– I think it is high time to consider a later season start, when we see year after year the conditions that are now, says news’s new biathlon expert Harri Luchsinger. When the biathletes open the season at Natrudstilen this coming weekend, there is not much that reminds of winter at the biathlon facility. On 1 November, the Ski Association sent out a press release stating that the start of the season had moved the 18 kilometers from Natrudstilen to the Birkebeineren Ski Stadium – where the snow storage from last year was larger. But on Sunday came the counter-notice: Natrudstilen will still organize the start of the season. The solution was to transport 2,000 cubic meters of snow from Birkebeineren Ski Stadium to Natrudstilen, which together with Sjusjøen’s snow storage will provide enough artificial snow for a 1.5 km long track. – That says far too much about the forces winter sports are fighting against during the day. Unfortunately, it is a bit too desperate to carry out a national season opening on those premises, says news’s sports commentator Jan Petter Saltvedt. He thinks the biathlon association is thinking a little too short-term. – It is a gigantic climate problem which is the biggest problem for all winter sports. Here, one does not fight against those changes, one contributes to them. It is a very wrong signal to send for both the biathletes and news, who would like to share this with their viewers. STUSSAR: Jan Petter Saltvedt believes the biathlon association is sending the wrong signal by having the season opening in such mild weather. Photo: ALEM ZEBIC / news – Held over the weekend Normally, the snow storage at Natrudstilen would hold around 30,000 cubic meters of snow, but drought put an effective stop to snow production last year. Right now it is still too mild to produce artificial snow. And the weather reports show no signs of improvement. – There was no water in the local springs this winter, so we were unable to produce anything. We entered the summer with a minimum stock, says Mathias Neraasen, day-to-day manager of Ringsaker Almenning, which organizes the opening race on Sjusjøen. He told news that they have reached their goal with a solution that is the best possible considering the prerequisites. – We can offer plus/minus one kilometer of trail, six meters wide on the opposite slope and four meters downhill, which is 30 centimeters thick. Then it lasts over the weekend, says Neraasen. – Ironic For athletes, the public and TV viewers, the lack of snow will become clear. The environmental organization Zero believes the ticket from the biathlon opening will be a warning for the future. – This is something sports teams and sports events will experience often in the future, and it shows that the climate crisis is very present in Norway as well. There will be less snow and it will be milder, says daily leader of the organisation, Sigrun Gjerløw Aasland. ÅTVARAR: Sigrun Gjerløw Aasland believes that winter sports will experience mild weather more and more often in the future. Photo: Caroline Dokken Wendelborg / Zero Therefore, Luchsinger, who was previously head of development in the biathlon association, advocated for a later season start. – A later start to the season, with slightly colder snow, can produce the snow that is needed. It is somewhat ironic that heads of state from all over the world sit in Egypt and discuss environmental measures, and then skiing spends a lot of time, energy and resources on producing snow that will most likely run off into the forest again, says Luchsinger. He believes the ski season should be moved. – There are several advantages to starting late, because then you can extend the season at the end of the year. We like to finish early in March, but we can have good races from March until Easter. It is a fantastic picture when many destinations have snow towards Easter, argues the news expert. REACTS: news’s new biathlon expert Harri Luchsinger believes the start of the season must be moved. Photo: Simon Skjelvik Brandseth / news Colleague Saltvedt believes the Biathlon Union must make an assessment as to whether the costs will be too great, and whether the season opening at Sjusjøen in mid-November is viable. – One has disclosed resources to carry out this once, but is it the right signal to send? Unfortunately, I don’t think so. I think it would have been a more correct signal to carry out in Lillehammer, or to cancel, which very many organizers have to do in these times, concludes Saltvedt. news has tried to reach general secretary Morten Djupvik of the Norwegian Biathlon Union, but he was unable to comment on the matter.
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