Vail Plans Bid For 2015 World Championships

Beaver Creek and Vail will continue the quest for the alpine World Championships according to Ceil Folz, president of the Vail Valley foundation

“Our intention is to put forth a bid for 2015,” Folz said, adding that there are some important unknowns including what the FIS contract will contain.

The FIS controls the television rights to the World Championships Once the FIS has secured a contract with a television network they set terms for the bidding sites. The rights to this year’s broadcast were purchased by the European Broadcast Union.

“We will withhold our bid until the FIS has the terms in place, but the FIS is hoping they will be available before the due date,” Folz continued. “It becomes a challenge for us and other candidates as well. We have to know what we are bidding for.”

Should Beaver Creek and Vail’s bid be successful it would be the third time the resort has hosted the alpine championships. The first event took place in 1989 and the second a decade later.

While details have not been formulated Folz indicates that the men’s events and the women’s speed events will be run in Beaver Creek. Vail will host the women’s gate races; however nothing is firm at this time.

One of the major changes will be “building a women’s course in Beaver Creek,” she said. “It would share the same finish area with the men’s course and would be to the women what the Birds of Prey is to the men.” Put another way it will be steep and gnarly.