Due to complications stemming from the 2014 Winter Olympics, the Austrian Freeski Open (AFO), scheduled to take place March 12 – 15, has been cancelled. Citing a crammed schedule and intense competition season for athletes, officials believe that the level of riding would not have been up to the usual standards of the AFO. As of now, the AFO is scheduled to take place next year.
Press Release, January 20, 2014:
As the organizers of the Austrian Freeski Open announced today, this year’s event originally scheduled to take place at Snowpark Kitzsteinhorn near Zell am See-Kaprun, Austria, from March 12 to 15, 2014, has been cancelled.
The cancellation was caused by the current circumstances in the context of the Olympic season. The tight calendar and intensive season for the athletes would not have made it possible to carry out the Austrian Freeski Open (AFO) on the usual level and even less to allow progress compared to last year. “Since the beginnings of the event in 2003, we have always been committed to take the AFO to the next level year after year”, event founder and organizer Martin “McFly” Winkler said.
Since 2003, the AFO has been held annually. It has taken place eleven times so far, most recently four times at Kitzsteinhorn. It’s one of the most prestigious events of the freeskiing scene and one of the top slopestyle contests internationally. Its reputation has grown exponentially over the years. Jointly responsible for this development was the outstanding set-up at Snowpark Kitzsteinhorn, whose excellent quality fulfils all demands of international elite riders for a competition on this level.
“We are already looking forward to refine AFO in the upcoming years”, Martin “McFly” Winkler said optimistically. Now, the AFO crew is focussing on the future of the event and realizing new ideas for AFO 15. The works on next year’s edition are already in full swing, following the motto:
“The next AFO is always the best AFO!”
For further information and video clips of past events, please visit www.austrianfreeskiopen.com.
