Race Director Juerg Capol and his newly expanded staff with Pierre Mignerey (Race Director Assistant), Sandra Spitz (Media Coordinator) and web responsible Michal Lamplot gave us the latest updates and information before the start of a new season. The most visible change from last season for both racers and spectators will probably be the new marketing concept. The four main sponsor packages were sold to Viessmann, BMW, Vattenfall and hopefully one more to be signed within the next month. Their branding will cover all our stadiums and intermediate timing points through the whole season. The idea is to create a common, recognizable and clean identity for the FIS World Cup, and hopefully over the years, increase the total value and interest in our sport.

The TDs and chiefs of competition discussed details of their planning for the upcoming winter's events and the jury members prepared themselves for a more consistent interpretation of our rules by discussing actual cases that had to be sanctioned last season. In the Rules Sub-Committee, important TD guidelines for our most common sanctions were decided. This will hopefully help our TDs on all levels toward a better and more common understanding of our rules.

Long-term calendar planning has been a goal for many years. In Zurich, the Sub-Committee for World Cup and Continental Cups agreed upon the most important frames of the calendars until the World Ski Championships in Falun 2015. Poland, with Szklarska Poreba, is a new site on the calendar in the season 2O12. If tests during this winter are positive, this might be a new uphill climb, though not as steep as in Val di Fiemme, and followed by a downhill.

Stay in shape, the winter is nearing day by day, and the World Cup season starts in only six weeks. Good luck to all!

Yours Vegard