For the World Championships in Innsbruck, a lot has been thought up to make the event unique not only for the athletes, but also for everyone. With this in mind, the Climbers Paradise Village on the market square is a small, local hub where everything is being done to actively involve many people in the World Championships and to connect fans, interested parties and athletes. And when we say "many", we mean "everyone". That's why the supporting program offered there is an important part of the sporting events. In the spirit of "Climb. Come together. Celebrate.", we spent a long time working on a balanced program that offers something suitable for all interest groups. Through sporting activities such as bouldering jams, free excursions to the regions of Tyrol, or experience and knowledge transfer in the form of lectures and films with world-class athletes or filmmakers from the entire outdoor industry, a colorful mosaic has developed.
One man who has put up with many sleepless nights and racked his brains to make everything unique and super is the chief of project himself - Markus Schwaiger. We met him for a cross-examination at KI and asked him all kinds of W-questions. But read for yourself...
How do you define the goal of Climbers Paradise Village?
Markus Schwaiger: In the spirit of "Climb. Come together. Celebrate." we want to involve the whole city and the running public in the sporting event. In this way, we can bring locals and tourists closer to the sport and show that climbing is a cool sport where having fun is just as important as the sport itself.
What criteria were used to select the program?
Markus Schwaiger: Under our motto, you can really let off steam, the focus is not only on ultra climbers, but also on hobby climbers, beginners, families or tourists - to put it simply: everyone. We attract a wide audience with various lectures, films, climbing courses, competitions, live bands and other events. For example, the trial show professional Tom Öhler will also be there with a bike show - in other words, completely non-specific to climbing.
Why isn't the Village right next to the competition venues?
Markus Schwaiger: The location on the market square is unique - we already know that from the previous World Cups that have always taken place here. In addition, the running public is bigger in the city. In the Village, we can also draw the attention of non-climbers to the World Cup and arouse their interest in the competitions.
The competitions are deliberately not broadcast via livestream on the market square, because the aim is not to keep the audience in the Village, but for them to actually go and watch on site. Anyone who has ever been to a climbing competition knows how great it is when the audience gets just as excited and gives just as much as the climbers in the competition.
Do you still meet the athletes on the market square?
Markus Schwaiger: Yes, at least at the award ceremonies and during the opening ceremony, as these take place in the Village.
How long did it take to plan the supporting program?
Markus Schwaiger : We've been working on this since we applied for the World Championships about five years ago. We are an organizational team of ten people who plan everything to do with the World Cup, with each person involved having a different area of responsibility. However, the organization of the supporting program is much more relaxed compared to the official competitions, where you have clear requirements from the IFSC (International Federation for Sport Climbing). At these competitions, everything has to be 100% perfect, otherwise it can quickly become unfair.
Did you take inspiration from other events during the preparations?
Markus Schwaiger: Yes, but not from climbing events. At the World Championships in Paris, the supporting program consisted of an opening concert and a closing event - you don't learn much from that. Other sporting events, such as the beach volleyball grand slam, gave us more ideas.
My highlight is definitely Ledgends Night! What will happen there?
Markus Schwaiger : Jacky Godoff, David Lama and Chris Sharma will probably be at the Red Bull Ledgends Night. I can't tell you the exact schedule for the evening, Red Bull will surprise us 
But Chris might leave early - he might become a dad right then, but don't tell anyone. Don't tell anyone else.
What is your personal highlight of the CP Village?
Markus Schwaiger: I'm really looking forward to Nicolas Favresse performing and jamming with his band, because he's a climber himself. For the masses, I think Fritz Kalkbrenner is definitely a highlight. But all in all, I can only say that there is something different going on in the Village every day and this versatility results in a coherent overall package that is sure to impress.
And who is your favorite in the competition?
Markus Schwaiger: All the Austrians, of course, especially Jakob and Jessy!
With this in mind, the Climbers Paradise editorial team wishes all the organizers and participants, but above all the athletes, all the best for a successful outcome.
And we at Climbers Paradise will of course be there ourselves to welcome you with an issue of the popular climbing magazine Limit and a Rockselfie box. What's that? We'll show you when you stop by. We're looking forward to it. Cheers!
Note: You can find detailed information about the program at www.innsbruck2018.com/entertainment.
