Newsroom

Ernst Bromeis has reached the mouth of the Rhine in Hoek van Holland. On Wednesday, the Grisons water ambassador and long-distance swimmer covered the last of the 1247 kilometers of the Rhine. With his “Expedition 2014”, the Grisons water ambassador promoted the human right to clean water.

The St. Moritz Match Race is looking for new sponsorship: Match Race AG, which hosted the top-class sailing event from 2003 to 2012, is withdrawing from the event. Despite intensive efforts, it was no longer possible to obtain financing from sponsors after 2012. However, the St. Moritz Match Race is still to be continued: St. Moritz Sport and Events is already in talks about a potential new sponsorship.

The new sponsorship concept for the Engadin Ski Marathon is successful: Eight months before the 2015 event was held, the four main sponsors Coop, BMW, Odlo and Ray Just Energy were also signed as presenting sponsor Helvetia Insurance. Talks are ongoing with other sponsors — the remaining preparatory work for ESM 2015 is on schedule.

The Grisons water ambassador and long-distance swimmer Ernst Bromeis is on his way to become the first person to swim across the Rhine from source to mouth. With his “Expedition 2014”, Bromeis wants to promote the human right to water. Christian Gartmann is responsible for communication work for the entire campaign.

The new Gut Clinic in Fläsch is taking shape: On the southern edge of the village, a square, three-storey building with a hipped roof is planned for the orthopedic clinic. The building application for the new building was published on Friday; next Thursday, the municipality and the initiators will inform the population of Fläscher at an information evening.

How do young people see their current life and future in the Upper Engadine? In the St. Moritz village talk next Wednesday, secondary and junior high school students, apprentices, high school students, young professionals and students will have their say; they will discuss with entrepreneurs, politicians and tourism professionals. The event at Hotel Schweizerhof is public - admission is free. The door opens at 19:45 h; the conversation starts at 20:15 h.

The bankruptcy case involving the “Intercontinental” hotel in Davos made waves in the Swiss press. The financial belly landing of the prestigious Davos property surprised many — after just half a year of operation. The hotel industry is not a precise science and so it's easy to speculate about the causes. However, one can already draw a lesson from this case: Back to the virtues.

“The importance of St. Moritz as a Graubünden economic engine is central,” comments a recent study by the Grisons Economic Forum. The paper shows that St. Moritz and other tourist destinations in Graubünden are the financial model boys when you compare their cantonal funding with their financial contributions to the canton. They — or rather their taxpayers — make a significant contribution to balanced Graubünden cantonal finances.

The St. Moritz Winter Polo Tournament is getting a new sponsorship and a new name: “Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz” is the name of the world-famous traditional tournament on frozen Lake St. Moritz from next winter. It is organized by a new, broad-based sponsorship and a team consisting primarily of Engadin people.

St. Moritz is once again getting a place on the world map of ski jumping: Following the positive referendum at the end of November, the complex around the Olympic ski jump with five new ski jumps is expected to go into operation at the end of 2015. The voting campaign showed once again how difficult it is for sports proposals in politics today.

“Quality” was the simple title of the first workshop discussion in the “St. Moritz 360” series. The St. Moritz spa and tourist association had invited 13 St. Moritz service providers to attend. Hospitality, the creation of an ombudsman and deficiencies in the infrastructure and its maintenance were central topics of the engaged discussion. Although not everything is always for the best, St. Moritz should also not constantly make itself worse than it is.

The Engadin Ski Marathon is getting ready for the future and is launching extensive innovations. In 2015, a new start mode, a new marathon village and a new starting area for the women's run will be introduced. These changes for the benefit of participants are accompanied by a new sponsorship concept and a new visual identity.

Norwegian Anders Löersen and Finn Riita Liisa Roponen won the 46th Engadin Ski Marathon. Löersen led over the last few kilometers and prevailed in the final sprint against Frenchman Jean-Marc Gaillard and Davos Toni Livers. Last year's winner Riita Liisa Roponen won in 1. 38:39, ahead of Chur Bettina Gruber and German Katrin Zeller. Roponen also won the FIS Marathon Cup.

Between nature, luxury, sport, tradition and modernity: The positioning of St. Moritz as a holiday resort is a controversial topic. Locals will have their say in the St. Moritz village talk next Wednesday. How did we sell ourselves before? How do we present ourselves today and how should we position ourselves in the future? The event at Hotel Schweizerhof is public - admission is free. The door opens at 19:45 h; the conversation starts at 20:15 h.

The Upper Engadin lakes are ready for the Engadin ski marathon next Sunday. A team of specialists of glaciologists and experienced trail preparers has examined the ice rinks on Lake Sils and Silvaplana using georadar and core drilling and is satisfied with the quality. The research focused on the quality of trails for the smooth running of Switzerland's largest popular run, which is expected to attract around 13,000 participants on Sunday.

With very good weather and snow conditions, Selina Gasparin (Pontresina) won the 15th Engadin Women's Run from Samedan to S-chanf. In the last of 17 kilometers, she overshot the winner in 2012, Antonella Confortola (Italy) and Rahel Imoberdorf (Münster/VS), who paid tribute for their leadership work. Aita Gasparin (Pontresina) was fourth, last year's winner Ursina Badilatti (Poschiavo) tenth. With 1033 finishes for the first time, the women's run set a new record.

The Engadin Ski Marathon on March 9 will receive a new starting area in Maloja at short notice. Large amounts of snow and difficult ice conditions make it impossible to build the launch site on Lake Sils; the start will be moved to fixed land and will be carried out according to a new “pit start” system. The original route from Maloja to S-chanf is in good condition — the 46th Engadin Ski Marathon is out of the question.

The “yes of February 9” is less than ten days old and the fight for foreign contingents has already started: Ten cities are putting pressure on and are unequivocally demanding that the Federal Council be involved in implementing the initiative. The peripheral regions of Switzerland and Grisons in particular would do well to take action immediately, writes Alessandro Della Vedova*

gartmann.biz will take over media support at the Engadin Ski Marathon with immediate effect. The organizer of Switzerland's largest public race and the St. Moritz consulting firm have agreed on a corresponding partnership.

Poschiavo supports the municipality of Pontresina in marketing the Bernina region as “Glacier Bernina”. The small destination is not just financially emancipating itself following the Bernina Pass: As a link to its Italian neighbors, Valposchiavo will become the Upper Engadin's partner for tourism projects of the future, writes Alessandro Della Vedova*

St. Moritz's decision to take over the Garmisch men's World Cup races at short notice was courageous — and the courage paid off. St. Moritz proved to be a first-class winter sports resort.

The organizers of the St. Moritz men's World Cup race took advantage of the cancellation of Friday training to demonstrate the hospitality of the health resort: On the initiative of gartmann.biz, they invited top athletes from Austria, Sweden and Switzerland to the gourmet kitchen of the St. Moritz Kempinski Hotel, where they prepared lunch for themselves under the guidance of top chefs. The media interest was very high.

The basic instinct of protectionism is difficult to overcome: In difficult times, people often have the tendency to close themselves off and build barricades, writes Alessandro Della Vedova*

The well-being of the Alpine region as a habitat for nature and people requires solutions that both sides consider, writes Reto Branschi, CEO of the Davos Klosters destination.