MMK successfully hosts first stage of Snowboard World Cup
More than 150 of the fittest athletes from 17 countries took part in the competition. A mobile stadium which could accommodate 3,300 spectators was built especially for the World Cup and an 11-metre screen was installed to broadcast the competition live. All participants and guests of this major sporting event noted the very high level of organisation of the competition.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of MMK Victor Rashnikov stressed that 'hosting international competitions in the MMK ski centre is becoming a great tradition’. The XVII Winter Deaflympic Games took place with great success on the slopes of Metallurg-Magnitogorsk ski-centre. The Olympic torch relay for the Winter Games in Sochi also took place here.
According to World Snowboard Federation (FIS) Race Director Uwe Beyer, hosting a World Cup stage in Magnitogorsk could become a permanent fixture. "In principle, we do not come to sites as a one-off. We hope that we will come to you again and again. I would like athletes to get acquainted with the culture of your region and its remarkable industrial history. As for Bannoe, the resort has excellent potential: we really like the angle of the slopes, the length of the slopes, the organisation of the finish zone and the finish village which is convenient for installing stands. At MMK, you not only know how to make metal well, but can also organise a World Cup event to the highest standard.”
President of the Russian Snowboard Federation Denis Tikhomirov recognised MMK's great contribution to the tournament and stressed: "This has been one of the best, if not the best organised tournament in recent decades. This is World Cup standard.” He thanked the Chairman of the Board of Directors of MMK Victor Rashnikov for his work and expressed a hope that these games would become an annual fixture.
"Every year the leading skiers of Russia and the world come to us to train and perform, confirming the excellent local snow conditions and sports infrastructure. The leadership of the Chelyabinsk region, the Republic of Bashkortostan, the administration of our city and MMK have done everything possible to ensure the highest standards for the first stage of the Snowboard World Cup," Victor Rashnikov said.
Metallurg-Magnitogorsk ski-centre was built by MMK in the lake Bannoe area in 2003. Today it is a popular ski resort, attracting more than 200,000 fans of extreme sports annually. Here there are seven runs of varying degrees of difficulty for skiing at all times of day. A high-speed gondola lift carries athletes and guest of the centre to the top of the mountain.
Metallurg-Magnitogorsk ski-centre works all year round, the centre's specialists have developed a wide range of entertainment: hiking, biking trails and descents, climbing walls, paintballing, camping, picnics, go-karts and more. The expert community has repeatedly recognised Metallurg-Magnitogorsk as the best ski resort in the Urals and in Russia. There are high-level competitions in Alpine skiing, snowboarding & mountain biking.