(Original Source: langd.se, 10/29/2009, Köp biljett till vallaområdet! by Kjell Erik Kristiansen, translated by Aubrey Smith)
From the innovative creators of the Tour de Ski comes another idea to incorporate more viewer-friendly action at nordic events.
Jürg Capol and Vegard Ulvang, managers of FIS, are hatching a plan to allow Nordic race fans to get even closer to the action by selling tickets that grant accessible views of the coaches, wax technicians, athlete warm-up areas and other areas of pre-race preparation.
“We must not hide,” said Ulvang, pointing out that currently what happens before the actual ski race is a very secretive, concealed process. Ulvang maintains that the start is one of the most exciting times, when there is great drama and often the stress of the morning preparation comes down to the last couple seconds.
Although Ulvang stresses that nothing is “definite”, he and Capol hope to try their plan out this winter on a small scale, seeing what does and doesn’t work before incorporating the plan on a larger scale in 2011.
The tickets to these”speedways” would range in price, perhaps bewtween thirty and one hundred dollars. The more expensive tickets would provide the greatest access and closest proximity to the top racers and wax preparations.
One challenge that has to be taken into account and worked out, as Ulvang notes, is that the wax technicians will not be happy with having their peace disturbed.