Marius Robyr and Hugo Steinegger, the two executive directors for the Crans-Montana bid to host the 2027 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, took advantage of the fact that Michelle Gisin and her partner, giant slalom skier Luca de Aliprendini, were staying on the Valais High Plateau to pay tribute to her. The gold and bronze medallist at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games has been a charming and effective ambassador for the bid. Throughout the bid phase, Michelle Gisin managed to constantly draw the attention of the ski world to Crans-Montana’s many assets. She was also a charismatic, passionate and convincing actress in the film that was presented to the FIS Council just before the election - To view the film > https://www.cransmontana2027.ch/en/home/ > The Bid Film

Photo : Luciano Miglionico

There was something of a preview of the 2027 World Championships on the Haut-Plateau on Sunday 19 June, when many former and current ski stars gathered in summer temperatures. Crans-Montana Tourism together with the Association of Communes ACCM organised a party to celebrate the victory of the Swiss bid, and the whole population was invited to the event, where stars from the world of skiing were also present.

25 May 2022 will be remembered as a great day for Swiss skiing. On that evening, at a meeting in Milan, the FIS Council gave a green light to the joint bid by Swiss-Ski and Crans-Montana to host the 2027 Alpine World Ski Championships. Twenty-six days later, the entire local population was invited to celebrate the success of the bid with music, and in the company of past and present great skiers, other celebrities from the world of snow sports, and representatives of the local authorities. 

The Ycoor Plaza was the scene of an aperitif featuring specialities from Valais, followed by a retrospective of the impressive Swiss success in the 1987 World Championships, which were held in the same venue. Back then, Swiss-Ski won 14 medals in Crans-Montana, including eight of the ten gold medals at stake. Vreni Schneider, gold medallist in the slalom at the time, looked back on this historic event with Karl Alpiger (bronze in the downhill) and Michela Figini (silver in the downhill and super-G).

Mélanie Meillard, Luca Aerni and Dionys Kippel then took the floor to express the importance of these new home World Championships for today's athletes, 40 years on. Michelle Gisin, official ambassador for the 2027 World Championships, was also virtually present at the ceremony. The skier from Obwalden played a central role in the bid video.

Marius Robyr (Executive Director of the bid) and Hugo Steinegger (Deputy Executive Director of the bid) were honoured for their great services to Crans-Montana and alpine skiing in the presence of Swiss-Ski President Urs Lehmann, Christophe Darbellay, Councillor of State for the Canton of Valais, and the presidents of the municipalities Nicolas Féraud (Crans-Montana), Martial Kamerzin (Icogne) and David Bagnoud (Lens). Robyr and Steinegger will remain president and vice-president of the World Cup organising committee for the next few years, with the involvement of younger, proven forces. However, Marius Robyr will no longer play an active role in the 2027 World Championships. Together with Hugo Steinegger, he was elected to the Honorary Presidium of the World Championships 2027. Unfortunately, the latter had to stay away from this wonderful party due to an accident requiring rehabilitation.

Swiss-Ski president Urs Lehmann will be President of the World Championships organisation, which will consist of four members from Swiss-Ski and four members from Crans-Montana/Valais.

Video: SkiActu / DEPREZphotos sa 

What a thrill!

Since the FIS President opened the envelope and officially awarded the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships to Crans-Montana, the entire destination has been in a state of excitement. This prospect motivates and brings together the entire population of the Valais, who wish to celebrate this great victory.

A festive day will therefore be held on
Sunday 19 June
to celebrate the designation of Crans-Montana as host of the 2027 World Championships.

You are all welcome to this beautiful day,
which will take place at Ycoor in Crans-Montana.
This is the programme:

From 10:30 am
Aperitif offered

11.30 am
Official ceremony with personalities from the world of sport and politics

From 12.15 to 17.00
Catering, bars and concerts

Come and join us to celebrate and participate in the symbolic and popular launch of this great event.

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!

(Advertising in French only)

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