Narvik, Norway, will not host its scheduled World Cups in 2027. | Credit: Narvik 2029
In a surprising shakeup for professional alpine skiing, Narvik, Norway, will not be hosting a World Cup in 2027. The town was initially scheduled to host a World Cup from March 10-13, but the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) from Narvik has decided to withdraw from the event ahead of hosting the 2029 International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) World Championships.
According to FIS, the LOC had assessed the risks involved with completing the venue in time for hosting March’s Downhill and Super-G women’s races. The committee found that it was “technically possible to complete, test, commission, and approve the project in time, but not without assuming a considerable level of risk.”
“Narvik has committed to undertaking some major structural work to enhance their infrastructure and has been doing a great job at it,” FIS Chief Race Director Peter Gerdol said in FIS’s article, echoing the words of LOC Narvik 2029 CEO Knut-Eirik Dybdal. “However, for a World Cup event we simply cannot afford to take chances.”
FIS and the Norwegian Ski Federation are currently working on finding a substitute venue, which will be announced in the coming weeks.
Instead of quickly constructing a venue for the March 2027 World Cup, the Narvik LOC can now direct its resources on preparing venues for the 2029 World Championships. “We have all agreed that Narvik would be better off focusing all their efforts on putting together a state-of-the-art venue for the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2029,” Gerdol said.
The Narvik LOC submitted its bid to host the 2029 World Championships in 2024 with the goal of having the venue completed in time for the World Cup Finals in 2028. In its announcement, the LOC wrote that there was always a risk that hosting a World Cup event as early as March 2027 would not be possible. With over four and a half months until March 10, 2027, FIS and the Norwegian Ski Federation still have sufficient time to “identify an alternative venue for the event in Norway.”
The Narvik LOC also stressed that its withdrawal does not affect its 2029 plans. “The decision to withdraw from hosting the World Cup races does not change our ambitions for the 2029 World Championships,” the LOC wrote. “On the contrary, it is about ensuring that our resources are used in a way that provides the best possible conditions for delivering a championship of the highest international standard. We have great confidence in the project, in the venue, and in Narvik as a future host of the World Championships.”
The Narvik Ski Resort is undergoing significant infrastructure upgrades ahead of the 2029 World Championships. Organizers constructed a new six-seat high-speed chairlift for the event, as well as a new T-bar, family slope, and snowmaking upgrades.
While the Norwegian town’s withdrawal comes as disappointing news to alpine ski fans in the area, there is plenty to look forward to in the coming years. One of skiing’s pinnacle events will make its way to Narvik in 2029, and when it arrives, the LOC will have a chance to show off its years of hard work.
The 2025 Alpine World Championships at Saalbach-Hinterglemm resort in Austria. | Credit: Saalbach-Hinterglemm Facebook