Austrian Ski Federation pushes for indoor ski hall construction

The Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV) is advancing plans to construct an indoor ski hall in Austria to combat the challenges posed by climate change. ÖSV President Roswitha Stadlober stated that rising temperatures and melting glaciers are forcing elite athletes and youth talent to spend 20 to 30 days each summer training in foreign facilities located in countries such as Germany, Lithuania, and the Netherlands.

To address this, the ÖSV is forming a working group to examine the feasibility, requirements, and potential locations for a domestic facility. While the Vienna Prater has been suggested as a possible site, the city of Vienna has reportedly expressed initial resistance to the proposal.

ÖSV Secretary General Jan Überall emphasized that any such project must be designed on a large scale rather than being exclusively for competitive racing. The goal is to provide year-round training opportunities for high-performance schools and to ensure the sport remains accessible to children in urban areas despite changing snow conditions.