With just three weeks to go until the Critérium de la Première Neige in Val d’Isère (December 14-15), the teams from MBS, a subsidiary of the French group MND specializing in ski area development and safety, are hard at work deploying on competition sites across France, Italy, Georgia, and Switzerland to secure the slopes for major world winter sports events.

Competition has always been a core part of the group’s DNA through its subsidiary MBS, which has maintained a long-standing partnership with the Val d’Isère Sports Club, the organizer of the Critérium de la Première Neige, for over a decade. Every year, MBS ensures the event’s safety by deploying safety nets, mats, competition poles, and inflatable high-security modules, ensuring the smooth running of the race from the starting gate to the finish line. This Alpine Ski World Cup event, renowned as one of the most technical races due to the track’s characteristics, marks the start of France’s competitive ski season.

Among the innovations developed by MBS for ski competitions is a pole-mounted protection system designed to enhance athlete safety during international ski competitions. Large risk areas need securing during events, as competitors can reach speeds of up to 120 km/h. In collaboration with the Val d’Isère Sports Club, MBS has created and implemented the “World Cup” system to improve safety for athletes, organizational teams, and spectators. On the Face de Bellevarde slope, this setup includes eight poles and double nets covering a 200-meter stretch.

Developed and manufactured in the group’s workshops in Savoie (Made in France), this “World Cup” pole-mounted protection and safety net system provides optimal, tailored protection that meets the homologation criteria of the International Ski Federation. MBS integrated a double-line net system into this solution, ensuring immediate deployment when required by regulations without needing heavy equipment or additional adaptations. This system reduces environmental impact by eliminating the need for concrete installations, optimizing assembly, lowering costs, and significantly saving time in preparing competition slopes.

Another feature present in Val d’Isère is the race start cabin at the top of the Giant Slalom course, designed and built by MBS teams. Decorated in the colors of French equipment manufacturer Rossignol, this unique space allows skiers to focus before taking on the legendary 3 km slope with a 36% average gradient, ending at the resort’s heart.

Once again, this year, MBS and MND technical teams will be on-site before and throughout the Critérium de la Première Neige in Val d’Isère. They will then move on to ensure slope safety for the FIS Para Alpine Ski World Cup events in Tignes and Courchevel from December 16-20, 2024.