“It feels good to have a slope as soon as I arrive.”
A smile spread across the face of Kim In-ho (56), president of the Korea Ski Association, when Lee Chae-woon (17, Surigo), who became the first Korean skier and snowboarder to win a gold medal at the World Championships, let go of his luck. Chairman Kim became the 24th president of the Korea Ski Association on the 8th of last month. He joined the Lotte Group in February 1993 through public recruitment and worked at the Lotte Central Research Institute, Korea Seven, and the International Office of the Group Policy Headquarters before serving as the head of Lotte Home Shopping’s Strategic Planning, Overseas Business, and DT Business Headquarters. He’s been in office for less than two months, but he’s already ‘skied in’. He conveyed his thoughts without hindrance, from the current state of skiing in Korea to problems and future plans. He was to the extent that the association officials who sat with him did not need to comment. As befits a diligent personality, this is the result of meeting skiers, watching the competitions, and meticulously grasping them.
Chairman Kim said, “Actually, skiing was just a hobby. It’s been a long time since I skied, but I only went with my kids.” ” said Shin Dong-bin, chairman of Lotte Group, has a special affection for skiing as he was a skier during his school days. In 2014, he directly took office as the president of the Korea Ski Association, and worked hard to improve the skills of the national team players. He recently founded the Lotte ski and snowboard team. Lee Chae-woon and ‘prodigy’ Choi Ga-on (15, Sehwa Girls’ Middle School), who won the youngest championship in the US X Games, are growing rapidly with Lotte’s support.
Chairman Kim said, “Chairman Shin Dong-bin knows all the names of the players. It was before I took office, and he said he knew the players before talking about sponsoring players such as Lee Chae-woon and Choi Ga-on.” I’ve heard a lot of stories saying, “Don’t be conceited, you’ll become poisonous with skiing.” There is,” he laughed.
The part that President Kim puts the most emphasis on is improving the training conditions for players. He said, “The most shocking thing is that promising players have no place to train. “There is no slope for skiers to train on. I made a request to the Korea Sports Council, but it was not reflected from the first design,” he lamented. He continued, “There are a lot of promising players who give up or fall into a slump due to economic difficulties. The nickname given for practicing in the field)’ is a very sad story. I think it’s something the association should do,” he emphasized.
While talking about the solution for the exclusive training ground, it naturally led to Gariwangsan Ski Resort in Jeongseon, Gangwon. Chairman Kim’s voice, which had been speaking in a calm tone throughout the interview, grew. Gariwangsan Ski Resort has been a ‘hot potato’ since its establishment. The Olympic Alpine Downhill Ski Resort must meet topographic conditions such as an altitude difference of 800m or more between the starting and ending points, a slope length of 3km or more, and an average slope angle of 20 degrees or more. Gariwangsan was the only place in Korea where this condition was met. Gariwangsan Ski Resort, which was created amidst conflicts with environmental groups ahead of the Pyeongchang Olympics, has received favorable reviews from the international ski community. Gariwangsan Ski Resort was one of the hidden players behind the success of the PyeongChang Olympics.
The problem was after that. Gangwon-do, the government, and environmental groups voice their voices over the fate of the Gariwangsan ski resort, and the conflict is deepening. Environmental organizations insist on restoration through the creation of a national garden as it is an area with high ecological value, but voices of preservation are also loud. Gariwangsan Ski Resort, which has temporarily closed lift operations, is at a crossroads of choice. Chairman Kim was adamant. “Gariwangsan Ski Resort is a national landmark. We are not talking about it. World-class athletes, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Ski Federation (FIS) all spoke with one voice that it was a ‘fantastic course that cannot be seen in the world’. As a skier I’m not talking about my rice bowl. It is a waste and a loss to destroy the Gariwangsan Ski Resort, which is a legacy of the PyeongChang Olympics and can become a global brand, in an instant, and that is also spent 200 billion won to destroy it.”메이저사이트
The solution Chairman Kim says is simple. “It should be used as a dedicated training ground for players. When players train overseas, it costs about 100 million won per person. That’s why not everyone can go out. However, there is no place in Korea where national team players can train. .If you use an existing ski resort, the training time is absolutely reduced and the conditions are not good.If you use a world-class course, it can’t be better.At the same time, you can connect with the tourism industry.It can become a world-class attraction. Gariwangsan Mountain has the best conditions, starting with the scenery. It can attract world-class athletes to train or hold world competitions. The IOC is expressing its intention to utilize existing facilities while experiencing difficulties in hosting the Winter Olympics, but in Asia Only South Korea, Japan, and China. Among them, Gariwangsan Ski Resort receives the highest score. If it is removed, hosting the future Olympics should be seen as a waste of money. The assets accumulated so far, especially the brand value of Pyeongchang, which was created through the Olympics, will disappear. I want the people involved to think deeply and make policy decisions that look into the future.”
Korean skiing and snowboarding is ahead of the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon-do. In two years, the 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Chairman Kim said, “As good players are appearing, I am expecting good results. I plan to actively support it. I will use this as a turning point to create an opportunity to boom. I think it’s an opportunity and I’m preparing for it.” But it’s not just the elite that cares. Chairman Kim said, “For the sake of the youth base, we plan to create opportunities for young players to ski or board more professionally. We are also planning support at the association level to increase the number of competitions that young players can participate in.” Chairman Kim’s blueprint is to “make ‘Again 2018’ again” by catching both the rabbits of elite and life sports.