Care for the environment, the guiding principle for the opening ceremony of the Andorra 2023 Finals
The ceremony once again turned the Avet slope into a large screen and was a mixture of video mapping, light, sound and pyrotechnics
The show sold out the 2,000 tickets available, the proceeds of which will be used to promote grassroots sport
Approx. 2,000 people enjoyed the opening show for the Alpine Skiing World Cup Finals Andorra 2023, which took place on the Soldeu platform, at the foot of the Avet slope, this Monday evening. The show, which was also broadcast live by Andorra Televisió and on the Grandvalira’s YouTube channel, once again turned the Avet into a giant screen that displayed an impressive video-mapping projection, just as it did for the 2019 Finals.
Spectators were taken on a journey that originated from Andorran legends and attempted to showcase some of Grandvalira’s values: care for the environment, the link with our surroundings, sportsmanship, cooperation and self-improvement. The show’s artistic director, Jordi Puig (PROmotor), highlighted the spectacular nature and technical complexity of the event, as this is video mapping projected onto a ski slope that Grandvalira incorporated into the program for the first time at the 2019 Finals.
This year, having seen the success of this four years ago, a further step has been taken by incorporating an innovative guiding principle designed by Toni Lleonart, a collaborator with companies such as La Cubana and Els Comediants (the Comedians). Toni Lleonart indicated that the objective was "to convey a simple and entertaining message of respect for nature, with a feminist perspective and a nod to Andorran history." And during the show, fantasy characters that are very popular in Andorra made an appearance including la Dama Blanca (the White Lady) and els Menairons (the Menairons).
The sporting element also featured in the show, with the presentation of the different alpine ski disciplines and the Top 5 skiers from each discipline. The ceremony began with speeches from the Vice-President of the Andorran Ski Federation (FAE) and member of the Council of the International Ski Federation (FIS), Patrick Toussaint, from the Mayor of Canillo, Francesc Camp, and from the incumbent Andorran Prime Minister, Xavier Espot. It culminated in a show that combined video-mapping, light, sound and pyrotechnics.
All the tickets that had been put up for sale for the opening ceremony were sold out for people to watch the show from the stands on the Avet slope. All the proceeds will go to the Andorran Ski Federation (FAE) to promote grassroots skiing.
