“Erich Demetz has got an experience of many decades in the Alpine Ski World Cup, which he moreover contributed to develop”, said the Swiss Gianfranco Kasper (chief President of FIS) soon after the election. “Demetz knows the Fis World Cup both as an organizer (he is chief director of the Saslong races in Val Gardena ) and as a manager,  which grants a global view and is of great importance for the International Ski Federation. His job within the committee is more to check and manage the movement of the World Cup in its global exercise, than to expertise details and specific tasks” said Gianfranco Kasper.

Erich Demetz had been voted for the first time in 1986 during the FIS Congress of Helsinki. “The job was initially ad interim” remembers Demetz, “but soon later at the Congress of Dubrovnik I was officially confirmed”. The sports manager from Val Gardena inherited Serge Lang’s task,  the French founder of the Ski World Cup, who had led the Committe for 13 years.

In his 18 years management Demetz has given decisive inputs to professionalize the World Cup. “The main task for the future is primarily to commercialize better and more clearly the ski-world” explains Demetz. “It’s furthermore important to centralize the decision power and avoid to delegate single and local competences. For instance what reguards the insurance system. It is much better and more convenient to insure the whole race calendar by the International Federation than separately by each organizer” says Demetz.