Welcome to the FIS Conference © Peter Graves

June 05, 2015 (Varna, Bulgaria) – Nearly 800 delegates among them FIS Committee members, sports experts and other members of the extended FIS Family are gathering this week for the Calendar Conference meetings in this seaside resort, on the shores of the Black sea.

Chris Grover, US XC Head Coach and Chairman of the Sub-Committee World and Continental Cups Cross-Country (l), and Luke Bodensteiner, USSA Executive Vice President of Athletics © Peter Graves

Today (June 5) will see another round of meetings of all manner of FIS Committees. Focusing on Nordic skiing the meetings yesterday saw the Cross-Country Rules and Control Committee and Women’s Cross-Country Sub-Committee. Currently heading in to a packed conference room is the FIS World Cup Committee for Cross-Country and the Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Committee.

Vegard Ulvang - Chairman of the FIS Cross-Country Committee (l) and Kikkan Randall - FIS Athlete Representative for Cross-Country © Peter Graves

In total, including all ski sport disciplines more than 40 full meetings will be conducted here. Many sport technical committees have met, along with groups working on scheduling plus the PR and Mass Media Committees and upcoming bids for the Nordic World Championship sites.

More meetings will follow Saturday including the World Cup organizers seminar for all disciplines, while the closing day, Sunday, June 7, will see the meeting of the FIS Council.

(l-r) Ski Tour Canada WC 2016 delegates Mark Duperreault (Canmore OC Event Chair) and Norbert Meier (President, Alberta World Cup Society) with fellow Canuck, Jeff Ellis, FIS Cross-Country Marketing Support © Peter Graves

Canada has a small delegation here representing the exciting Ski Tour Canada 2016, which is doing a fine job here. The Tour is generating a great deal of very positive buzz. On the table, too, for Nordic is a USA bid for the 2017 FIS World Junior-U-23 World Nordic Championships seeking confirmation, which would be conducted in Park City, UT.

Bob Gross and Hermod Bjorkestol © Peter Graves

Peter Graves at the FIS Conference in Bulgaria © courtesy of Peter Graves