Welcome To Dresden Weltcup. It’s Not Your Grandpa Skiing, It’s Different!

If you are a traditional fan of skiing, who’s imagination keeps on conjuring up all those images of snowy forests through which skiers glide, with vapor coming out of their mouths as they brave frosty remote-land – you won’t like the Dresden World Cup.

In fact, you probably would not be reading this as you have made up your mind already.

Dresden Weltcup is for an entirely different type of ski fan.

Do we dare to call it “generationally different”?

Here’s how:

No real snow? True – Europe is like that in the XXI century. But the Dresden organizers emphasize that their farmed snow is made out of rainwater carefully collected off the Dresden’s airport roof. Hear that, Greta?
No mountains or snowy forests? Who says it has to be? What’s wrong with Frauenkirche on background?
Nobody’s interested? Tell that to those thousands of fans – MORE than any other WC stage except Holmenkollen – who brave the elements to watch the races. And by the way, they all came on eco-friendly trains and trams, not old-fashioned gas-guzzlers

Dresden Weltcup is a rebel. It does things its own way – and by all indications it’s quite a successful way.

With a budget of well over a million Euros provided by the local parliaments ( city of Dresden and the Free state of Saxony) and big local businesses, it’s the most well-off WC stage on the circuit.

It’s growing and expanding with each edition – this year there are going to be paraskiers’ races and a Super Sprint event.

Television audience growth is through the roof: in all the key markets it shot up by more than 20% ( 60% in Finland!) in 2019 compared to 2018, according to the figures provided by the Weltcup organizers.

Most importantly for the future of skiing that is not at all obvious at this point in time, Dresden is showing a clear direction: spectators’ sport attracting fans and viewers who are not necessary active practitioners themselves, effortlessly entertaining and easy to access. And don’t forget that eco-aspect.

Way to to go, Dresden!

You may also like:  She Could Have Become Ski Star But Chose Very Different Path To Stardom

Related Posts