The ski association’s losses are falling below 200,000 euros, but the loss of the association’s commercial company is coming to 400,000–500,000 euros. The management reminds us that there are several successful years behind us.
Chairman of the Ski Association Markku Haapasalmi admits in his interview to Urheilu on Thursday that the negative publicity surrounding the union’s financial figures and situation has seriously upset him. The chairman also believes that there has been outright wrong information.
That’s why Haapasalmi and the executive director Ismo Hämäläinen wanted to tell about the financial figures what is currently known about them, when it is a week and a half from the end of the financial year.
The financial statements of Hiihtoliitto ry and its commercial company Nordic Ski Finland have not yet been completed, but Haapasalmi can already give informed estimates of the numbers.
– The ski association’s negative result is around 200,000 euros, probably a little less. It’s a little more than what we budgeted for. Instead, the commercial company’s loss seems to be between 400,000 and 500,000 euros. The background of these figures are the accounting mechanisms that can stand up to the light of day and scrutiny and under no circumstances are there any gimmicks or tricks, the ex-bank manager emphasizes.
Significant savings
Last spring, the Ski Association started extensive cost-saving measures with change negotiations and layoffs. Their goal was a saving of around 350,000 euros, which was also almost reached. The austerity measures were also drastically aimed at the A national team operations. A lot of negative publicity followed when, for example, an Olympic hero Iivo Niskanen decided to refer with a glove to the entire shrunk A national team’s camping and training activities until the beginning of the competition season.
Executive Director Hämäläinen, who accompanied Haapasalmi in the interview situation, urged to look at the matter from an open window.
– It must be possible to consider whether it makes sense to act as always before and what is the future of the collective, long joint camps for the entire A national team. Should we first make sure that everyday life in Finland is in order, because without a quality everyday life at home, you certainly won’t get any benefit even from the high altitude camps?
The big loss-making Nordic Ski Finlandia is not going under, but the company will continue to be responsible for the association’s commercial fundraising. There will be some changes in the operation; Haapasalmi and Hämäläinen promise to tell about them later.
Many good years
The chairman reminds that before the exceptionally long 17-month financial period that produced big losses, the Ski Federation had been making positive financial statements for half a decade.
– When there is a lower result for the first time in six years, of course this kind of negative hype and publicity around it is sad.
The Ski Federation has made a good financial result even during the forced hiatus, to the extent that it has had to be able to reduce the millions of debts caused by the Lahti World Championships 2017.
– When I became chairman in 2017, I became the leader of an association whose equity was eight million euros with a turnover of 3.5 million euros. My friends warned me a lot about this back then, Haapasalmi laughs.
After this, that 3.5 million has been reduced by about half.
The Ski Federation launched the 2020 new Helsinki Ski Weeks event at the Olympic Stadium. It was supposed to become one of the cornerstones of the union’s economy, with a share of about 10 percent of the whole. After two attempts – 2022 and 2023 – the event that caused the big losses is put on mothballs. At least next winter HSW will not be organized anywhere or in any form.
– Let’s make it very clear that the entire loss of Nordic Ski Finland is due to the financial failure of Helsinki Ski Weeks. The expenses were far too high in relation to the income, even though the income expectations had been set very moderately. Of course, there was also bad luck with, for example, the corona and the weather. The attempt was good, but we didn’t succeed, Haapasalmi admits.