Now you are there, the fat weeks for the ski racer. Adelboden, Wengen, Kitzbühel: millions of viewers to the screens and the tracks, spectacle, money rain. The winner in the Bernese Oberland collect 45’000 Swiss francs, the downhill and slalom champion in Kitzbühel 85’000 Swiss francs. Princely fee for two minutes in the spotlight.
Just: For the large part in the huge list of Athletes, this world is far away. There, it is not to earn as much as possible, but simply somehow get through. It is concerned with the future, his time after the career, think of the resignation. Combination world champion Luca Aerni says: “I know of some that have stopped, because they earned no money.”
Actual wages are not based skiers, the main sources of income of the head sponsors, ski companies and the price of money. Thus, a few live very well and many just. Really precarious it can be in the case of a violation, then it is not rare to Existential. The partners pay only a small part of the agreed Fixbetrages, often only 20 per cent, premiums, and prizes are dispensed with.
None insured driver
Niels Hintermann, winner of the combination of Wengen in 2017, said this newspaper recently, he had to abandon during his one and a half year injury break, largely on meat. Be head sponsor, was bailed out. An insurance policy that covers the failures, would be priceless.
a giant slalom specialist, Justin Murisier, the normal way is currently, once again, to a knee injury, says: “Swiss-Ski has a insurance as a Partner. We need to pay considerably less in premiums and receive in case of Injury, a daily allowance. But this is not enough to live on.” In Switzerland, there is no other company that would insure a skier. Therefore, many athletes have sought in England or Germany for Alternative. The Murisier fact. “But,” says he, “because I was already injured so often at the knee, was ruled a violation of the contract.” Say: Currently, this additional insurance does him little good.
he Would be healthy, if it was up to him financially, he would have cost half of the year, because of the Association shall bear the expenses for athletes from the C-squad, the deepest level. Only: it is the least. This also has to do with the prize money.
“Yes millions”
Who the ground or next week is this weekend in Adel in Wengen, the tenth, the journey home with 1800 francs, for the Thirtieth, there will be another 500 francs. By the international ski Federation FIS, a Minimum of a total of 120’000 Swiss francs per race, which will be distributed to the first thirty riders is required. Much too little, it means of athletes and associations. Only these costs will be borne by the organizers, and smaller, bringing this sum in hardships.
The departure of the classics in Wengen, will be paid to the Minimum, in Kitzbühel there are around 230’000 Swiss francs. “After all,” says Patrick Küng, the downhill world champion of 2015, “but the set also million.” He calculates: “Nine runs, and nine times the tenth, perhaps, of the almost 15 000 francs.” He asks: “What’s that supposed to me?” Currently, the Glarus is still often so far away from a Top 10 place, that its price tends money tends to zero. In the whole of last Winter, he earned 4420 Swiss francs.
As the skiers make their money: The average Athlete does not have many sources of income. (graphics: Viviane Futterknecht)
prize money is always important
may Now be the prize money is not the main income of a Skirennfahrers, but it is becoming more and more important because sponsors are the longer, the harder, and the ski manufacturers no longer have to pay nearly as much as in the past. “The Golden days are long over,” says Markus Wolf, managing Director of the Swiss ski Association Swiss-Ski. “In the 80s, even B-squad athletes contracts have been signed, which would be today for the driver of the national team would be inconceivable.”
Now only the Best earn well. 200’000 francs he would receive from his supplier, he would be the number 1 in his discipline, says an Athlete. “Because then I would have won a couple of races, would be approximately 200’000 in premiums.” 400’000 Swiss francs per year alone, the ski company: a average athlete can only dream of.
Only the Best to high amounts of a: So a lot of prize money earned by the athletes in the season 2017/18. (graphics: Viviane Futterknecht)
put 1 Million on the head
An ordinary Top-30 drivers only the Material available. Some people can reckon with 10’000 to 30’000 Swiss francs per year. The big earner, the not makes it.
Therefore, the focus of the athlete moves increasingly to the individual sponsor is allowed to advertise on the helmet to 50 square centimeters. Usually, companies pay for a mid-to-high five-digit amount, the Krösusse of skiing are likely to earn a Million francs.
the Size of The area set by the FIS. How you can deal with, but it is left to the national associations. This debate is sometimes led to nasty. In Norway, dam Toptechniker Henrik Kristoffersen rides the courts, because to him, the Norwegian Association says the presence of a private sponsor on the helmet.
“The limitations are glaring”
Swiss athletes have this permission though, need to talk but there are also here. For example, for Murisier. He has two businesses that advertise for him. Because the area is so small, you need to alternate this but and Murisier income is missing. “It must be the whole helmet is released,” he urges. “Football, formula 1, MotoGP, ice hockey: Everywhere there are masses of sponsors, only in the us is restricted in such a way.” Gian Franco Kasper, President of FIS, waving. He says: “We will keep the Size of the area.”
But the Swiss rider not only discuss with the international, but also with the own Federation. Again and again, complaining about it will agree that this locks with its sponsors, all industry fields. “The limitations are stark,” says Slalom racers, Marc Rochat. Insurance companies, banks, car manufacturers, energy suppliers, telecommunications companies – everything is occupied and must not be used by competitors torpedoed.
Ramon Zenhäusern, the Olympia, the second in the Slalom of Pyeongchang, says: “I had an offer by the Car rental company Avis. I had to reject it because the Association sponsor Amag has a cooperation with a competitor Europcar.” It comes to this discussion, speaks Swiss-Ski, the managing Director of Wolf of “self-destruction”. It can be useful to anyone if the Association sponsors their industry would have to give up exclusivity. “The commitment of the Association to be of less value, decrease the revenue and, therefore, the services provided by Swiss-Ski for the athletes. The training courses are associated with enormous expense, all the Travelling, the expenses, the accommodation, the staff, all the service people – the costs huge amounts,” says Wolf. “More and more sponsors, the cake bigger, rather, they take each other’s attention – what makes the prices fall.” He was therefore not interested in these “displacement effects”. Rather, all should work together to find new partners who are also willing to take individual athletes under contract.
CHF 20’000 tax
In Zenhäusern, the Logo of brackish emblazoned now.ch on the helmet, since this year, partners of the Association. At all advertise on the helmets of most of the Swiss Federation instead of individual sponsors. Wolf says: “companies are less willing to support individual athletes. Rather, they are a total package.” The only the Association offers. He marketed to the Swiss race, the rights to the advertising space in the TV area. The bands along the slopes, he can ask his donors to be paid for the organizer. “In addition, partners can purchase additional packages, such as on clothing, in the grassroots or at the head of sponsorship,” says Wolf. It’s a Win-win Situation for the companies and the athletes who have not found a donor.
there is also the other. How Murisier, who fights for the rights of his own sponsors. The need to make a submission to Swiss-Ski, he doesn’t understand. This is up to 20’000 Swiss francs per year. Wolf says: “When the surface was released on the helmet, wanted the Association of something. You can swipe the sponsors of levy, or even the athletes a fee of 3000 francs. Just then, the Association could not provide its services at the present level. Including the athletes would suffer alone.”
With such discussions, the Wolf does not like to stay so. Him, it comes to the big picture, to skiing, to its orientation, as well as the vision, so that it is attractive again to lenders. Only in this way could change something to the often unsatisfactory Situation of Alpine ski racers. Would be required, therefore, especially the FIS. However, a clear strategy makes the completely miss. Or how it Murisier says: “All the notice that the interest is waning. The Only ones that do not realize it, are the people of the FIS.” (Editorial Tamedia)
Created: 11.01.2019, 21:12 PM
