Exclusive interview with race director Walter Hofer

​ Interview with Walter Hofer - SkiJumpingItaly

Photo credits Kathrin Müller © Skijumpingitaly

We have made plenty of interviews in the past but this is for sure our biggest one so far. He is the big boss; the one who decides everything. We had the pleasure to ask some questions to Mr. Walter Hofer - the race director of ski jumping. SkiJumpingItaly: How satisfied are you with the course of events of the last Summer-Grand-Prix?

Walter Hofer: The summer series of competitions was very much needed by both the athletes/coaches and FIS due to the fact that we have changed the specifications for the Ski Jumping suit and therefore we created a direct impact to the performance of Ski Jumping. Both, the athletes as well as our officials had to get adjusted to the new rules. But we are very satisfied with the development so far. SJI: Do you wish to have more live-broadcasts or more broadcasts of the competitions at all?

WH: Actually, according to the so called organizer agreement between the resp. Federations and FIS every Ski Jumping event has to be produced and broadcasted. Nevertheless, FIS is not in possession of the distribution rights. This is up to the federations who have the rights and carry out the events. But with the TV ratings we are among other winter sport disciplines on top level. SJI: What should be done in your opinion to make ski-jumping more popular?

WH: First of all we have to recognize that Ski Jumping is still a niche sport with regard to support from industry, tourism or mass sport articles. Therefore, we try constantly to develop and broaden our sport within the potential winter sport federations. We are always in progress. Now we would like to enter the east and Far East market (RUS, KAZ, KOR, CHN). But still the westerly hemisphere with northern America and Canada is another target for us.

SJI: Are you happy with the development of the ladies’ ski-jumping since there’s the ladies’ world cup?

WH: Very much. It has been a great development over the last few years. Next year we will approach the first Olympic Games that is a great aim of all our female Ski Jumpers. They themselves have shown within the last season that they are able to collect the attention of fans and they perform already on a very high level. SJI: What made you decide to have mixed competitions? Are you happy about the result so far?

WH: Team events in Ski Jumping are very popular in general. With Mixed Team events the FIS Jumping Committee has two goals in it's mind. First of all, we can combine some more nations who have difficulties to compose a purely men or women team. With the composition of two men plus two female it is much easier for some of the nations to provide and enter a competitive team. Secondly, the range of nations with the potential to be a medalist is much higher than before.… and one emotional reason: it creates great atmosphere for all parties involved to compete and celebrate together. We all like it vey much.

SJI: The Continental Cup lives without wind- and gate-rules. Are there any aims to bring those rules into the COC? Where’s the advantage to not use those methods there?

WH: We are in constantly progress. It is in our intention, to do it on this level as well. But it is still very costly to do it on a professional level. Our organizer do a tremendous effort to make our competitions better in various fields. But everything takes preparation time.

SJI: After bringing the new jumping suits with a 0cm- tolerance instead up to 6cm into the game: On which aspects of ski-jumping will be the focus during the next years regarding changes or inventions of rules?

WH: This is always based on analysis we make after a resp. competition season. Our athletes and coaches are very innovative and we never know what the future will bring with regard to the appearance of the discipline. For the time being we are prepared to go through the next two years (including Olympic Games 2014) with the existing rules and without major changes.

SJI: What led to the changes of the sizes of the jumping suits and why was this rule adjusted, so that a 2cm- tolerance is allowed now?

WH: The main aim was to reduce the workload for both, the athletes, coaches, service personal and our officials. This has definitively been achieved during the summer experience. We just detected that if we would like to execute the strict rule with 0 tolerance (suit inner site must be 3 cm smaller than the body size, due to the thickness of material) than we are back to extensive control after the competition as well. Because even the suit looks tight, we would have to control the tightness. In order to get rid of this procedure, we modified the rule in a way, that it must still look tight, but we don't have to measure how tight it is. That is the reason.

Photo credits Kathrin Müller © Skijumpingitaly

SJI: The FIS offers financial help for smaller nations in ski-jumping so that they are able to be part of as much competitions as possible, e.g. seen by Korea and Kazakhstan. We consider this to be a great gesture and we are happy about that because in this way ski-jumping is seeing different in the world of sport, in a positive way. The big nations surely don’t need this help but what about the Italian team for example, which most of the time is absent from competitions outside Europe?

WH: This is first of all a question of description. Would anyone of you call Italy a small nation when it comes to look at Alpine or Cross Country skiing? What we can do and what we do is at least to keep the equality and fairness between the so called "big nations" and the smaller ones in a very balanced level. For example, with our quota system, the competition formats, the distribution of price money, regulations for equipment etc., we constantly try to keep equal conditions for everybody.

SJI: Speaking of Italy, what is your personal thought about what’s going on with the Olympic hills in Pragelato? How’s the current situation and do you think there are any chances in the future for ski jumping to come back to compete there again?

WH: I am really sorry, I have no latest info's. SJI: As race director we presume that you have to attend lots of different competitions outside the WC -when you are able of course. So this means you probably know about the situation of how this sport is improving or not amongst the youngsters. Do you see an improvement of ski jumping in the kids-area, and if yes: Which are the countries with a better improvement in this sport?

WH: Here I don't have to mention the leading Nations who also have a solid educational and developing programme. I am more focused on the potential we find in countries which were already involved in international Ski Jumping but due to political circumstances are not able to be on top level nowadays. But I really see a very positive progress to see Ski Jumping to go even more international compared to the last years. The aim is to attract more than 20 nations participating on international level. SJI: Let’s talk about the sponsors in ski jumping. How important is it to have someone like Manner or OMV ready to associate their names with ski jumping? And what kind of influence do they get inside this sport? Are there chances in the future for further partnerships with more sponsors, coming to help to make ski-jumping more popular?

WH: Here I have to admit, that the Marketing rights are also in possession of the resp. Federations. There are different ways and strategies to attract sponsors for the athletes, competitions and the major events like Championships. It is very important to have consistency especially in a discipline which is depending on financial support due to the fact I mentioned above. Therefore, for example, it is very important to see also World Cup sponsors like Viessmann, Hyundai, Konika, and OMV etc. in order to fulfill the expectations from our athletes and spectators during events. But none of these Sponsors have any influence into the sport itself. This is completely up to the FIS Committees where all the federations have their members nominated. SJI: Having such big names as sponsors, will the price money increase further?

WH: As I mentioned before, the competitions are the only one resource where Ski Jumping can generate money and financial support. Therefore, it has to be a balanced distribution of the income between the athletes and the needs and preparations we have to do with our organizer. Here our committees are in place where all parties involved are included (representatives from organizer and sports departments) in order to have a fair distribution of the income. SJI: We’ve had a look at the calendar and it caught our eyes that you decided to start the season in Lillehammer instead of Kuusamo. Why has there been this change of venue? WH: We instantly wanted to open the season together with all our athletes, male and females. Kuusamo is a great venue but with only one Large Hill. To combine all our strategy and competition formats with individual and team events for the season opening we need the hill sizes and infrastructure of Lillehammer.

SJI: Last question Mr. Hofer, can you tell us about your expectations for this upcoming season and most importantly: How do you think the World Championships in Val di Fiemme will be next February?

WH: Due to the approach to the upcoming Olympic Games in Sochi, the fluctuation between the potential winners after the summer series and the inclusion of new competition sites we do expect a very interesting and exiting competition season. I hope again that our fans both on site and on TV screens will enjoy again our beautiful sport. We are looking forward to meeting all of our fans soon. Val di Fiemme is one of the most experienced organizer and the stage of preparation we have seen during our final FIS inspection gives us the confidence to be able to host great competitions and celebrate a really winter festival.

Consuelo Conte & Peggy Kierstan @KokkaMufc @pikayartist

#news #interview #walterhofer #racedirector #fis