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"G. DAL BEN"
SKI JUMP CENTRE IN PREDAZZO
A complex which is among the best in the world
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In German-speaking and Scandinavian countries ski jump competitions attract
thousands and thousands of fans. In Italy ski jumping is a sort of "cinderella"
sport, the poor sister among the Nordic disciplines, with just a hundred
of athletes - mainly consummate competitors. This unbalance however is counteracted
by the athletes' and fans' enthusiasm and above all by a permanent ski jump
complex which is among the best in the world.
This is the ski jump centre in Predazzo, which is widely used both in winter-
and in summertime. After the 1991 Nordic Ski World Championships it can
boast high-quality facilities which have thrilled new recruits and seeded
jumpers alike.
The ability to practice any sort of ski discipline almost seems a natural
gift for people in Val di Fiemme. Ski jumping is one of them. Also, ski
competitions have been largely encouraged by two military sports clubs,
namely Gruppo Sportivo Fiamme Gialle and Gruppo Sportivo Fiamme Oro, based
respectively in Predazzo and Moena. What was originally a sheer passion
for ski jumping turned into an ambitious sporting activity from 1970s.
At that time the municipal government in Predazzo launched a project for
building a new facility in a peripheral area situated between Predazzo and
Ziano. The idea was rejected on the basis of town-planning and, above all,
hydro-geological reasons.
Two ski jumping hills already existed there, dating back to 1960s - a K-20
plastic-coated one and a K-35 one, the latter turned into a K-40 first and
a K-42 subsequently. Other jumps were placed in Passo Rolle (K-65) and all
along northern Val di Fiemme. The latter are still there, though unusable.
With the support of FISI (Italian Federation of Winter Sports) a K-60 was
built in Predazzo in 1980s. The interest for this discipline kept rising
in time thanks to the achievements of several competitors from Val di Fiemme
and neighbouring Val di Fassa.
The management of a sports club called "Dolomitica", based in
Predazzo, threw heart and soul into promoting this discipline, thus contributing
to its recent great boost.
Also worth mention is Giuseppe Bernardi, who devoted himself to the promotion
of ski jumping urged by his son's achievements as a competitor at a national
level.
Giuseppe Bernardi made of ski jumping his raison d'être. For years
he has spent his free time - and not only that - working in this field,
so as to give athletes the possibility to make use of first-class facilities
built with all necessary safety requirements.
In mid-1980s, when the Nordic Ski World Championships for 1991 were officially
assigned to Val di Fiemme, the municipal government of Predazzo again suggested
to build a new and larger ski jump centre, this time in the western peripheral
area of the village. Although this project was also rejected, the need to
erect new ski jumping facilities and the intervention of Bernardi, who carried
out a thorough evaluation of possible options and came out with an efficient
proposal, eventually resulted in the creation of today's Ski Jump Centre,
located in Stalimen, in the peripheral area north of Predazzo.
The complex, one of the world's best, was built after several months of
study. The project was developed by Lado Gorisek, a highly valued Croatian
expert, and supervised by Giuseppe Bernardi. A valuable contribution was
given by Ernesto Rigoni, then officer of the provincial sports department.
The underlying belief was that international ski jump competitions would
contribute to give a position of prominence to Val di Fiemme.
The initial puzzlement of environmental groups faded away in front of the
attention paid by technicians to the environment. All facilities were cunningly
inserted in a majestic area, only slightly sacrificing surrounding woods
and fields. |
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Altogether there are six jumping hills of various
lengths. Five of them, i.e. K-120, K-90, K-62.5, K-35 and K-20, were built
to accommodate competition activities associated with 1991 World Championships.
The last one, a K-15 training jump, was built in 1998.
To provide a year-round word-class winter sport facility the slides were
covered with ceramics and the landing areas with plastics. The complex is
now available for frequent training sessions not only to local and national
athletes, but also to foreign teams in so far as scheduled competitions
allow.
Jumps are set in an equipped area of over 30,000 square meters, including
a single chair-lift to reach the longer jumping hills and a small building
with rooms for the competition officials, the jury, the technicians responsible
for the processing of data, and the speaker. The building is also equipped
with an observation location for the jury and with an electronic wide screen.
A lighting system serving the whole area ensures the running of competitions
at night-time as well as TV filming under artificial light. Permanent positioning
are reserved to cameramen.
Two smaller buildings with relevant support facilities are available for
use by the competition officials and the jury near to smaller hills.
Organisers and technical staff can use the underground premises covering
an area of about 600 square meters, equipped with lockers for competitors,
a gym, a ski wax application room, and depots. The artificial snow machinery
is also kept here.
Special booths are reserved to journalists and particularly to TV commentators.
Big efforts obviously focused also on spectators' needs. Large parking areas
are presently available as well as natural stands all along the flanks of
ski jumping hills, a wide parterre and permanent concrete stands around
the landing area. The whole area is meant to host up to 20,000 spectators.
This complex will hold the next FIS Nordic Ski WM. The Centre was named
after Giuseppe Dal Ben, a member of the local sports club "Dolomitica",
who passed away in the early 1990s. He too devoted much of his spare time
to promote and develop ski disciplines, among which ski jumping and cross-country
skiing.
For the event of 2003 the organising committee, with the collaboration of
the municipal authority of Predazzo and the local authority of the province
of Trento, is carrying out important renovation works at the ski jumping
stadium. The landing profiles, the jumping hills, the illumination plant,
the press office, the racing office and the secretariat will all be renovated
and enhanced.
Most of the works will be concluded by December, in time for the two World
Cup competitions (pre-world championships) scheduled on the 21st and 22nd
of December. |
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Sport
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Ski Jumping
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Ski Jumping Stadium
