The future of ski jumping and Nordic combined in Canada is still up in the air after the major players were unable to come up with a solution that would guarantee funding for both sports, as well as a long-term facility.
On Feb. 3, representatives from Ski Jumping Canada, Nordic Combined Canada, the Calgary Olympic Development Association (CODA), the 2010 Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC), the Canadian Ski and Snowboard Association (CSSA) and Sport Canada met in Calgary to discuss the options for keeping these Olympic sports alive. Although all sides presented their views and several options were tabled, no agreements were reached.
"It’s up in the air," said Brent Morrice, the chair of Ski Jumping Canada. "The future of ski jumping and Nordic combined in this country is definitely in a bad state right now."
The first blow to ski jumping and Nordic combined came in December when CODA announced that it was cutting $150,000 in funding from each sport. Furthermore, they said they would ask the federal government’s permission to close the ski jumping facilities at Calgary Olympic Park, a legacy from the 1988 Games that CODA pledged to keep open in exchange for the lands. The estimated cost for running the facility is $250,000 annually, although approximately $750,000 in upgrades are required on the existing jumps.
The second blow came two weeks ago when VANOC confirmed that it was no longer building a permanent jumping facility, including summer training facilities, in the Callaghan Valley, as specified in the bid. Instead, the facility will be taken down shortly after the 2010 Games.
According to VANOC CEO John Furlong, it was a tough decision to make.
"The job we have is to do the responsible thing," he said. "We have decided for now that we are building the venue we have to build for the Games. We are watching what is going on in Calgary, we are watching what is going on with the sport, and we will do the best we can to get a result that is the right one."
For Morrice, the time is running out with CODA cutting funding after March 31. In addition, CODA has not said whether or not it will keep the Calgary jumping facility open for summer training until they have an answer from the federal government.
VANOC’s decision came as a surprise to Ski Jumping Canada, Morrice says – if CODA was successful in closing the Calgary facility, Ski Jumping Canada had planned to relocate to the Whistler facilities once they were completed.
"That means there’s no legacy, and in the bid book there were legacy commitments to each and every one of the sports, and what we’re hearing now from VANOC is that there’s no money for legacy commitments."
The one option that is getting the most consideration at this point would be for VANOC to help fund the Calgary facility through CODA, honouring its commitments to create a legacy for the sport.
"Is there interest in VANOC right now to see Canadian ski jumpers in the 2010 Games? I’m hoping there is and I think Canadians want to see Canadian ski jumpers in those Games. (VANOC, funding partners) are putting millions and millions of dollars into that facility, and we’re not asking for a whole lot to support ski jumping and Nordic combined in Canada for the next five years," Morrice said.
Canada’s prospects for 2010 are good. Two Canadians, Stefan Read and Gregory Baxter, have already met FIS qualification standards to compete at the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, and are close to meeting the Canadian standards as well. Several other young skiers from Calgary are also improving.
The Own the Podium program, which is calling for $110 million in funding for Canadian winter sports and has set a goal of winning 35 medals at home in 2010, will help both sports if the program is adopted by both the provincial and federal governments. Under the program, ski jumping would see $295,000 in funding and Nordic combined $235,000.
That money does not cover the cost of a facility, but it will more than compensate the organizations for the money they will lose from CODA, says Morrice.
The current dilemma facing ski jumping and Nordic combined has also hurt their ability to find corporate sponsors.
"There is lots of interest in sponsoring two national teams with 2010 on the way, a lot of corporations want to be a part of the Olympics. And it’s very hard for us to go out and sell Ski Jumping Canada when we can’t say to a potential sponsor that we do have a facility – who’s going to sponsor us if we’re going to go away?" said Morrice.
David Pym, managing director of the Canadian Ski and Snowboard Association, a national federation of snow sports organizations, is sympathetic to the challenges facing CODA and VANOC, but believes that both groups and Sport Canada have an obligation to fund ski jumping and Nordic combined legacies.
"The problem is not resolved, but it’s very clear that VANOC only intends to build the actual two competition jumps as a temporary facility, and in fact no development jumps, or development for summer training will be built. In addition, it seems to be VANOC’s position that at the moment they’re not able to work out an agreement with CODA that would see the revitalization of the Calgary jumps," said Pym.
"It’s still under discussion, but we’re still hopeful that… with VANOC not building permanent jumps, not having training jumps, and not having a legacy that they would partner with CODA to help create an ongoing development facility in Calgary."
According to Pym, VANOC made the decision in light of escalating construction costs in B.C., which is partly the fault of Asian markets competing for concrete and other building products. VANOC also believes that there isn’t a large enough base of ski jumpers and Nordic combined racers in Canada to create a sustainable facility.
Still, Pym says VANOC should save about $6 million by not building permanent jumps, development jumps or summer training facilities, as well as money to maintain the legacy down the road.
"Ski jumping, Nordic combined and the Canadian Ski and Snowboard Association have made it clear that we don’t want to see a white elephant built in Whistler, but we do feel VANOC owes the jumping community some form of legacy, as promised in the bid book. And that legacy can be by way of relatively minor (financial) assistance to CODA, who do have facilities but need upgrading," said Pym.
"It’s not, in the scheme of things, that much money," said Pym.
There are no future meetings planned, but the organizations are in contact. Nordic Combined Canada and Ski Jumping Canada are continuing their talks with CODA and the federal government, as well as discussions with VANOC.
"We’re looking for something positive from VANOC," said Pym. "There are terrific people in that organization, we fully support them. If I was going to hire staff, these are the people that I would hire, and I’m hoping they can help find a solution to all of this. For now we’re still marching on."
