.
The only problem was that there were few performances to be had in Lillehammer, either for them or for the world’s jumping elite.
– It is far from what it should be, says Lillehammer Olympia Park managing director Per Olaf Andersen about the overall attendance.
President: Per Olaf Andersen, Managing Director, Lillehammer Olympia Park.
Photo: Geir Olsen/NTB
This is not the first time that audience attendance in Lillehammer has decreased. Therefore, the organizer took measures to upload content during the World Cup weekend.
Among other things, it concerns entertainment, sound systems and the Polish company responsible for the production of the arena.
But in the huge arena, which was filled with tens of thousands of people during the Olympics in Lillehammer, there were few bystanders when Stefan Kraft cheered after the victory. It was also very cold this weekend.
– It’s sad. We want it to be a great life with full grandstands and a good atmosphere when there is skating. I think Lillehammer did well considering the conditions, but you know it’s a December weekend before Christmas. Then we saw in the past that it is not easy to put people on the ground, says NRK jump expert Anders Bardahl.
Stefan Kraft won the big hill race in Lillehammer on Sunday. Here is the final jump of the competition. There were fewer participants towards the end of the competition, which was affected by the extremely cold weather.
Image: Screenshot from NRK broadcast
Under the magnifying glass
The regulator does not have the final numbers ready. They had previously sold just under a thousand tickets. Andersen estimates that there were a total of 1,400-1,500 spectators who bought tickets during the World Cup weekend.
– Our main impression is that it is a good weekend. “But we wanted more people to experience the party atmosphere and good artists,” Andersen says.
He points out that the television picture “lies” a little when the audience is spread out over a very large area and there is also an audience tent on one side of the ground.
– But we are honest that we want more audiences, says Andersen.
Television images showed that crowd attendance appeared somewhat better during the regular downhill race on Saturday.
Glisne’s runways are something the International Ski Federation (FIS) monitors. The FIS’s racing director, Sandro Bertil, says there is strong competition to organize World Cup races.
– definitely. We are in a situation where some organizers cannot be included in the race calendar. That’s the point, Bertil tells NRK.
Bertil looked like the TV ticket in Lillehammer. But he says public attendance also influences who can keep their chutes in the future.
Sandro Bertil, Race Director, International Ski Federation (FIS)
Photo: Geir Olsen/NTB
He believes it is too early to assess the situation at Lillehammer and that it is something they will have to do after the season. But he noticed a drop in attendance and this had happened before as well.
– There were not many contributors. We have to evaluate what happened when you are exposed to a situation like this. Like I said, the temperatures were pretty cold, Bertil says It indicates that it is important for them to work with the organizer to raise the event.
But he stresses that something must happen. Bardal thinks the same thing.
– Firstly, Jamb Norway must reach the point where an athlete can win, and in addition there must be some Poles fighting at the top, because Poles help create life, he says.
Hope for recovery
In Lillehammer, they hope their event will be good enough that the FIS will continue to keep the former Olympic city as a fixed stop in the future as well.
-We don’t feel threatened. As long as there is a dialogue with the administration of the Islamic Salvation Front about the measures we take. There was a reason we invested so much, but the cost of the grant was high. Now we’ve gained some experience, says Andersen.
Who wins the World Cup race will be decided at the International Ski Federation’s spring meeting.
Stefan Kraft won the race in Lillehammer on Sunday.
Photo: Geir Olsen/NTB
Andersen believes that attracting up to 10,000 spectators one day during a World Cup event within three years is a natural target.
“We hope that in a year, two or three years, people will understand that this is a much bigger experience than just show jumping,” says Andersen, noting that show jumping itself is broadcast very well on the TV channel.
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