The event has turned out to be a great performance and Ms. Demetz adds: “The atmosphere at the Finish was incredible. It turned out to be a perfect day for the ski sport and the world that turns around it. I am very pleased and would like extend my heartfelt thanks to all the people who have contributed in making this day a success. In particular, I am referring to my team members who have been truly fantastic and demonstrated true passion and performance this week.”

What are the key ingredients to turning an event of this magnitude into a success?
“First and foremost, the planning phase. You work very hard, plan everything ahead and never lose sight of the budget. Once the structure is in place, you have to make sure that there is enough flexibility to allow for the unforeseeable. The third and last ingredient is the immense support we receive from public and private entities, the valley, the people and all those passionate for this sport. Thankfully, we have all these three ingredients here at hand in Gardena-Gröden.”

What does the future hold in store for us?
“We have no idea on how we will finance the races going forward. We hope that those who have seen the races this week-end, realize that none of this would be possible without the appropriate financial support. For the future, we hope to be able to continue to offer this level of service to athletes, our fans and the media, and we certainly hope that we won’t have to undertake serious cut-backs.”