The ÖSV alone cannot shoulder such a project; according to the president, it requires a joint effort with politicians and investors.
An indoor ski resort project involves a financial sum of at least 120 to 150 million Euros.
There's no upper limit. The Huafa Snow World in Shenzhen, China, for example, extends over 100,000 square meters and features five slopes, the longest of which measures 463 meters. Cross-country trails, snowboard kickers, and an adjacent hotel are almost standard.
The approximately 35 indoor ski resorts in Europe are somewhat smaller in scale. The closest ones are located in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Norway. Switzerland, like Austria, does not have such infrastructure.
An Indoor Ski Resort in Vienna?
According to ÖSV officials, an indoor ski resort in Austria should be located in an urban area. Vienna is repeatedly mentioned as a potential location.
"The goal is to create low-threshold access to winter sports for the general public in urban centers," says Stecher.
Those who get a taste for skiing indoors should then, hopefully, indulge their newly ignited passion in the mountains and thus boost tourism.
Salzburg province has been pursuing this approach for a quarter of a century already. For 25 years, it has been a premium and exclusive marketing partner of the indoor ski resort in Neuss (Germany).
According to a report by the "Salzburger Nachrichten", around 20,000 children come into contact with snow sports for the first time there annually, with a total of approximately 400,000 visitors per year. A not insignificant lever for tourism, as 80 percent of Salzburg's winter guests come from abroad.
A day ticket for an indoor ski resort costs around 50 Euros – making it cheaper than a day pass at most ski resorts in this country.
Elite Sports Can Barely Do Without It
Elite athletes are now almost dependent on indoor ski resorts, from the youngest to full professionals.
"Our youth from sports schools spend between 20 and 30 days in indoor ski resorts during the summer months," Stadlober recounts. "There are simply hardly any alternatives."
Even World Cup stars are increasingly drawn to indoor training despite their overseas season preparations. Austria's slalom aces visited the Oslo indoor facility this summer, and Marcel Hirscher made his first turns on snow after his ACL tear in the Netherlands.
"We are now in an indoor ski resort once a year. There you get the same conditions for three days, even in bad weather," reports Italian Alex Vinatzer.
But There's One Thing the Indoor Ski Resort Cannot Offer
ÖSV star Manuel Feller also knows the advantages of indoor training, even if he prefers to be on the mountain:
"You have almost laboratory conditions and a short circuit. Furthermore, you have short distances from the hotel room to the slope. Everything is minimized to the sport itself." This is particularly advantageous for athletes returning from an injury.
But there's one essential thing the indoor ski resort cannot offer: winter snow.
"You won't make any progress at all with material tuning for races in the hall," Feller explains. Not least for this reason, summer trips overseas will remain indispensable for technicians, and even more so for the speed contingent.
And not all athletes are enthusiastic about indoor skiing. When asked about indoor ski resorts, Julia Scheib simply said: "No comment."
So, opinions are divided on whether Austria needs an indoor ski resort. However, it seems likely that one will be built in the near future...
