Bernd Schmelzer has been a winter sports reporter in the ski circus for decades. Now he has spoken to the 57-year-old about the changing conditions in alpine sports.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s melting glaciers, ski races that only take place on a thin strip of artificial snow or events that have to be completely canceled: when Bernd Schmelzer sees this, his heart “bleeds”, as he told his colleagues from “ntv.de” revealed.
“It’s a development that really makes you think. You then ask yourself: how much sense does it all still make? Does it still make sense?” continued Schmelzer.
Despite everything, the reporter legend believes “that it is worth fighting for this sport and against the negative image from outside”. The ski expert cannot understand every criticism.
“Of course it’s difficult and difficult to explain when I’m preparing a white ribbon to hold a ski race, but on the other hand there are dozens of football matches under floodlights every week. There’s no discussion, just teasing. That’s why the massive criticism is there a bit too one-sided in skiing,” said Schmelzer.
Ski: Alpine sport should not become Formula 1
Most recently, the focus was primarily on FIS boss Johan Carl Eliasch, who wanted to push through a mega race on the Matterhorn, regardless of the climatic conditions in the previous winter. There was a lot of criticism because there is currently too little snow, it is far too warm and the strong wind poses a danger to downhill skiers. The Ski World Association only gave in at the last moment.
“In fact, skiing has fallen a bit victim to megalomania,” analyzed Schmelzer. “Wanting to make the Alpines the Formula 1 of the winter, which was already up for debate, was and remains exaggerated,” said the TV reporter clearly.
The idea of trying something new, bringing about change, is “basically good,” says Schmelzer. “However, the way of communication, as it happened with the races on the Matterhorn, is devastating from my point of view,” said the 57-year-old.