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Published: Wed May 21, 2008 2:00 AM MDT

The organizers of the 2012 FIS Ski Flying World Championships and the 2013 FIS Alpine, Nordic, Freestyle and Snowboard World Championships will be elected by the FIS Council on Thursday, May 29th. The announcement of the elected organizers will take place at the Westin Grand in Cape Town (RSA) at approximately 19:00 CET.

FISh is pleased to present brief portraits of the five candidates for the 2013 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships (in alphabetical order). Due to the large total number of the candidates, the candidates for the 2012 Ski Flying and 2013 Freestyle and Snowboard World Championships will follow on 21st May.

Falun (SWE): Candidate for the 2013 Nordic World Ski Championships

2013 is likely to be remembered as the best ever in the history of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Sweden is one of the worlds best event managers something we have demonstrated many times. Most recently with the success of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in re in 2007.

The candidate venue for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2013 is situated in Falun, Sweden. We are modifying it and adding to it. The jumping hills, of course. But also a large media center. We are developing both the finishing lines and the spectator areas.

The arena is compactly designed, allowing spectators to stay in direct and continuous touch with what is happening, while providing ideal conditions for TV coverage. The event organizers, Falun and Sweden, are determined to ensure that the world can participate, too. Sweden has for decades been considered one of Europes leading IT nations. We mean to confirm and demonstrate this in 2013.

We also enjoy a close association with the Swedish public service broadcaster - Sveriges Television (SVT)- which has established a reputation as a leading light in the TV presentation of sporting events.

We are well prepared. We are experienced. We are ready to go to work. The world, FIS and the sport of skiing need truly exceptional FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 2013.

For more information, visit www.falun2013.com

Lahti (FIN): Candidate for the 2013 Nordic World Ski Championships

The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahti in 2013 would mean two weeks of winter sports excitement with high-quality organization in all aspects of the event.

All competitions are planned to take place at the Lahti Sports Center a compact venue with all important areas and facilities. By 2013 the venue will see many significant improvements: a modernized normal hill, new courses and a service building for cross-country, extension of the exhibition center, a coaches tower, wind nets, improved stadium set-up and a new spectator area at Karpalo, etc.

All changes are made to protect the environment. Building permanent facilities decreases the need for temporary construction during the championships. This means that not only the competition conditions are at a championship level but that athletes, media, sponsors, spectators and officials will be provided with brand new facilities that do not exist elsewhere. The TV-compound, MPC and IBC are all located inside the Great Hall. In Lahti there is the capacity to serve more than 7500 VIPs and Special Guests at the same time.

Moreover, the Athletes Village at the Sports Institute of Finland provides the teams with common accommodation in a compact and peaceful environment with practically endless possibilities for training, relaxation and recreation. A new fast railway connection to Lahti has brought the Helsinki metropolitan area only 48 minutes away from Lahti - just one of the reasons that underline the target of 375,000 spectators on site.

For more information, visit www.lahti2013.com .

Oberstdorf (GER): Candidate for the 2013 Nordic World Ski Championships

A wonderful reunion in Oberstdorf in 2013!

Oberstdorf is prepared to set another benchmark in the history of Nordic skiing with the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 2013.

For more than 50 years, Oberstdorf has demonstrated its skill and competence through the organization of numerous World Cup events and FIS World Championships as host of large sporting events at the highest international level. Both the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 1987 and 2005 were unforgettable moments in the annals of the Nordic ski sports. It comes therefore as no surprise that, in 1987, Marc Hodler called Oberstdorf Holmenkollen of the Alps whilst Gian Franco Kasper named it the Mecca of Nordic skiing in 2005.

With its modern stadium facilities in the midst of a wonderful mountain landscape in front of the Allguer Hochalpen, Oberstdorf offers a breath-taking atmosphere and setting.

A total of 750,000 spectators participated in a Nordic ski festival without frontiers in Oberstdorf in 1987 and 2005! This is the tradition that Oberstdorf 2013 has set out to continue while breaking records against its unique scenery.

Oberstdorf is ready to experience another celebration of Nordic skiing together with all the athletes, officials and large numbers of spectators in 2013.

For more information, visit here http://tp.posta-nova.fr .

Val di Fiemme (ITA): Candidate for the 2013 Nordic World Ski Championships

After the successful experience of 1991 and 2003, Val di Fiemme presents its candidacy to organize the World Championships for the third time. The 1991 World Championships can be considered a real milestone, as the event was organized south of the Alps for the first time in the history of Nordic skiing. It was an unforgettable debut, followed by another world experience for Val di Fiemme in 2003. The 2003 championship was a “sunny” event from every point of view, as FIS President Gian Franco Kasper stated during the FIS Congress in Miami in 2004 when the “final report” on Fiemme 2003 was presented. There were no clouds in Val di Fiemme from 18th February 18th to 1st March, neither in the sky nor on the organization”.

On the basis of those words and the successful event, Val di Fiemme is now looking for another new prestigious appointment, betting on its organizational skills, a team of qualified volunteers and the famous hospitality tradition of the valley and of the Trentino region as a whole. Val di Fiemme is the Italian cross-country skiing capital and a world renowned tourist destination in the heart of the Dolomites. The cross-country skiing centre at Lago di Tesero and the ski jumping stadium in Predazzo are the main “monuments” of a valley that has had and continues to have great skiing talents such as Franco Nones, Giorgio Vanzetta and Cristian Zorzi.

For more information, visit www.fiemme2013.com .

Zakopane (POL): Candidate for the 2013 Nordic World Ski Championships

The first FIS World Ski Championships took place in Zakopane in 1929, followed by 1939 and 1962. We have been waiting for the opportunity to host another championship for over fifty years now. In the meantime, Zakopane has proved that it is capable of organizing even the most prestigious sporting events, such as the FIS World Cup in Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined, and the FIS Junior World Championships.

Zakopane has a special location on the map of Europe. It is here that the devotees of winter sports from the European Union member states meet with the ones from the countries only striving for its membership. It is us who open Europe to the east; it is us who say that there are no border lines for people joined by common passion and dreams! In Zakopane, one frequently hears English, German, Russian and Ukrainian spoken on the ski slopes and in cafs.

We believe that granting the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 2013 to Zakopane will be the crowning achievement of the efforts for a common Europe. The road from Zakopane will lead further, straight to Sochi, to the Olympic Winter Games in 2014. Should the Nordic World Ski Championships in 2013 take place in Zakopane? We have no doubt they should. Zakopane is the city of athletes and people fascinated with sport where each child skis and many families boast beautiful competitors traditions.

Poland has been a member of the European Union for four years. It is a continuously developing country, modern and friendly. Such is also Zakopane. Our city is situated in one of the wealthiest and fastest developing regions of Poland. Whatever winter sports enthusiasts associate with Chamonix, Aspen or Val di Fiemme, they will also find in Zakopane. Modern ski infrastructure, immaculately clean snow from November to May and many sunny days a year are a guarantee of successful FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Zakopane in 2013. Come and see for yourselves. Youre invited!

For more information, visithere http://tp.posta-nova.fr . Read the rest of this entry »

Published: Wed May 14, 2008 2:00 AM MDT

McLean, VA (May 8, 2008) — The snow sports products market grew by $280 million to reach $2.97 billion for the 2007.08 season, up from approximately $2.69 billion in all channels last season. Equipment sales were relatively flat in specialty shops and chain stores but increased by more than $40 million in online sales. Apparel sales increased by more than $100 million with snowboard tops and parkas selling very well in all channels. Kurt Widen, KJUS USA COO says, The US market is challenging especially in these difficult economic times. However, snowfall is a great equalizer in our market, and early snowfall in the 07/08 ski season helped jump start sales in our segment. This along with strong sell through and continued growth in awareness of our relatively young brand positioned us well for the 08/09 order season where we saw a 27% increase over last year.

Healthy sales of helmets, goggles and snowshoes led increases in accessories sales that grew by $64 million this season in specialty shops and online. Its hard to imagine a better season in the accessories business. We sold out of helmets and our goggle supply was similarly tight thanks to a season where every region had record snowfall and every resort was open, states Blair Clark, SMITH Optics, Sr. VP, Marketing and Sales.

Chain store sales were not measured in 2006.07, however, in the 2005.06 season, total chain sales reached $537 million and this season they increased to $616 million. Trending was used to estimate total chain store sales at $578 million for the 2006.07 season.

2007.08 Seasons Trends

Twin Tips
Twin Tip skis sold well in every channel and more than 75,000 new pairs were sold this season. The most popular place to buy a new twin tip ski was in a specialty shop where the average price was $355.63. Almost 30,000 clicked online to buy their twin tips between August and March this season where the average price was slightly lower at $304.51 and online customers and specialty shop customers probably paid about the same amount for their twin tips once shipping costs were added into the online price. Fewer skiers purchased their twin tips in chain stores; just 6,300 were sold in that channel this season. Twin tips do not sell well as integrated systems; more than 95 percent are sold as flat skis with bindings sold separately.

Cross Country Equipment
This seasons heavy snowfall created excellent conditions for cross country skiing as reflected by the 26% increase in cross country equipment unit sales. In fact, Nordic skiers purchased more than 114,000 new pairs of skis, 135,000 pairs of boots, and 107,000 cross country bindings this season.

Helmets
934,000 skulls have new protection this season as helmets sales reached record levels. Specialty shops sold about three quarters of all helmets purchased throughout the snow sports market this season at an average price of $81.68. Online customers paid an average of $70.47 for their new helmet and chain stores sold helmets at an average price of just $67.64 but fewer than 20% of the helmets were purchased there.

Snowboard Tops
In apparel, snowboard tops led the charge with more than $173 million in sales representing a 12% increase in dollars sold in the specialty channel and more than 142% gain in dollars sold in the Internet channel. However, specialty shops are still the place to shop, just 14.5% of all snowboard tops sold were sold online this season.

Snowshoes
The weather conditions were right across the country for snowshoeing this season and many headed outside wearing new snowshoes. Snowshoe sales topped 200,000 pairs this season, a 20 percent gain in units sold.

Sales by Channel

Specialty
The Specialty channel was the largest sales channel with $1.86 billion in sales, 60% of industry total. Apparel sales in specialty shops increased by more than 6% this season with snowboard apparel leading the way. Accessories sales increased by more than 7% as heavy snow drove helmet and snowshoe sales up significantly. Equipment sales in specialty shops were relatively flat this season but twin tip skis and cross country ski equipment flourished.

Internet
Sales in the Internet channel grew 75% in dollars this season. The Internet channel totals include sales made by companies that have no brick and mortar locations as well as the online sales made by specialty shops that sell on their shops websites and record those sales separately from in-store sales. The dramatic growth in this channel represents more accurate measurement of these sales as well as the changing behavior of consumers and of retailers. Many Internet-only shops have their roots in catalog sales. These clicks-only shops formerly sold products by catalog (phone and mail order) before the Internet made catalog shopping even more convenient for shoppers who cannot, or will not come into a shop to buy products.

If there is one category in this high growth channel to highlight, it is equipment. While apparel and accessories sales grew by more than 40% each, equipment sales increased by more than 75% in dollars. Sales of alpine skis were exceptionally strong with 121% growth in units sold, thats more than 111,000 pairs of skis sold online. Flat skis, particularly twin tips sold well online with 138% growth in dollars sold. Adult bindings sales increased by 155% in dollars, and sales of boots did equally well with more than 75,000 units sold. Apparel sales increased by 37% in units led by parkas and snowboard apparel. Accessories sales also increased dramatically in this channel to $120 million.

Chain Stores
The Chain stores sold $616 million in snow sports equipment, apparel and accessories. End of season data on the top lines is compared to 2005.06 season data because SIA did not measure sales in chain during the 2006.07 season. Using simple trend lines, we can now estimate sales in this channel for 2006.07 at $519 million. Equipment sales were flat at $150 million this season but there were some notable exceptions; juniors skis, poles, and boots sales, carry-over skis, boots, and bindings, cross country equipment, and randonee/AT equipment sold well in the chain stores. Apparel sales were up 16% in dollars over sales during the 2005.06 season, and accessories sales increased by 23% in dollars over the past two seasons.

SnowSports Industries America (SIA) is a not-for-profit trade association whereby competing on-snow product suppliers magnify their power, by working together, for the development of the on-snow sports industry. For more information, check out www.snowsports.org.