The ski season in Austria received an innovative addition this year - the SkiMachine, a mobile roller ski slope that brings the joy of skiing to the city. Last week, this exclusive attraction celebrated its Austrian premiere at the G3 Shopping Resort Gerasdorf, presented by the Snowsports Academy and iFLOW.
The SkiMachine is a portable roller slope measuring 4.0 x 3.3 meters. This size allows one person to make graceful turns or even two people to practice short turns on it. Its significant strength lies in its ability to serve as a year-round advertising platform for skiing and making skiing accessible to people of all ages and skill levels, regardless of their geographic location.
Lizz Görgl - Double World Champion
Even for the two-time world champion Lizz Görgl, skiing on the SkiMachine was a new experience. "It's great, but you need to get used to the motion," she noted. Nevertheless, she recognized the immense potential of the SkiMachine, especially for urban areas and motivating children to ski. "It's fantastic for learning the basic movements and techniques!"
Albert Fortell, the actor, on the SkiMachine
The 72-year-old actor Albert Fortell also dared to try the SkiMachine and was enthusiastic about this innovative experience. "It's quite amusing, but you need to get used to it. However, I have the determination, and I will try it again in the future," he said. What impressed him the most was the ability to adjust the roller slope's speed and inclination. "It's a fantastic way to get the first taste of skiing, especially for children who approach it playfully!"
The Vision of the Snowsports Academy
The CEO of the Snowsports Academy, Martin Dolezal, invited everyone to this exciting event and explained the vision: "With the SkiMachine, we aim to make winter sports more prominent in urban areas. Our motto is #SnowConnectingPeople - because from our experience, we know that lasting friendships often form in the snow. And it's precisely this enthusiasm and passion for skiing that we want to bring closer to all people, including those living further away from major ski resorts. We are bringing skiing to the city!"
SkiMachine as a Complement to the Future of Skiing
In many other countries, learning to ski on a SkiMachine has been a common practice for many years. Especially in regions with limited snowfall, these slopes provide an ideal opportunity to try out and learn the sport. The significant advantage is that you can already ski when visiting Austrian ski resorts for the first time. It has been proven that the transition to a real ski slope can be achieved within minutes once you've mastered the basics on the roller slope.
The Austrian premiere of the SkiMachine was undoubtedly a great success. This mobile SkiMachine promises to inspire people to try skiing, regardless of their location or experience level. We can look forward to where this innovative idea will lead in the future. ⛷️❄️🌟
Photo Credits: Philipp Hutter
An event by Snowsports Academy in cooperation with iFLOW Skiwear (https://iflow.biz)