Ski Ecrins Dp Fiches Janvier EN.Indd
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PRESS KIT EDITORIALS “After the resounding success of the European Championships in 2012 and the World Cup in 2011, The Écrins region and particularly the towns of Pelvoux and Vallouise will be host to the 2013 World Ski Mountaineering Championships. The nomination of our region for organising this major world event confirms both our territory’s exceptional potential but also the faith in the men and women who are involved in these major sports projects. After the Kayaking World Cup in L’Argentière-La Bessée in 2011 and before the Snowboarding World Cup in 2015 in Puy-Saint-Vincent, the Ski Mountaineering World Cup has slotted into a sporting expertise unprecedented in the Southern Alps, due to a booming sport that respects Summary the environment. I believe that this type of event could very soon be accepted as a discipline in future Olympic Games.” • Press informations Joël GIraUD Deputy Mayor of L’Argentière-La Bessée • Ski Vice-President of the Regional Council PACA mountaineering, the discipline • The World Championships, “The French Mountain and Climbing Federation is happy to welcome the 7th World Ski th th history and awards Mountaineering Championships that will take place from 9 – 15 February 2013. After organising the European Ski Mountaineering Championships last February 2012 Pelvoux, Puy Saint Vincent and Vallouise are preparing to receive a new major international • The events sporting event. Hosting such an event will once again be an opportunity to promote this booming sport. • The athletes A physical, modern and spectacular discipline, ski mountaineering brings together a wide audience of enthusiasts converging around strong educative and sporting values. I would like to thank the organizing committee, all sponsors, volunteers, athletes and • The Écrins spectators that contribute to this unforgettable event. This World Championships are a high-level test and springboard for this discipline! Have a great competition everyone!” • The organisers and sponsors Pierre YOU, President of the French Mountaineering • Information in and Climbing Federation addition • The results of the World Championships nation by nation “As President of the International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF) I am particularly proud of the French Mountain Federation (FFME) and the Écrins Hautes-Alpes Team who have • Zoom on the title taken on the important role of organising the 7th edition of the World Ski Mountaineering holders of World Championships. The vast experience of the FFME in organizing international events, Champion and alongside the passion of the men and women from the Écrins, the commitment of funding European Champion and resources of the organizing committee and the spectacular scenery of the Écrins Valley create a recipe that will make the event a huge success. Athletes, coaches and supporters are coming from the Americas, Asia and Europe. • Detailed profiles of While ensuring the International Federation’s support to the organizing committee before, races during and after the event to strengthen media coverage, I once again want to offer you my best wishes and congratulations.” • Ski mountaineering equipment, terms Armando Mariotta and techniques President of the ISMF ISMF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2013 - SKI MOUNTAINEERING - Press Kit Press contact : MORGAN RP - Morgan Le Lann : [email protected] - Tél. +33 (0) 6 10 42 22 04 FFME Press contact : Agence 15Love - Lucas Veron : [email protected] - Tél. +33 (0) 6 22 11 95 20 USEFUL INFORMATIONS FOR THE MEDIA Program 9th to 14th february 2013 Saturday 9th february Procession of the national teams Opening ceremony - 16h30, L’Argentière Sunday 10th february Team event - 8h45, Vallouise Monday 11th february SPRINT EVENT - 10h00, Pelvoux Tuesday 12th february INDIVIDUAL event, JUNIORS AND caDets - 10h15, Puy Saint Vincent Wednesday 13th february Individual event, seniors - 9h30, Pelvoux Thursday 14th february VERTICAL RACE - 10h00, Pelvoux Friday 15th february MEN’S AND WOMEN’S relays - 10h00, Puy Saint Vincent World Championships closing ceremony - 18h15, L’Argentière Tools for Press Press contact • Free pictures • 12’ movies • Daily web video report MORGAN RP - Morgan Le Lann • Helicopter images available [email protected] • Dynafit ski test center for press only Tél : +33 (0) 610 422 204 • Opportunity to learn discipline framed 229, av. JF Kennedy by high mountain guides F-73700 Bourg Saint Maurice • Possibility of individual interviews with athletes In collaboration with the PR agency of FFME : Lucas Veron - Agence 15Love [email protected] Press room Tél : +33 (0) 6 22 11 95 20 At the Hotel Edelweiss with access to wireless broadband. ISMF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2013 - SKI MOUNTAINEERING - Press Kit Press contact : MORGAN RP - Morgan Le Lann : [email protected] - Tél. +33 (0) 6 10 42 22 04 FFME Press contact : Agence 15Love - Lucas Veron : [email protected] - Tél. +33 (0) 6 22 11 95 20 SKI MOUNTAINEERING, DECIPHERING THE DISCIPLINE The majestic mountains. Ski mountaineers leave only tracks in the snow. Not using ski lifts respects nature and creates a pure sport in perfect harmony with the environment, distinguishing it from many other mountain sports. Competitive ski mountaineering is no exception to this rule. Competitors climb “eating up the vertical altitude”, without any mechanical assistance just their sheer physical and mental strength. Ski touring, a discipline that climbs In leisure this discipline is known as ski touring, where exploring the mountains is premium. Ski touring is strongly anchored in mountain history, as it is the only technique that enables you to go up and down slopes and cross ridges and gullies when the summits are covered with snow. For several centuries (the earliest representations of paintings in Norway date back 4000 years) ski touring has been a way of transporting people living in snow-covered regions. The Alpine Military adopted the technique at the end of the 19th century, when travelling in mountainous terrain, which subsequently became obligatory for all Alpine troops. Ski touring evolved into a leisure sport towards the end of the 19th century when civilians started exploring the massifs out of curiosity, and taking greater pleasure in the 1960’s. From then on the search for intensity and a taste for effort created a discipline in its own right, ski mountaineering, a very different experience to alpine skiing. Those who practice this sport are first and foremost accomplished sportsmen and women who find it the perfect complete sport for training and endurance. But the arrival of ski lifts marks the end of this craze, and the start of the joys of alpine skiing. However in the ‘80s the birth of such legendary races as the Pierra Menta (Arêche-Beaufort, France), the Patrouille des Glaciers (Zermatt-Verbier, Switzerland) and the Trofeo Mezzalama (Cervina- Gressoney, Italy) kick-start ski mountaineering, which is then lifted by a new enthusiasm and festive atmosphere. Over the last 10 years the sport has become well established in counting 80,000 to 100,000 individuals identified by the French ShOrT... Mountaineering and Climbing Federation, which has 82,000 members including 15 to 20,000 who practice ski touring. Nowadays anyone can make tracks in virgin territory, mostly thanks to the SKI evolution of equipment proposed by manufacturers. But fans are also mOuNTaINEErING concerned about environmental impact and want to avoid using ski lifts. Ski mountaineering races are extremely varied and they can be a IS : short outing of a few hours or a raid lasting several days, such as the famous tour Chamonix-Zermatt. a way of Recently the increasing numbers of ski tourers and new “freetouring” transporting discipline (that focuses on downhill and the search for virgin powder) has encouraged brands to develop the equipment and enabled the people sport to evolve. 80,000 to 100,000 individuals ISMF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2013 - SKI MOUNTAINEERING - Press Kit Press contact : MORGAN RP - Morgan Le Lann : [email protected] - Tél. +33 (0) 6 10 42 22 04 FFME Press contact : Agence 15Love - Lucas Veron : [email protected] - Tél. +33 (0) 6 22 11 95 20 Ski mountaineering, the Formula 1 of ski touring Ski mountaineering sees the ski touring elite gather together around the same competitive spirit. Top-level athletes train throughout the year to compete and win these competitions which have multiplied in recent years. Official competitions such asthe French Championships or the World Cup stages are considered compulsory. Every one of these events is difficult and challenging, requiring both endurance skills in the uphill and technical skills in the downhill. As one of the most comprehensive sports, competitive ski mountaineering sees the best athletes in the world participating, such as the Spaniard Kilian Journet Burgada or the French Laetitia Roux (European Champion, winner of the World Cup 2012), exceed themselves. Ski mountaineering is a relatively exclusive sport, with a humane dimension where all its sportsmen and women know each other, support each other yet compete against each other on equal grounds. Conviviality and competition are compatible and only sports with less media coverage enable this unifying power to excel oneself to be possible. A business in full development The democratization of ski touring and the growing number of ski mountaineering competitions has pushed manufacturers to develop appropriate equipment, quite distinct from alpine skiing or mountaineering. Today the vast majority of brands offer a “touring” proposition where you will find technical solutions to save users energy and to reduce weight. Less fatigue, increased performance. The weight issue is central, which is why all equipment that is developed nowadays is feather light. 1 for 7 is the ratio used, in other words; one gram less on the feet (Boots, skis, bindings) corresponds to 7 grams won in the backpack. in ShOrT... ThE hEaDlINErS : Kilian Jornet (Vertical Race World Champion 2012) laetitia roux (European Champion, winner of the World Cup 2012) ISMF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2013 - SKI MOUNTAINEERING - Press Kit Press contact : MORGAN RP - Morgan Le Lann : [email protected] - Tél.