Resume

The Bulgarian Extreme and Freestyle Skiing Association (BEFSA) is an organization created with the goals of representing the Bulgarian freeskiers and organizing demonstrations and competitions, which popularize the sport of extreme skiing and stimulate its further development in the country.

In 2000 BEFSA started organizing an annual Big Mountain competition for skiers and snowboarders, which involves descending down backcountry slopes in untracked snow and negotiating steep terrain with rocks, cornices, trees and other obstacles. With every new edition of the competition, attention from the media and interest from potential competitors have grown exponentially.

This year the competition will be held during the February 13-16 period in the ski area of Bansko (the North Face of the Todorka peak) in cooperation with the Bulgarian Snowboard Federation and the Bulgarian Mountain Rescue Service (the Sofia and Bansko teams). The competition will be international and it will serve as a qualification event for the most popular European Big Mountain event, the RedBull Snow Thrill of Chamonix, which will be held during the February 20-22 period in Chamonix, France.

Part of BEFSA’s strategy for the popularizing of extreme skiing is the preparation and distribution of advertising materials in the bigger Bulgarian cities and in the ski areas, as well as information feed to the mass media – including video material, photographs, interviews, articles from the competitors, etc.

Interesting advertising opportunities are offered to sponsors wishing to support this unique event. The competition is an excellent chance for sponsor companies to popularize the brand of their products, as well as to develop and establish their image in an innovative way.

BEFSA – past activities

The Bulgarian Extreme and Freestyle Skiing Association (BEFSA) was established at the end of 1998 by a group of winter sports enthusiasts. The main reason for the establishment of BEFSA was the fact that in Bulgaria there was no organization uniting the people active in the sport of extreme skiing. By extreme skiing we understand the riding in chutes, steep slopes, forests and any terrains different from groomed ski runs. The term “freestyle” is used to describe the tricks and runs during competitions and demonstrations, also referred to as “new school” skiing. The main goal of BEFSA is to organize demonstrations and competitive events, which popularize the incredibly beautiful sport of skiing, as well as to supply the necessary information for the safe practice of this sport.

In our activities to date, BEFSA lead or participated in the organization of a number of demonstrative and competitive events in the various the Bulgarian ski areas:

23.01.2000г. - Big Jump competition for snowboard riders and demonstration of ski jumps - Vitosha
06.02.2000г. - Ski & Snowboard Cross Competition – Vitosha; organized by Lavina Sports Club, Bulgarian Snowboard Federation and BEFSA.
27.02.2000г. – First Bulgarian Big Mountain Skiing Competition – Vitosha (in the area the “Gorno Lale" ski run).
10-11.03.2001 г. – Second Big Mountain Skiing Competition – the slope above Rila Lakes hut.
14-16.03.2002г. – First International Big Mountain Skiing and Snowboard Competition – Pirin, the North face of mount Todorka, Bansko.

Big Mountain Competition, Bansko, Bulgaria,
13-16 February 2003
The Competition
The Big Mountain Competition consists of descents through off-piste slopes, with non-groomed snow and natural obstacles such as rocks, cliffs, and trees. The terrain for the competition is strictly defined and limited by the judges. This year’s edition of the competition is organized in cooperation with the Bulgarian Snowboard Federation and the Bulgarian Mountain Rescue Service.

The course of the competition will be on the North face of mount Todorka (2748 m), with the starting point 30 minutes hiking from the top station of a 3-chair lift.

- Start: - 2748 m. above see level
- Finish: - 2440 m. above sea level
- Vertical drop: - 330 m

The contest will be organized following the IFSA Big Mountain Freeskiing Contest Guidelines and the competitors will be judged according to IFSA Competition Rules in the five categories:
- Choice of Line
- Control
- Fluidity
- Technique
- Aggressiveness
SCHEDULE
Thursday (13 February):
- 8:00 -16:00 – Arrival and accommodation at hotel
- 11:00 -16:00 – Free time – Freeriding Bansko backcountry
- 18:30- 20:30 – Competitor briefing at the hotel

Friday (14 February):
- 9:30 -12:00 – Mandatory Training (Course inspection)
- 12:00 -16:00 – Qualification Run
- 19:30 – Qualification Results announced at the hotel

Saturday (15 February):
- 12:00 – Start Final Run /the best 28 riders from the qualification – 16 men skiers; 4 women skiers; 8 snowboard riders/
- 20:00 - 24:00 – Prize giving ceremony and X-ski Party at the foot of the “Starata Pista” ski run, Big Air show

Sunday (16 February):
- Weather day - in case of bad weather on Saturday

Participants
Approximately 60 competitors (skiers and snowboard riders) will participate in the 2003 edition of the competition, as we expect significant international participation with strong Eastern European presence.

The prize award fund is 2 500 EUR, and the best Eastern European skier will qualify for the most popular Big Mountain Competition in Europe – the Red Bull Snow Thrill of Chamonix.

Х – ski Party and Big Air show
At the bottom of “Starata Pista” (a ski run with lighting for night skiing, sound system, and a bar) a ski jumps ramp will be temporarily built. In the evening a disco party with illumination effects will be organized. The peak of the party will be the prize giving ceremony to the winners in the Big Mountain competition. The “new school” ski jumps will be combined with music, an illumination show, dancing and night skiing.

Print Materials
Photographs from the competition, the night show and the competition preparation, as well as interviews and articles written by the participants, will be given to all press representatives.

Media
BEFSA plans a massive information campaign to announce and cover the event in the national media. High interest from the media is expected as a result of the participation of internationally renowned competitors and the already established tradition of the competition itself. In the moment we are in the process of negotiating with mass media groups in order to elect an exclusive media partner for national coverage of the event.

The competition announcing channels that we foresee are the following:
· Posters and flyers distributed in Bansko and the big Bulgarian cities (Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Bourgass), as well as the other Bulgarian ski areas (Pamporovo, Vitosha, Chepelare, Borovetz)
· PR campaign to provoke the interest of society and the journalists
· Information distributed to media partners
· Press conference prior to the competition

After the competition and the Big Air show, all coverage materials will be given for broadcasting and publishing to all media partners, and later on to all other media.

Sponsoring options
Since BEFSA is a non-for-profit organization and has no independent sources of finance, the funding of the competition will only be possible due to sponsors’ support. In addition to the moral benefit of financing the development of the sport in Bulgaria and the region, BEFSA foresees various activities to enhance and create a positive image for the brads and companies, which support the event.

At this point we offer the following, but we will be willing to consider any additional suggestions from potential sponsors (regardless of how innovative they are):

1. The brand of the sponsor will be present on all advertising materials – posters and flyers.
2. The brand of the sponsor will be present on the competitors’ vests
3. The brand of the sponsor will be present on start and finish stands
4. Advertising banners with the brand and logo of the sponsor will be placed along the venue
5. Hyperlinks and advertising banners will be placed on the BEFSA website (www.befsa.com)
6. All sponsors materials (clothing, etc) will be given to the competitors
7. Inscribing of the brand on award cheques
8. Promotion of products during the night show
9. Product awards
10. Advertising banners around the finish area
11. Sponsor’s logo in the background during the prize ceremony.

Download this information from here.

	We would like also to thank our sponsors:
	We would also like to thank for the assistance to:

For further information please contact:
Ivo Alatanov – marketing Director
Tel: +359 88 961 742
e-mail: ivo@befsa.com