The 25/26 March will mark the first FIM International Sustainability Commission event of 2017 as KiSS (Keep it Shiny and Sustainable) comes to Päijänne as part of the opening round of the FIM Enduro World Championship that will take place against the backdrop of Finland’s wintery landscape.

Päitsi - formally Päijänteen ympäriajo (race around Lake Päijänne) - is one of Finland´s oldest continuously organised sport events and traditionally takes place during early spring / late winter when weather conditions can still be quite chilly and challenging. Päitsi has been held almost every year since 1927, and 2017 will be its 82nd anniversary.

With such a long and illustrious history, the organisers at the Helsingfors Motorklubb (Helsingin moottorikerho), fully appreciate the fact that each and every event that is held in the local forests and across this unique and amazing terrain has an impact on the area.

With this very much in mind they are both pleased and proud to organise KiSS Päijänne to ensure that any impact is managed and offset in the correct way. As this is the first time ever that Päitsi has been part of the EnduroGP series, it is the perfect moment to communicate and create awareness of this environmentally focused initiative.

The locally organisers will involve the riders, teams, officials, volunteers and fans in KiSS Päijänne and will ask them to each play an important part in the execution of their plan that will include these key elements:

o COMPENSATION – Ensuring that the course follows a considered and well managed route through the area in order to reduce land erosion and to implement a programme of reinstatement where appropriate.

o SHARED SERVICE – This initiative, which greatly reduces the use and impact on the land, has been in place at this event for decades. The sharing of common resources at all refuelling / service areas will greatly limit the total number of vehicle movements during the event.

o SHARED RECYCLING – Recycling is already very widespread within the region and taken seriously in the surrounding community. The organisers will therefore pay great attention to these facilities and ensure that they are used effectively by all visitors so all refuse is dealt with in the correct manner.

o SPECIAL TESTS VOLUNTEERS – The success of the event depends on the participation of many sectors and the involvement of different stakeholders. Volunteers are very much at the centre of the sport in accordance with the values described in the FIM´s strategic plan.

o SHARED TRANSPORTATION FOR SPECTATORS – Where appropriate fans will be encouraged to use the transport provided by the local organiser to reduce the number and frequency of journeys made between the different parts of the event.

Speaking about KiSS Päijänne, Ms Kattia Juárez Hernandez, Director of the FIM International Sustainability Commission (CID) said: “This represents only the second ever KiSS programme inside Enduro after the first at the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in Spain late last year. It is important to have this early opportunity in the new season to work in a discipline that really touches nature, albeit this time in a totally different type of terrain compared to what saw in Spain.”

“The white wintery landscape and this historic event provide us with the perfect stage to reinforce our messages and values that define each KiSS programme. It proves that even in the most challenging conditions sustainability can be brought to the fore, and thanks to the efforts of the organisers we are confident KiSS Päijänne will prove to be a great success.”

Issued by: Mrs Kattia Hernandez