The St. Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow is the world’s most prestigious winter polo tournament. Four high-goal teams battle for the coveted Trophy on the frozen surface of Lake St. Moritz. The unusual conditions on snow, the unaccustomed location at 1,800 metres above sea level and the cosmopolitan character of St. Moritz make the tournament truly unique – as attested by approximately 15,000 spectators from every corner of the world who make the pilgrimage to Lake St. Moritz at the end of January each year.
The St. Moritz Lake Commission, however, has decided not to grant clearance for erection of the infrastructure on the surface of the lake due to a too thinner ice layer. The risk of the ice collapsing is too great. For the first time in the tournament’s 28-year history, the St. Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow has had to be cancelled due to the weather conditions.
After various load-bearing-capacity tests on the iced-over surface of Lake St. Moritz, the safety experts reached the conclusion yesterday that, for safety reasons, they cannot grant clearance for erection of the necessary tournament infrastructure on the surface of the lake. The regulations on the use of the surface ice are strict: the ice across the whole lake must be no thinner than 20 centimetres. Each square metre must be able to bear up to 350 kilograms. If these requirements are not met, no structures can be erected on the lake. “We were hoping for a last-minute change in the weather so that a few nights at sub-zero temperatures could freeze the lake sufficiently. Unfortunately Mother Nature has let us down,” comments Bernhard Pöllinger, Head of Sports & Infrastructure at St. Moritz Polo Corporation.
Well, you can still enjoy the Gourmet Festival that begins on Monday, January 30th, 2012 or how about just luxuriating in the beauty of St.Moritz's nature? No one can cancel that!!!
2 comments:
this seems to be a very exciting event..nice article..
It's one of a kind, just like it promises!
Post a Comment