8th International Ski Congress: 2nd February 1924 – Chamonix (FRA)

36 delegates from 14 countries

This Congress, which established the FIS, took place during an International Winter Sports Week – known in Olympic history as the 1st Winter Games. The CIS gave way to the FIS.

Delegates Josef Rossler-Orovsky (TCH) and Ivar Holmquist (SWE) were firmly in favour of the constitution of a Federation, but Hysing Olsen (NOR) was against it. He was of the opinion that it was enough to maintain the Commission as before. “Norway is opposed to this idea,” he had to add, and these words were recorded. He added however that if all those present were in favour of a federation and if the proposal for the statutes, studied by the International Ski Federation, was adopted in the main, Norway was ready to give way.

Three proposals for the statutes were made: one by the CIS, one by Doctor Pierre Minelle (FRA), and a third, studied shortly before the Congress by the Norwegian and Swedish delegations and in which the main points of the two other proposals appeared. The Congress decided unanimously that the Norwegian and Swedish proposal should constitute the basis of future deliberations. Thus, the International Ski Federation was formed by unanimous decision. Or, to be more precise, the International Commission transformed itself into the International Ski Federation.

According to the first statutes, the Council had to have a President, Vice-President, Secretary General/Treasurer and six members. Finland, Norway and Sweden had to be represented on the Council. In addition, the President and the Secretary General had to be of one of these three nationalities. Following a proposal by Ivar Holmquist, who was elected the first President of the FIS, the official abbreviation “FIS” was chosen and has remained.

During this Congress, it was also decided that the FIS should invite ski racers each year to a large international competition. At the origin of the World Championships, these Championships were called a “rendez-vous” up until 1927, and then from 1929 onwards “the FIS Competitions”.