That’s it! Forty years after 1987, Crans-Montana is once again the epicentre of world skiing. The International Ski Federation (FIS) council awarded the organisation of the 2027 World Championships to Crans-Montana on Wednesday. The world's best skiers will once again compete on the Haut-Plateau - 40 years after the memorable celebration of skiing in 1987. Thanks to a strong bid and excellent teamwork between the Bid Committee, the political authorities, the ski lifts company and Swiss-Ski, Crans-Montana was rewarded in Milan. The Valais resort prevailed in the 1st ballot with a majority of 11 votes. Narvik and Soldeu got 3 votes each, Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1.

“Obtaining the 2027 World Championships is the reward for the excellent work carried out by the whole team over the last few years," said Urs Lehmann, President of Swiss-Ski and Vice President of the Bid Committee. “Our project was the most convincing because everyone, from the municipality to the canton Valais, pulled together. We also had widespread support from the ski lifts company and the local population. The members of the FIS Council recognised and honoured this.” The 1993 downhill world champion is himself one of the decision-makers, and was therefore able to lend his voice to the Valais bid.

Nicolas Féraud, President of the Bid Committee, also referred to a "very high level bid" which made him "proud". The President of the Association of Crans-Montana Municipalities has already promised to "do everything possible to make the event memorable" and intends to take advantage of the experience gained from organising FIS World Cup events in particular. "The technical knowledge and enthusiasm of the local population for skiing are widely recognised in Valais, and particularly in Crans-Montana”.  

For his part, Marius Robyr expects "a magnificent festival of skiing that will attract over 200,000 spectators and, once again, there are sure to be breathtaking Swiss performances on the snow". The Executive Director of the bid underlines Crans-Montana’s "enormous experience", having organised World Cup and European Cup events almost every year since 2008. The Valais resort also successfully hosted the European Cup finals in 2009, and the World Junior Championships in 2011.

“The legendary Nationale and Mont Lachaux pistes have been completely redeveloped in recent years. Our master plan, which was drawn up several years ago, has paid off", says Hugo Steinegger, Executive Vice President of the bid. "A new, state-of-the-art, multi-functional finishing stadium will also be built before the World Championships.”

Now the bid is complete, it is also time to celebrate, says Marius Robyr and his team. The public will be invited to a big party on Sunday 19 June to celebrate the forthcoming World Championships in Crans-Montana.

Zoom Agency / DEPREZphoto sa, cransmontana

The Crans-Montana Ski Lift company (CMA), the Swiss Ski Federation (Swiss-Ski) and the Association of Communes of Crans-Montana (ACCM) have signed a tripartite agreement leading to the creation of an association. This agreement formalises and ensures close collaboration between the three stakeholders, notably in the framework of the bid to host the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Crans-Montana in 2027.

Initialled on 26 February in the presence of representatives of the three parties, the agreement formalises the creation of an association guaranteeing the general framework for the organisation and implementation of the Alpine World Ski Championships in conjunction with the submission of a bid by Swiss-Ski to the International Ski Federation (FIS).

In anticipation of and pending the official award of the contract (25 May), this agreement makes it possible to anticipate the legal, operational and organisational provisions that implementation of the event would represent. The preparation of competition infrastructure, logistics, transport and accommodation services, as well as security and other issues are defined in the association agreement, which also ensures the sharing of skills, knowledge and expertise as well as mutual support between the parties and members of the organisation.

It also provides for the creation of a committee consisting of a chairperson, members of the association mentioned above, and local representatives. This committee will also be responsible for establishing organisational rules, and dividing responsibilities between the committee and the management.

It should be noted that in addition to the objective of successfully implementing the event on an organisational level, the association’s agreement also undertakes to support the sustainable development of sporting, regional and economic interests of Swiss sport and the region of Crans-Montana and Valais.

For the ACCM Board of Directors, "this agreement reflects the three partners’ intent to work together to ensure successful organisation of the Alpine World Ski Championships. The municipalities of Crans-Montana, Icogne and Lens are delighted to be signing this important agreement ."

For Philippe Magistretti, CMA president, "this agreement not only enables us to allocate the logistical and operational skills required to organise a major event, it also demonstrates the spirit of unity around this sporting project, the objective also being to promote the assets of our destination in terms of tourism."

For the CEO of Swiss-Ski, Bernhard Aregger, the conclusion of this agreement is an extremely positive sign: "In the hope that the FIS will award the World Championships to Swiss-Ski and Crans-Montana, with this framework contract we have taken an important step with a view to organising this major event. The foundation stone has been laid so that 40 years after the last World Championships on the Haut-Plateau, major festivals can once again be held in Valais."

As the 2022 Ski World Cup season has just ended, Michelle Gisin, our ambassador for the 2027 Crans-Montana World Championships bid, has returned to her important role.

"I'm so happy with my season, it went really well. Thank you everyone for following me, for your support, you really are the best. Thank you so much! And now we're going to give it our all, we're going to go all out to bring the 2027 FIS World Ski Championships home to Crans-Montana."

Video: SkiActu

Here’s a glimpse of the mad weekend in Crans Montana where the best female downhill skiers in the world were able to enjoy ideal conditions on the Mont Lachaux piste. It was showtime !

The public gave their all to support their favourite skiers in the Valais sunshine. The races,which were followed by more than 30,000 spectators on site, were a real success, just a few days after the Olympic Games.

Crans-Montana is now hoping to be rewarded by the FIS, which could entrust the resort with the organisation of the 2027 Alpine World Ski Championships, 40 years after the legendary 1987 Championships.

Video: SkiActu

It was a great ski party!

A big thank you to all those who contributed in any way to the success of the Audi FIS World Cup ski races 2022 in Crans-Montana. Congratulations to you girls, you were fantastic!

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Frédéric Favre was delighted with the success of the 2022 World Cup races in Crans-Montana. The president of the Valais State Council had no hesitation in describing the weekend on the Haut-Plateau as "an additional asset for the bid", as the whole event went off without a hitch. "If anyone had forgotten what we are capable of, they’ll never forget again after this weekend's races. It was quite simply exceptional," enthused the fervent supporter of Crans-Montana's bid to host the World Championships in 2027.

Frédéric Favre promises "the FIS and the whole world" an extraordinary event in 2027. "We would organise a party of the same calibre every day of the two and a half weeks of the World Championships. The public here loves skiing, and Crans-Montana wants to experience all these wonderful emotions again. "

In aiming to host such a sporting event, the 42-year-old is also thinking of young people: "The World Championships would serve as a boost of energy for the future. The new infrastructure would be sustainable, and would benefit the young generation. The importance of milestones like these cannot be overestimated." However the other nations in the running shouldn’t be overlooked. "Three other candidates are in the running for 2027, so it won't be easy. But to have the World Championships back home 40 years after 1987 would be really great."

As a ski fan, Nicolas Féraud was naturally to be found in the stands for the two World Cup downhills in Crans-Montana last weekend. An attentive observer too, the president of the municipality of Crans-Montana - and also president of the ACCM – also enjoyed the enthusiasm generated by the competitions. "This year, there was even more enthusiasm than usual at the finish line, a special, energetic atmosphere. For Nicolas Féraud, the weekend's events were "a wonderful showcase for the 2027 World Championships bid".

It’s clear that for the president of the bid committee, Crans-Montana has got everything it takes to organise the biggest ski competition in five years' time. "On the one hand, for nostalgia's sake, we could be hosting the World Championships exactly 40 years after the last ones organised here. And in 1987, they were the most amazing World Championships that have ever taken place," Nicolas Féraud says with a big smile. "Plus we’re proud of our country and of course,of our region. We’re also proud of the welcome here, our expertise and how enthusiastic people in Valais are about skiing, particularly in Crans-Montana. "

The president of the municipality of Crans-Montana naturally hopes to "have the support of the majority of the FIS Council members" at the end of May, when the World Championships are attributed, so that "it’s Crans-Montana’s name in the envelope". Nicolas Féraud concluded his plea with these words: "Our bid is of an exceptional quality. We have everything required to do very well."

Deprez/Dubuis photos, cransmontana & Video (in french only): SkiActu 

A smiling Urs Lehmann spoke at the World Cup weekend in Crans-Montana. The president of Swiss-Ski was delighted that members of the FIS Council were in Valais. "They were enthusiastic and - just like the rest of us - experienced the emotion of the people here. I am convinced that Crans-Montana has left the best possible impression."

From the weather to the atmosphere at the finish line and the races, no mistakes were made, according to Urs Lehmann: "It was a real success. And the head of the federation, who is also vice-president of the World Championships bid committee, mentioned the motivation that exists in Switzerland: "We clearly want the 2027 World Championships in Crans-Montana. We’ll give our all for it."

Urs Lehmann, the 1993 World Downhill Champion, is optimistic. "Our bid came at the right time, the lobbying is going well and a lot of things have been done perfectly so far." The Swiss-Ski president hopes that "thanks to our high-quality bid application, we’ll be selected on our second attempt, which by far hasn’t been the case for all candidates in previous awards." At the same time, the Aargau native reminds us that it is important "to remain modest": "We’re certainly 100% convinced about our candidacy, however we don’t feel that we are the favourites. "

Deprez/Dubuis photos, cransmontana

The Secretary General of the International Ski Federation, Michel Vion, has been following the World Cup races in Crans-Montana very closely, as the Frenchman came to visit the organisers on the Haut Plateau this weekend.

 As a former skier who won gold at the World Combined Championships in Schladming in 1982, Michel Vion is also one of the people who is best placed to comment on Crans-Montana's bid for the 2027 World Championships. "This weekend I had the pleasure of seeing first hand how everything is going here. Crans-Montana is indeed one of four candidates, and in a few months' time, we will vote for the host resort. Everything counts, including of course the 2022 edition of the World Cup. "

And the FIS number two was particularly pleased with the way the two downhill races in the Valais resort went. "In Crans-Montana, you can really feel the experience. It's truly a World Cup classic. The good weather also contributed to the positive impression of course, as did the enthusiasm of the public. The fans are really present here, it's not just a ski race. And the athletes also feel the great atmosphere here."

Video: SkiActu (in French only)

The Olympic champions in Beijing, Michelle Gisin, Corinne Suter and Lara Gut-Behrami were all congratulated by the Organising Committee for the World Cup races in Crans-Montana. The golden Swiss trio each received a wooden sculpture of a fox, a reference to the ‘trou du renard’, or foxhole, a key section of Crans-Montana’s Mont Lachaux piste.

Michelle Gisin and Corinne Suter received their prize in person, to the applause of the Valais spectators. The two young women particularly enjoyed celebrating their Olympic medals with fans on the Haut-Plateau, and will no doubt find a special place at home for their brand new wooden companions.

Deprez / Dubuis photos, cransmontana & Vidéo: SkiActu (in French only)