You know the pictures from ski flying in Planica: 20,000 spectators and more line the hill. At the Nordic World Ski Championships, that’s a long way off. The organizers had announced a big party in advance. But now they have to admit that they miscalculated. Efforts should be made to keep losses as low as possible. The world association is planning changes.
The second week of the Nordic World Ski Championships in Planica has arrived, the competitions on the hills and on the cross-country ski run are in most cases exciting right to the end and very successful from a German perspective. However, something is missing at the World Cup: the hoped-for crowds.
In the run-up, the organizers had counted on almost 150,000 to 200,000 spectators. Based on the ten days of competition, that would be 15,000 to 20,000 per day. But the reality is completely different. When the mixed team fought for the medals in Nordic combined, around 500 spectators were there. Also in ski jumping there were only about 200 more. These are not the numbers you are used to from the Nordic World Ski Championships.
Geiger and Hennig disappointed with the popularity
Hermann Weinbuch, national trainer in Nordic combined, sees it this way: “It’s a pity that there are so few spectators. I would have wished for a little more atmosphere and feeling. That was otherwise more.” Vinzenz Geiger had hoped for images similar to those seen in ski flying. Cross-country skier Katharina Hennig is also disappointed: “It’s a cool backdrop here in the mountains, so I thought more spectators would come.“With the prices that are being asked, it is not easy for many people to afford it these days, the team sprint Olympic champion suspects.
Seat for just under 100 euros
She has mentioned an important factor. Of course, in times of inflation, many people watch their wallets. And the tickets in Planica are anything but cheap. On Sunday, when there were three decisions, 99 euros had to be paid for a seat. Even the cheapest standing room cost 64 euros. Afternoon tickets, which allow entry from 3 p.m., are only available in the standing areas along the course or in the outrun of the ski jump and cost 33 euros for an adult. “I accept the opinion of people who have decided it’s too expensive“explains Enzo Smrekar, President of the Slovenian Ski Association, during an appointment with the local press.
But he doesn’t want to be badmouthed by the numerous reports on the subject of spectators. “We get praise“, says Smrekar, who describes the organization of the World Championships, the preparation of the competition venues and the feel-good factor for athletes and media representatives as the three most important goals.
Organizers oriented themselves to previous World Cups
Similar prices – of course depending on the club and ticket category – you have to pay for a game in the Bundesliga. In Planica, however, you have to travel extra and are usually there for more than one day. So it is not just a day ticket and there are additional costs for accommodation and travel. And of course the hoteliers around Planica have significantly increased their prices for the World Cup period. Of course, this also affects the willingness of fans to travel. In Kranjska Gora alone, up to 70 percent of the booked capacities are said to have been returned by Scandinavian travel agencies.
According to Smrekar, the pricing of the various packages was based on comparable destinations and other world championships. You want to collect impressions and comments until the end of the World Cup and then evaluate them. For Tomasz Sustersic, Secretary General of the World Cup Organizing Committee, “especially the fans from the German-speaking area – Germans, but also Austrians.” Smrekar agrees: “There are practically no Germans. Is it because there weren’t any good results before the World Cup?” If you look at the results of the ski jumpers in advance and those of the Nordic combined, this conclusion is simply wrong. The impression on the hill is also different. Especially among the German and Austrian athletes, the mood was among the best, on a level and sometimes even higher than the Slovenes themselves.
Norwegians criticize long distances
There was feedback from Norwegian fans that there was no space for a traditional Norwegian village and that the distances between the competition venues and the party zones were too great, explains Smrekar. That would have deterred many. But one thing is clear: the organizers themselves expected more viewers: “The fact is that there are fewer fans than we wanted.”
The reason why so few viewers come from the host country itself has not yet been analyzed. With an average gross wage of just over 1,600 euros, prices could of course be the decisive factor. However, Smrekar also admits that it was assumed that only a few locals would come to certain competitions: “To be honest, we didn’t expect many Slovenes to compete in cross-country skiing and Nordic combined.“Past experience has shown that.
Road to Planica tedious for trailers
But the journey to Planica is also a bit tedious if you are not an active person, a supervisor, a VIP or a media representative. If you come with your own car, you have to walk 2.5 kilometers, if you arrive by shuttle bus, ticket holders have to walk 1.6 kilometers to the ski jumping stadium and about two kilometers to the cross-country skiing stadium. And the whole thing with a steady incline, which causes a somewhat heavy breathing even with a person in their mid-thirties at the finish. A few beads of sweat form on the forehead even when the temperature is below zero. Many older spectators could have given up the trip for this reason, and the grandparents of some athletes have also canceled because of this, according to DSV circles.
FIS wants to inspire more locals in the future
Similar to the organizers, the world association FIS does not want to talk about a bad World Championship because of the lack of interest. “We knew that Planica has one of the best Nordic centers in the world. The competition facilities are excellent, the venue is compact. I saw perfect organization on site, the venues, the VIPs, the catering, the necessary infrastructure to carry out TV broadcasts are excellent. I’m not saying that just like that, but because of my many years of experience“, explains FIS General Secretary Michel Vion.
Nevertheless, the world association also notices the low capacity utilization, but this is “no end of the world. It shows that Slovenians are more fans of ski flying“. Now the FIS wants to draw its conclusions from the unsatisfactory situation. For future events – the next Nordic World Ski Championships will take place in Trondheim in 2025 – they want to concentrate more on the local fans.”The viewer base is said to be domestic“, says Vion, who puts the figure at around 60 or 70 percent.
Advance sales for ski flying are in full swing
Smrekar explains that the organizers are saddened by the lack of interest, especially since advance sales for ski flying are at record levels. But you’ve done everything you can in preparation and there’s nothing to blame yourself for. The Slovenian association wants to bear possible default losses, the state should not be burdened with it. But everything will be tried to win the World Cup with a “positive zero” To be concluded. Negotiations will be held with all suppliers and contractors for this. Perhaps the ski jumpers will still ensure a full hut at the weekend, when there is no flying on the large hill, but there is a long jump.