Arne Baumann, general secretary of the Norwegian Ski Association, said in an interview with the ERR that to maintain the success of traditional winter sports, they need to be brought closer to the people.
The owners of the Norwegian Ski Association are the ski clubs and their surrounding associations. The union has 158 employees, including full-time and part-time employees. They come both to the office and to the “field” to support the athletes, and no less important is the work with young people. There is always work to do when recruiting new skiers for your sport.
The ski association’s budget amounts to around 400 million Norwegian kroner (approx. 35 million euros), a considerable sum. 90% of this money comes from our supporters and 10% from our government. Government funds go to young skiers to support people’s activities.
The sport that shows the greatest activity receives more funds from the Ski Association. The work must be done both with top athletes and with children who want to play sports. Our funding is directed by the activities of the areas themselves.
All the volunteer work at the ski clubs is really what makes us successful. That’s where all the skiers come from. We work at the top of the pyramid. The better the skier performs, the more we support him from the ski association. The most active activity takes place at the various ski clubs, and we remember that they are voluntary.
How do Norwegians generally rate winter sports?
We have questionnaires to get an idea. At the same time, perhaps the most important thing is to read the press, because the media attention on winter sports in Norway is simply amazing. This is where the good stories come from, but of course also all the criticism.
Last Easter, an article about skiing as the main sport in Norway was published in major newspapers. 1.6 million people indicated skiing as their first preference.
Your viewing preferences depend on which TV channel broadcasts the sport. If the transfer takes place on a paid channel, the interest is lower. For us it is important to reach the large public canals on skis.
How do you see the future of winter sports in Norway? What are the next steps?
Many new sports have emerged, such as randonnee, which involves skiing in the mountains. It’s worth watching. But the question here is probably more about how we should develop traditional sports and how to keep them successful. That’s what we really need to focus on. When we televise cross-country skiing or a dual race, it is important to hear the voices of the coaches on the sidelines to help people better understand what is happening. That’s pretty much what the Drive to Survive series did for Formula 1. I think there’s a broader global lesson in that.
2023-12-03 16:04:00
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