(Jasna, October 18, 2023) - The World Cup in Jasna is not only an opportunity to showcase the world's best female skiers but also a chance to present Slovakia in various ways. We discussed this with Martin Paško, the President of the Slovak Ski Association (ZSL).
What is the significance of organizing the World Cup in Jasna for us?
"From a professional perspective, within the association, we call it the F1 in skiing in Slovakia. There won't be a bigger sporting event in Slovakia in 2024. It has aligned very well with the January date (January 20-21), so we have the prerequisites for it to turn out the way we all desire."
What makes the January date better compared to the March date when Jasna last hosted the race?
"In January, the quality of climatic conditions is always at its best. It's true winter. In March, you can already feel spring approaching, so the effort required to prepare the slope 100% is enormous."
Would you like to see the World Cup returning to Slovakia regularly?
"It's always a big challenge to organize it. We have had numerous negotiations and strategic discussions with the International Ski Federation. It's no coincidence that we managed to move the date to January. We aim to organize the World Cup regularly, but not annually. We would like to have it every three years. The process involves several resorts. The next in line is Špindlerův Mlýn, partly because our partner TMR is active in both Špindl and here. We still need a third resort to ensure that these three resorts will alternate in this date. More often than every three years may not be possible in our case. Slovakia economically prepares for such a major event every three years."
How difficult is it to find partners for organizing such an event?
"We approached it differently this time. Previously, our partner was INFRONT, a large foreign company responsible for international partners. But thanks to what happened within the new association, we decided to present Slovak partners, i.e., Slovak companies. I must say it had a very positive response, even though negotiations were challenging. After the COVID-19 period, companies are not in significant surplus. Nevertheless, they are interested in us and are eager to be associated with skiing. Today, I can say that we have secured the event economically. With confirmed partners, we can organize it."
How does the state view this?
"What happened in the spring has complicated the situation for us. However, experts at the relevant ministries recognize the importance of outdoor sports for youth. They want to provide examples and role models to encourage them to be active and move, regardless of whether it's skiing. It's crucial to draw them away from flashing screens. Both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Transport, responsible for tourism, see the opportunity to broadcast the live event to 150 million viewers worldwide as an amazing opportunity to present Slovakia as a destination with much to offer."
Can we say that the event will have a global and wide-ranging impact on the entire region?
"Definitely, and we are trying to explain this to the state and state authorities. It's not just a competition where they might contribute to us. We aim to quantify the economic benefit for the entire region and the whole country."
What budget is the organizing committee operating with?
"To meet the parameters required by FIS and to show our appreciation to all the fans we have in Slovakia, we are budgeting 3.8 million euros."
Are we successfully filling it?
"Although we are fighting with it, we are succeeding."
