The International Ski Federation (FIS) recently released the minutes of its 2026 spring technical committee meeting, clearly stating that the construction of snow park venues for the Milan 2026 Winter Olympics has fallen behind schedule. The federation emphasized that such delays must not be repeated in future major top-tier events.
The meeting specifically pointed out delays in venue construction and the absence of test events for Milan’s snow park projects, particularly in slopestyle disciplines for both freestyle skiing and snowboarding. This directly impacted athletes’ performances at the international level. FIS officials, representatives from member associations, and athlete representatives reached a consensus that such situations should never occur again in major competitions.
According to the meeting minutes, the FIS expressed satisfaction with the global digital growth of snow park disciplines over the past season. The federation’s official social media reach increased by 260%, engagement rose by 178%, and follower count grew by 75%.
The meeting also highlighted that snow park disciplines continue to show strong communication influence in China. This demonstrates the broad appeal of freestyle and snowboarding slopestyle, big air, and halfpipe events in the world’s most populous country.
Another key topic discussed was the potential introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) systems to assist judges in scoring for snow park events, as well as for aerials and moguls. The minutes indicate that these technologies, along with remote judging capabilities, are now feasible. The FIS plans to further discuss their promotion.
The FIS also noted a slight decline in television viewership for some events compared to the previous season. The meeting repeatedly addressed the need to reform competition formats to enhance TV broadcast appeal, making narratives clearer and viewing experiences more engaging. One innovation revealed was the testing of helmet camera systems in freestyle ski cross events, which will be further promoted next season to help audiences experience the athletes’ first-person perspective immersively.
