Pragelato, Italy
Mission Title: Jump start - Skijumping in Pragelato
Mission By: Luciano Aiello, Francesca Nigra
Mission Finished on Date: 28-06-2008
SCRIPT
- Visit Pragelato and the ski jumping structures.
- Tape visual contrast between the ramps and the nearby environment. Highlight architectural features in the multifunctional building and the way it fits the mountainside landscape.
- Ask the people who run the structures how many visitors come visit them, and if the income is enough to help sustain their activities.
- Take a look in town. Visit meeting places and ask the locals what do they think about the new features in their hometown.
TRAVEL BAG
What remains of a cityscape-molding, worldwide event?
The Winter Olympics in Turin, two years ago, brought a lot of money from international investors and provided the city with new, slick structures to sport as architectural pride ever after. Nonetheless, some debates came, and even some official protest. Some didn't like the new buildings and some didn't like the corporations funding the Olympics – because they are also providing arms and support to rather unsavory militaries around the world, and many of the critics wondered what would happen to some of the huge, expensive new structures that had popped up after the buzz was gone.
The Pragelato SkiJumping center was built for the Olympics and it cost a shitload of money. It features the longest trampoline ever used in the Olympic history, and some collateral facilities to house athletes and so on. Without mentioning the environmental effects on the nearby forests, the structure is not proving as much of a good deal right now, and the town's officials already need the region's help to afford maintenance costs. Apart from sporadic Italian and international ski jumping championships, the multifunctional building and the ramps are being used as a touristic attraction, with accommodations and guided tours, in order to raise some cash. After brief shine of Olympic glory, Pragelato is in for a hard up time.
Mission Report
On Saturday, June 28th 2008, we arrived on time to the Pragelato Skijumping center to accomplish the mission we were assigned to; there, we met Andrea, our guide for the day.
He showed us straight away the two trampolines used for practices, where a bunch of 5 or 6 years old kids were practicing.
After the first part of the interview, based on general questions, Andrea led us to the higher part of the structure, which we reached using a ski-lift, usually reserved to athletes. This structure seemed really impressive because of its height; during the whole interview, athletes from different nations kept on practicing their jumps.
Andrea remarked that the area appointed to settle the structure had been chosen according to the natural mountainside landscape, in order to reduce the negative environmental effects. Not to mention the fact that before the construction the area was deserted.
Then we went down, to the central part of the structure, where some coaches were taking times and speed of the different athletes’ jumps (the average speed was 100km/h!!!). We arrived to the base and thanked and greeted our guide, Andrea.
We visited Pragelato, which actually he hasn’t a center as the town is divided in 3 parts. Pragelato could be seen as a "ghost city", and because of this we didn't manage to interview many people.
Very few people agreed on answering some questions and most of them said that they were satisfied with the Olympic structure on one hand, but on the other hand they were deceived because the multifunctional building hadn't brought as many tourists as everyone expected.
In the end we could say that this has been an amazing experience, which allowed us to visit places and structures which otherwise, despite the proximity, we wouldn't have seen.
Luciano Aiello, Francesca Nigra
