The ice surface has deteriorated so much that the kick-sled track no longer meets the level required for a competition, according to official sources. High water levels and increased flow in the river have made it difficult to safely transport vehicles and equipment to the ice to build the event area, officials said. Specific safety risks identified on the ice have not been detailed, and the number of participants registered before cancellation remains unknown.
The event was planned to be a folk festival with competitions, spring-winter joy, and social community on the ice in Södra hamn in Luleå, according to official sources. Luleå claims to arrange the official kick-sled world championship, challenging Swedish Arvika, Norwegian Hurdalen, and Finnish Keuruu which have previously arranged their own world championships in kick-sledding, according to Karin Åberg, Business Developer Destination at Luleå municipality.
There is no official international federation for kick-sledding as a sport and therefore no official world championship, according to official sources.
The ambition is to continue working with the concept and return with it in the future when conditions are better, officials said. There is a large interest in activities and meeting places on the ice in Luleå, according to official sources. Whether alternative dates or locations are being considered for the Spark-VM in the near future has not been specified, and financial implications or refunds for participants or sponsors due to the cancellation are unclear.
In a related development, the Vuokatti ski event scheduled for Saturday in Vuokatti, Finland, has been canceled, according to major media reports. The ski conditions in Vuokatti have deteriorated significantly in the last 24 hours, making it impossible to hold the event safely on Saturday, major media reports indicate. The event is postponed to next year, with registrations transferred, but the date is not yet known, according to major media.
Poor snow conditions have troubled ski events, with the Botnia ski event in Vöyri also canceled on Sunday for the second consecutive year, according to major media reports. This pattern highlights broader weather-related challenges in the region, though exact weather and ice condition thresholds that determine if such events can proceed safely remain undefined.