2015 VAIL BEAVER CREEK FIS WORLD ALPINE SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS:
The third time was indeed the charm for the Vail Valley when FIS President Gian-Franco Kasper announced to a crowd of 1,000 Congress delegates in Antalya, Turkey June 3, 2010 that Vail and Beaver Creek would host their third World Championships.
Going into the vote announcement, most anticipated that the voting would be extremely close as Cortina, Italy seemed to have gained considerable momentum in the closing days. However, when the vote tally was revealed, Vail/Beaver Creek was victorious on the first ballot, garnering the necessary 8 votes, while Cortina recorded 4 and St. Moritz, Switzerland 3.
The announcement set off a raucous celebration within the 18-member Vail/Beaver Creek delegation, with tears of joy flowing freely as a wave of emotion washed over the entire group.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be able to represent the United States and the Vail Valley through this victory,” explained Ceil Folz, president of the Vail Valley Foundation, from Antalya. “We knew from the outset that we had our work cut out for us with three world class candidates and only one 2015 Alpine World Championships. We congratulate St. Moritz and Cortina on their campaigns and it is truly an honor to be considered along with these great resorts. We can’t wait to get home and share this with our community.” That opportunity came on July 20 as the 3,000 members of the Vail Valley community came together at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail to celebrate the win. The energy was high as adult participants grabbed 2015 bumper stickers while their children got their faces painted.
An unexpected (and unannounced) guest, new German FIS Council member Alfons Hoermann was in attendance and reported back to the FIS office in Switzerland that he was very much impressed by the excitement in the Vail Valley for the Championships.
Now, the real work begins, however, with just under four and one half years until the world comes calling again. Major plans for the Championships include the construction of a new women’s Downhill course in Beaver Creek, adjacent to Birds of Prey, along with the construction and relocation of a new Red Tail Restaurant that will serve as the Main Media Center for the Beaver Creek events.
In conjunction with these two projects, the Red Tail Finish Stadium will be reconfigured to create additional space. This project will involve moving the current timing building to the opposite side of the racecourse and re-grading the finish area.
The dates for the 2015 World Championships will be finalized by the FIS Council at their November meeting, with the preferred timeframe being February 3-15.
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