Details

The newly elected board, appointed in October 2024 and led by President Rainer Senoner (OC Val Gardena), along with Vice Presidents Jan Überall (OC Kitzbühel), Thomas Rechberger (OC St. Moritz), and Ole Kristian Kirkerud (OC Kvitfjell Hafjell), looked back on an eventful winter in the presence of various organizing committees. It was a season in which Club5 members hosted no fewer than 37 World Cup races and one replacement race out of 39 scheduled events. Only two races had to be cancelled due to weather conditions.

There was praise from the highest levels for the successful staging of the majority of the Alpine World Cup races. FIS President Johan Eliasch attended the Club5 plenary meeting and lauded the organizers for their tireless and exemplary efforts. Similar praise came from FIS race directors Peter Gerdol (women) and Markus Waldner (men), who even referred to it as the "best season ever." This was attributed to various factors, such as improved calendar planning beforehand. However, significant efforts and investments were also made by the organizers themselves. The organizers expressed their regret and incomprehension regarding some of the public criticism made by a few athletes over the course of the winter—particularly regarding course conditions, which they said ultimately harms the sport itself.

Voting rights in FIS commissions secured

The board members also informed the attending organizingcommittees that they had successfully obtained a representatives in the sub-committees of the Alpine sector and are actively participating there. “Our main goal is to gain a seat for organizers on the FIS Council. That would be a further upgrade for our mission. A prerequisite is to join forces with organizers from other disciplines. Initial discussions have already taken place, and more will follow,” said Rainer Senoner.

After presenting Club5’s financial figures, the highlight of the session was the admission of two new members, bringing the total number of organizing committees in the association to 21. These are St. Anton am Arlberg and Sestrière. “Both venues have a long and successful history. They enhance our association, and we look forward to a successful collaboration,” Senoner concluded the assembly.

What is Club5?
Club5 was founded in 1988. At that time, the five classic downhill venues in the Alpine World Cup—Kitzbühel, Wengen, Garmisch, Val Gardena, and Val d’Isère—were to be grouped under a single umbrella and marketed together. The goal was also to better convey the high quality of these events in the media. Over the years, additional organizers have joined. Today, the association consists of 21 members: the World Cup organizers of Adelboden, Alta Badia, Åre, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Crans-Montana, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Gröden, Jasna, Kitzbühel, Kranjska Gora (men), Kranjska Gora (women), Kvitfjell, Madonna di Campiglio, Schladming, Sestrière, Soldeu, St. Anton, St. Moritz, Val d’Isère, Wengen, and Zagreb.

Contact for the media:
Rainer Senoner
Club5 President
+39 335 328086
rainer@saslong.org