Dear Mushers, Dear Friends,

let us tell you a few words about the happenings of the past months-weeks-days.

Last autumn the FISTC Board started to work on to find a location for our Sprint and Distance Championships, as during the summer the number of expected mushers was too low to organize a successful Sprint and Distance Championship in Romania.

We found a very nice location in France, where the Belgian Federation (FBMF) - with the technical help of the local mushing club - was ready to organize the FISTC Championships. We had the consent of the major of the village, the FBMF did a great and fast job and get the necessary permissions, everything seemed perfect. We didn't want to publish anything until every conditions became sure.

Unfortunately the weather was not on our side - just like many times in the past years... There were heavy rains at the area, and an earthflood demolished the car park which was the planned place of our stake out. We passed the middle of January and we had no location.

Just like more times in the past, Massimo Bassan and FIMSS made an offer to hold our Championships in Millegrobbe - together with a FIMSS Championship (like in the past in Klaistow, Sankt Ulrich etc.).

We sent an email to the delegates of FISTC member associations to ask them about their intentions, how many mushers can they send to our Championships. Unfortunately until the deadline this number was altogether 42 mushers...

Because of different reasons - you have to understand - it's not possible to organise a World Championship for 42 competitors.

According to the aboves, FISTC Board made the following decision: we keep open the possibility to find more competitors in their club/federation/country, and informed them 24 hours later we publish this message on FISTC website and Facebook site to give a last chance for this Championship, and also those mushers who didn't have these informations.

If we cannot increase the number of participants radically, we have to cancel our Sprint and Distance Championships for this season.

Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.

Your Board