State of AFP

Just received this email , some people might not be a part of the AFP but definitely part of the community "Freeskiing".
So i thought i just put it here for everyone to discuss about it.

"Hey everyone,

I hope this email finds you doing well and enjoying the season. You are receiving this email because at some point in your freeskiing career you were a part of the Association of Freeskiing Professionals (AFP) - either through event results, membership, or partner.

We are sending this email to update the entire freeskiing community on the current state of the AFP and what the future looks like. For those that have been following us recently, one thing is clear… the AFP has been awfully quiet lately.

This has been due to the ongoing negotiations with FIS and the World Snowboard Federation to integrate one ranking system into our sport. If you aren’t familiar with this plan and these negotiations, please read the attached document and visit the AFP Athlete Facebook page and the post from December 8, 2017.
https://www.facebook.com/eric.zerrenner/videos/10155910680968609/

Yes, that says 2017…and the negotiations are still taking place! This has been the longest, most political and drawn out process I have been involved with. I attended the FIS meeting in May of 2018 to present to the FIS Park & Pipe Committee our plan to integrate the AFP rankings, which include every single freeskiing event, into the WSPL formula for the 2018/19 season. The Nations voted to approve the concept and we were asked to present our final plan and financial model before the FIS fall meeting in Zurich at which point everything would be approved and started for the 2018/19 season. For reason outside of the AFP’s control, the plan was not approved, thus funding was not secured for this season. Without funding, the AFP does not have the resources to maintain our web site, ranking system, judges education program or any other service we provide the sport. This is the reason it has been so quiet.

2 weeks ago, the agreement was finally signed for FIS to adopt the WSPL. The next step is for FIS and the Nations to approve the inclusion of freeskiing into this ranking. When that happens, the AFP will import all results and ranking data from 2009 into the new ranking database and freeski will move forward with ONE ranking – managed by AFP and FIS collectively. This is the end-goal.

We expected this to be completed in September of 2018, with the Nations all contributing financially to the process of merging and maintaining the new ranking system. When this did not happen, the AFP had no revenue stream. We have kept the rankings updated with Platinum level events only so far this season with what little resources we had, but we are now out of money.

I am sharing this with all of you because the future of the AFP, our rankings, judges education program, and everything we do to promote the sport, is in jeopardy of ending. An email went out a few days ago from the AFP to all freeski Nations informing them that if we don’t receive adequate funding by March 1, the AFP will essentially shut down. Our web site will be inactive and all rankings data and information will be unavailable. While this seems hard to believe and drastic, it is the reality.

The AFP was started in 2007 with one mission – to serve as the athletes voice of freeskiing. To help guide and grow our sport with the athletes best interest in mind. Looking back over the past 12 years, we have achieved tremendous success. We are 100% confident that our proposed plan is the right move for the sport as there is no longer a need for 2 ranking systems, 2 “competing” sanctioning bodies, 2 judges certifications….we need to unite and work together to make our sport even better. This is the plan.

The decision now is in the hands of your National programs. Let them hear from you and know that you support this plan. This is what you can do to help preserve the future and legacy of our sport.

Thank you everyone, and we look forward to continuing to serve you and our sport in the future.

Sincerely,
Eric Zerrenner"