Swiss winter sports and Alpiq share a lot in common: mountains, snow, energy and peak performance. That's why we have been supporting Swiss-Ski since May 2009. This year the two partners extended their agreement for another three years until 2014.

Swiss-Ski is one of the most important and successful sports associations in Switzerland, combining under one roof the eight disciplines of downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combination, biathlon, snowboarding, freestyle and telemark. The 250 or so Swiss-Ski atheletes come from all regions of Switzerland and take part in competitions both in Switzerland and abroad.

The parallels with Swiss-Ski are obvious. We, too, are active throughout Switzerland and maintain strong partnerships with the alpine cantons. Alpiq operates in 33 European countries, and winter sports are extremely popular in many of these nations. We are proud that Swiss athletes can achieve peak performance in competitions at home and abroad thanks to Swiss energy.

Alpiq also acts as an individual sponsor for nine downhill skiers. Seven of them are in Swiss-Ski's C team, and six of these live in the canton of Valais, where many of our hydroelectric power stations generate energy. In keeping with our commitment to maintaining close ties with the alpine cantons, we support young, motivated athletes and help them achieve peak performance.