“Go” for Ski Flying World Championships in Oberstdorf
(twß). One week before the start of the FIS Ski Flying World Championships 2008, the organisers in Oberstdorf give their “Go” for the title competitions from 21st – 24th of February.
First of all, the International Ski Federation (FIS) just in time issued a new certificate for international competitions for the Heini Klopfer Ski Flying Hill, which was reconstructed for about 1.3 million Euros. Wolfgang Happle, President of the FIS Sub-Committee for Jumping Hills, thoroughly inspected the facility on Wednesday and gave best marks: “The reconstruction works have been carried out perfectly. The tower was broadened, which offers a lot more room and more safety to the athletes.”
Secondly, Oberstdorf had perfect weather conditions. It has not been snowing for weeks in the Allgäu region, but with temperatures of around minus 10 degrees, artificial snow in sufficient quantities could be produced in the past nights. The inrun and the outrun are already covered with snow. Even in the case of a period of warm weather, there will be large snow depots. “The World Championships can come,” says the pleased OC President and President of the Ski Club Oberstdorf, Claus-Peter Horle.
In the Ski Flying Arena Oberstdorf, people are working hard to be prepared for the many spectators. Up to 80,000 spectators are expected to come to the four-day event. Tickets for the seating and VIP areas were in high demand for the highlight of this year’s winter. Secretary General, Stefan Huber, can however reassure the ski jumping fans: In the advance sale and at the ticket sales offices, there are still tickets available, says Huber. “The capacities in the standing areas are almost unlimited in the Ski Flying Arena.” Theoretically, up to 40,000 spectators can be accommodated around the outrun area in the remote Stillach valley – with only best views of the ski flying hill.
Further information in telegraphic style:
* Anniversary: The International Ski Federation (FIS) presents the 20th Ski Flying World Championships in Oberstdorf since 1973. The Heini Klopfer Ski Flying Hill has been venue for the international title competitions for five times now.
* Premiere under floodlight: A Ski Flying World Champion in an individual competition has never been crowned under floodlight before. For the TV suitable light, six pylons (28-40 metres high) with 170 spotlights were erected along the landing slope and in the outrun. The inrun track is lighted by 188 lamps.
* Participation: At present, 18 nations with about 80 athletes and 140 coaches, attendants and officials are registered.
* Media: The media interest is also enormous. About 400 representatives of TV, radio and press have asked for accreditation.
* Football meets winter sports: With the European Football Championships 2008 in Austria/Switzerland, the organisers have found the fifth main sponsor. Presenting sponsor is Jack Wolfskin, further main sponsors are Liqui Moly, Ricoh, OMV and Subaru. National partners are Allgäu-Marketing/TUI-fly,
Emmentaler and S.Cool.
* Special friendship: Without volunteers, you could never realise World Championships. For this event, more than 750 volunteers from all over Germany will come to Oberstdorf. There will be 20 volunteers even from Kiel (Schleswig-Holstein), which is 900 kilometres from Oberstdorf, to join the security team. They are members of the volunteer fire brigade of Kiel, take a vacation for one week and stay in the fire engine house of their comrades in Oberstdorf.
* Comprehensive social programme: As for the Nordic World Ski Championships in 2005, the Nordic Park in the centre of Oberstdorf will be the party mile for the Ski Flying World Championships. On Thursday night, there will be the official opening ceremony with a presentation of the world’s best ten ski jumpers. The World Champion of the individual competition will be celebrated on Saturday night during the award ceremony in the Nordic Park. Live music and a varied show programme round off the social programme.
Timetable:
Thursday, 21st of February 2008
14:00: Official training / 1st and 2nd round
16:30: Qualification
Friday, 22nd of February 2008
15:00: Trial round, individual
16:30: First scored round, individual (40 athletes)
17:45: Second scored round, individual (30 athletes)
Saturday, 23rd of February 2008
15:00: Trial round, individual
16:00: Third scored round
17:00: Final round, individual
20:00: Award ceremony, individual, Nordic Park
Sunday, 24th of February 2008
12:15: Trial round
13:45: First scored round, team
15:15: Final round, team
16:45: Award ceremony, team, and closing ceremony
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Should you have any questions, please contact our Media Coordinator Thomas Weiß:
Tel: 0049-177-6206337 / e-mail:
media@skifliegen-oberstdorf.com
World Championships Hill: TÜV passed - with best marks
One week before the start of the title competitions, ski flying hill gets new certificate
(twß). As the person responsible for the ski jumping hills of the International Ski Federation, Wolfgang Happle (66) from Benzheim (South Hesse region) is something like the technical inspector for ski jumping facilities. He travels round the globe with briefcase and yardstick, to test the 130 ski jumping hills in the whole world for their safety, to inspect their capability and to issue a certificate, if the inspection was successful.
Yesterday, Happle, who was a successful ski jumper himself in the 60s, came to Oberstdorf to thoroughly inspect the Heini Klopfer Ski Flying Hill, where the 20th Ski Flying World Championships will take place in one week. This inspection is called homologation in technical terminology – and simply means to approve a hill for the coming five years for international competitions. According to Happle, the reconstruction works of the past weeks “have been carried out perfectly”. Except for minimal reworks at the inrun (a sharp edge has to be trimmed for safety reasons), the hill is now in a “great state” and deserves best marks. The tower now offers substantially more room and safety to the athletes.
Happle, who by the way gave his name to the bar, from where the athletes start, is predestined for the safety matters at the ski flying hill in Oberstdorf. It was in Oberstdorf, where Happle almost made sports history during his active career in the years 1958 to 1968. During the Ski Flying Week in 1961, he surpassed the ten-year-old world record by the Finn, Tauno Luiro, by six metres, flew to 145 metres, but was not able to stand, touched the snow and fell. Disqualification instead of heroism. But Happle does not regret anything: “The main thing is I didn’t get hurt.”
That was the WC '08