FIS Congress 2025: global commitment to more responsible and modern skiing

The FIS (Fédération Internationale de Ski et de Snowboard) Council and Congress, held this week, marked a turning point in the management of skiing and snowboarding at the international level. The measures approved represent a firm step towards the professionalization of the sector, an improvement in conditions for athletes and a deeper commitment to safety and sustainability.

Crisis of confidence and need for change in white sport

Over the past few months, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has been at the center of an increasingly visible debate about its governance model, its business strategy and how it responds to the demands of athletes and the professional sport ecosystem. One of the most contentious points was the rejection of a €400 million bid by investment fund CVC Capital Partners, known as Project Snow, which proposed to acquire a 20% stake in the commercial rights to competitions managed by the FIS.

The fund, with extensive experience in the sports industry (LaLiga, WTA, Rugby, F1), proposed an ambitious strategy to modernize the management of skiing, professionalize the prize structure and boost the global presence of the white sport. FIS’s refusal provoked an immediate reaction from more than 60 elite athletes (Mikaela Shiffrin, Marco Odermatt…) and executives (such as Sophie Goldschmidt, CEO of US Ski & Snowboard) and several national federations, who signed a letter demanding more transparency, more farsightedness and real attention to athletes’ interests.

“We have not seen enough progress in marketing, merchandising or product development. We are concerned that the potential for growth that this proposal represents for our sport is not being adequately appreciated.” – Letter from international athletes to FIS, November 2024.

FIS argued, for its part, that the offer was not sufficiently clear and did not contain strategic or governance guarantees. It also claimed to be financially self-sufficient to execute its plan without the need for external capital. FIS opted to continue with an agreement with Infront Sports & Media to centralize the rights, instead of negotiating directly with CVC. This stance, however, increased the pressure on the institution and generated an atmosphere of demand that finally materialized in the reforms announced during the FIS Council and Congress held a few days ago.

Chart: CVC Capital Partners' proposal vs. current FIS structure

These tensions set the stage for the announcement of far-reaching reforms by the FIS, including a 20% increase in World Cup prize money, new safety regulations and stricter evidence-based equipment regulations. The measures seek to respond directly to the demands of professionalization, transparency and protection of athletes.

In any case, from I LOVE SKI we want to underline a key trend that transcends any commercial agreement:

“the urgent need to adapt traditional sports to the new forms of digital and emotional consumption of the younger audience.”

Regardless of whether FIS collaborates with Infront, CVC or another partner, this type of analysis must be a strategic pillar to ensure the future relevance of skiing and other winter sports in an ecosystem where entertainment, interaction and personalization are as important as sports performance.

20% more prize money: recognition of effort and a driver for professionalization

One of the most significant announcements was the 20% increase in prize money for all World Cup disciplines. This measure, which will come into effect next season, is structured in two tranches: 10% guaranteed by the FIS itself and an additional 10% contributed voluntarily by the Local Organising Committees (LOC).

This increase not only responds to a historical demand from the athletes, but also recognizes their role as protagonists and drivers of these sporting events. In a context in which the visibility of skiing and snowboarding is growing thanks to digitalization and new audiences, dignifying the work of athletes was a pending issue.

Moreover, this advance is aligned with trends in other global sports disciplines, where the redistribution of benefits and the reinforcement of the professional component are key to attracting talent, fostering equality and consolidating sport as a life choice.

However, this measure also poses significant challenges. The fact that part of the increase depends on the will of the local committees may generate inequalities between sites, affecting the perception of fairness between tests. Smaller stations or those with fewer resources may not be in a position to assume that additional 10%, which would call into question the uniformity of the system. On the other hand, if implemented with a strategy of accompaniment and transparency, this dynamic can also open up opportunities: encouraging local involvement, activating regional sponsorships or creating incentives to raise the organizational and economic level of the events. In short, the measure has the potential to professionalize the circuit, but its success will depend on a coordinated, fair and sustained application over time.

Evidence-based safety: new equipment regulations

Another pillar of this FIS Council meeting was the approval of new safety regulations for equipment in disciplines such as alpine skiing, ski cross and jumps. These regulations are based on recent scientific studies and their application will have a direct impact on injury prevention and the physical integrity of athletes.

In alpine skiing, the FIS Council has approved a series of new technical regulations aimed at reinforcing athlete safety, based on biomechanical studies and injury data collected in collaboration with medical institutions such as the University of Innsbruck and the FIS Injury Surveillance System (ISS). These measures will be implemented progressively from the 2025-2026 season.

Ban on rigid shin guards integrated into boots

One of the most relevant changes is the total prohibition of rigid shin guards incorporated into competition footwear. According to a study led by Dr. Josef Kröll (University of Innsbruck), they generate alterations in the flexion of the boot, increase torque in the knee joint and favor rotational injuries.
From the 2025/26 season, only soft shin guards will be allowed, not integrated into the footwear, without preformed design or plastic reinforcements. This aims to preserve both the safety and technical functionality of the material.

New standards for ski helmets, bindings and spokes

FIS has also worked on updating standards for ski helmets, with the aim of adapting to the latest data on shock absorption and head injury prevention. In addition, binding systems (DIN settings and lateral elasticity) are reviewed according to the type of discipline and injury history.
Also, the possible revision of the minimum radius of giant skis has been discussed again, a measure that caused controversy in the past, but remains on the scientific agenda as a way to limit the extreme angles that cause knee injuries.

The FIS emphasizes that all of these decisions are supported by epidemiological data and analysis of more than 7,000 clinical cases provided by the ISS. Supervision of compliance with these new rules will be reinforced by technical controls before each race and progressive sanctions in case of non-compliance.

Vision for the future and sustainability: the FISI paradox

The FIS Congress has outlined an ambitious roadmap towards a fairer, safer and more sustainable winter sports ecosystem, with strong support from national federations such as FFS, US Ski & Snowboard and even RFEDI. Among the most noteworthy measures in the environmental field are the implementation of the CO₂ Calculator tool , the mandatory ISO 20121 standard at World Championships from 2027 and the launch of the SNOWBALL guide for sustainable events. In addition, sporting calendars are being rethought to reduce flights and emissions, with the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2040.

On the social front, FIS has strengthened its commitment to athlete protection through a new mandatory safeguarding prevention and training toolkit, including protocols against digital abuse in collaboration with Signify Group. The FIS Refugee Team has also been launched, with the addition of the first refugee athlete in winter disciplines, and initiatives such as Snow Kidz are being promoted to integrate children in vulnerable or displaced situations into sport.

At the governance level, a culture of co-responsibility is being promoted from the grassroots to the elite, with the reinforcement of the FIS code of ethics, the creation of youth forums such as Snowmorrow and the FIS Plus program, which finances federation projects with a social and environmental focus. These advances confirm an evolution of the values of modern skiing, which seeks to adapt to the challenges of the 21st century without renouncing its competitive essence.

Beyond the concrete measures, the FIS Congress has hinted at a clear roadmap: to build a fairer, safer and more sustainable winter sports ecosystem. This vision, which has been shared and supported by members such as RFEDI – Royal Spanish Winter Sports Federation with May Peus at the head, represents a natural evolution of the values that skiing must defend today.

In the words of representatives of the FIS Council: “The future of skiing is built with co-responsibility: from the base to the elite, from athletes to organizers, through brands and institutions.”

At this point, it should be noted that the positioning of the different national federations is not the same. For example, the French Ski Federation (FFS) is one of the most committed to the FIS roadmap. It has implemented concrete measures, such as the appointment of a sustainable development manager and active collaboration in initiatives such as the CO₂ calculator promoted by the FIS. Its participation in international forums and its willingness to lead change position it as a strong ally of the new guidelines.

For its part, the US Ski & Snowboard Federation has also shown signs of support, especially in environmental terms, through emission reduction programs and educational campaigns under its “Easy Green” initiative. However, its degree of implementation is still limited compared to the European model, reflecting a real commitment but still in the development phase.

However, a paradox is worth noting. Less than a year before the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, it is surprising how little visibility – at least public and structured – there is for the sustainability, safety or innovation projects directly promoted by the Federazione Italiana Sport Invernali (FISI). At a time when the FIS is setting an ambitious roadmap, and federations such as the French and Spanish federations are actively involved, the Italian position is discreet to say the least.

FISI has been largely focused on the purely competitive and logistical aspects of the Games, delegating much of the environmental and social focus to the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 (the organizing committee), which has announced important actions such as a sustainability strategy aligned with the UN Agenda 2030, the reduction of permanent infrastructure (95% of existing venues) or including sustainable mobility and energy management plans for Olympic venues.

However, none of this emanates directly from FISI as the governing body of sport. Unless our editorial team made a mistake, we have not found any specific programs launched by the Italian federation in terms of ethical training or safeguarding, the useof environmental impact measurement technologies or the promotion of grassroots ecology or a social approach.

This contrast is not only striking, but could have reputational consequences if not corrected before the Games. In the current context, where responsible governance and sustainability are inescapable pillars of international sport, one would expect greater proactivity from FISI to lead, or at least accompany, the transformation that the IOC and FIS are promoting globally.

A new cycle for winter sports

The decisions taken this week by the FIS Council and Congress are not isolated measures. They are part of a paradigm shift that puts the athlete at the center, reinforces the role of science and safety, and projects skiing and snowboarding towards a future in which performance and sustainability are not exclusive concepts, but complementary.

From I Love Ski and the I LOVE SKI Association we will continue to accompany this transformation, giving visibility to the advances that have a direct impact on the day-to-day life of athletes, on event management and on the experience of those who live and love winter sports.