Vail and Beaver Creek's application was received by the FIS by the May 1 deadline, along with competing bids from Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy and St. Moritz, Switzerland. All three ski resorts have a long history hosting World Cup ski racing competition, including the Birds of Prey World Cup races at Beaver Creek. Vail/Beaver Creek previously hosted the World Championships in 1989 and 1999.
Cortina, St. Moritz and Vail/Beaver Creek all last bid to host the championships in 2013, a proposal that was roundly defeated by the bid from Schladming, Austria in final voting at the 2008 FIS Congress held in Cape Town, South Africa. Ceil Folz, president of the Vail Valley Foundation, and U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Bill Marolt both said at that time that their respective organizations would regroup and focus on creating a campaign for the 2015 Championships.
“I am delighted to see that despite the current economical climate we have received applications as candidates for the 2014/2015 FIS World Championships in all disciplines. For us this underlines the continuing strength of our flagship events and their appeal to global audiences,” commented FIS President Gian Franco Kasper.
One application was received for the 2014 FIS Ski Flying World Championships submitted by Harrachov, Czech Republic. Four applications for the 2015 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships were submitted by Falun (Sweden), Lahti (Finland), Oberstdorf (Germany), and Zakopane (Poland). One application for the combined 2015 FIS Freestyle and Snowboard World Championships was submitted by Kreischberg, Austria.
The FIS Council will elect the organizers of the 2014/2015 FIS World Championships during the 2010 Congress week in Antalya, Turkey on June 3, 2010. Prior to that, each Candidate Applicant, together with its National Ski Association, will prepare its detailed concept based on a specific FIS Questionnaire, containing details including the areas of sports organization, accommodation, transportation, logistics, security, legal aspects, environment, media, communications, marketing, ceremonies as well as the festival by September 1, 2009.
The FIS Inspection Group members will review the project in detail together with the Candidate Applicant during this phase and meet with them during the FIS Technical Committee Meetings (September 21-23, 2009). Thereafter the Candidate Applicant will finalize its documentation relating to the concept for the project.
The FIS Council has the veto right until October 31, 2009 to decide if a candidacy shall be accepted or not. Similarly, the Applicant can decide whether or not to proceed as a Candidate.
During the 47th International Ski Congress week in Antalya each Candidate will have a chance to make a final presentation to the FIS Council as well as the respective Technical Committees. They will also be able to present their candidatures to the extended FIS family and discuss their plans at special exhibition stands at the 2010 FIS Congress venue.
