Sepp Gratzer: The equipment controller retires

After Race Director Walter Hofer took that step at the end of last winter, now equipment controller Josef "Sepp" Gratzer is now also retiring. Like Hofer, Gratzer has been a vital part of the Ski Jumping World Cup for many years. At this season's final World Cup in Planica - late March - Gratzer will have his last day on the job.

There will never be an award ceremony or a final result in the Ski Jumping World Cup without his controls. Before there is an official result of a competition, every one of the Top 10 has to pass the equipment control. If the equipment of the athletes was checked and deemed okay, then the results become official. 
The man who has been responsible for these controls for almost 30 years is now retiring - Sepp Gratzer.

Gratzer was a ski jumper himself and was working as a coach with the Austrian Ski Association in the 1980s and 1990s, Ski Jumping runs in his blood. The Carinthian from Feistritz an der Gail (near Villach, AUT), has been working for the FIS since 1991. Gratzer turned 65 in 2020 and will now retire.

An important part of his job is to check the equipment of the athletes after the competitions. Just as important is it to define and adjust the rules and regulations in order to react to certain developments and trends. Innovations are presented constantly, or trends are becoming visible, are the rules must be adjusted accordingly. First and foremost it's about the safety of the athletes, followed by ensuring equal opportunities. The equipment is then controlled at the competitions and sanctions will be applied if the rules are violated.

What is most difficult?
"An important factor of every rule and regulation is the checkability. The rules must be worded in a way that the equipment can be controlled within a short amount of time and a decision must be comprehensible. This is important so a possible qualification, if necessary, is also comprehensible and will be accepted by the affected athlete. It's very important that the affected athlete and the controller still have respect for each other even after a disqualification", explains Gratzer.

How many disqualifications have there been in all these years?
"There were about 2000 disqualifications during the course of all these years. It's always possible to protest such a decision, but this has never been the case", says Gratzer.

Are there athletes who were never disqualified?
"This is difficult to say after such a long period of time. Simon Ammann comes to my mind, I have never disqualified him."

Sepp Gratzer has experienced a lot over all these years during the equipment checks. Is there anything that sticks out?
"There was once a case when an athlete hasn't noticed that he was jumping with the wrong skis, until the equipment control. Something like that just happens."

Who will be the successor? What qualifications are required to become an equipment controller?
"So far there's no successor for Sepp, we are currently asking and looking around. Knowledge of Ski Jumping and the equipment is of course an advantage, but basically, we are open. There are some people who already said that they would be interested in this position, and I'm sure there will be more, we are happy about every application", explains FIS Race Director Sandro Pertile.