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The ski school churning out champions

Many of the world's top skiers have walked its halls and at this year's Olympics, its alumni swept 12 medals - for nearly half a century the ski school in Stams, Austria has been producing champions like a factory.

The ski school churning out champions
Photo: Skigymnasium Stams

The tiny village, set in a green Tyrolean valley below snowy peaks, launched the careers of top skiing names from Stephan Eberharter to Anita Wachter or Toni Innauer and more recently Gregor Schlierenzauer, Marlies Schild and Felix Gottwald.

Not just alpine skiers but budding ski jumpers, snowboarders, biathletes and cross country skiers now come here in the hope of emulating their idols.

But the road to glory is a tough one. Six-day weeks from the age of 14, a tough entrance exam and a tight schedule with six hours of class every morning followed by afternoon training – in the gym or on the slope – and more studying in the evening and weekend races. Attending this school is no walk in the park.

But for hungry youngsters dreaming of world titles and Olympic gold, it's nevertheless worth it.

"I'd rather train than go to school, that's why I'm here… It's a bit stressful sometimes, but it's part of it," ski jumper Johanna Haselwanter, 15, told AFP.

Stams also prepares them for the pressure they'll face later on. "(The level) is very high. You always have to give everything in races and in training, because there are so many who are just as strong as you," said alpine skier Pascal Fritz, 17, who hopes to make the Austrian ski team after he graduates this year.

"A lot is expected of these students. They have a really tight schedule, they have little free time when they're in school. But they learn to deal with it," said snowboarding coach Martin Krätschmer.

Photo: APA/Gindl

School vs. slope

In the dorm rooms – four boys or two girls to a room – boot bags and sports holdalls are piled high on top of cupboards and race suits hang from every available hook.

About 60 teachers and 27 trainers – many with links to the Austrian ski team – cater to the 170-180 students who spend four or five years here depending on whether they do a high school diploma or choose the business college (Handelsschule) option.

Stams is just one of five specialised ski schools in Austria, but it is one of the most successful.

"I think the recipe for our success is our consistency. The whole team is behind the programme, from the academic side and the sports side," said men's alpine ski coach Thomas Reiter, himself a former pupil.

In the winter, when students are busy training and racing – some already compete at FIS (International Ski Federation) or Europa Cup level – there are no school tests. Teachers then catch up at the end of the season, when competitions wind down.

Powerhouse of skiing

These days the school draws not just Austrians, but students from Italy, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, including in recent years World Cup skiers Sandro Viletta and Tina Weirather.

"They enrich the programme… we do look during the selection that they push our Austrian students and compete at the same level as them. They spur each other on," said Reiter.

Keegan Sharp, 17, chose Stams over the many top ski academies in North America, hoping to build on his skills with a stint in the "powerhouse nation of skiing", despite already finishing high school in Canada and now facing classes in German.

"Clearly, this school has been doing something right for a number of years… with all the great racers it's produced," said the Banff, Alberta native.

Enrolling here doesn't come cheap at €8,150 ($6,600) per year on top of pricey equipment – Sharp said he brought 10 pairs of skis with him along with boots, poles and race suits.

But it's still much less than it would be in other countries and many students have sponsors who provide equipment.

After all this, only one in ten graduates will become a competitive athlete. But it won't stop them from trying.

"It's a long road (to Olympic gold) but I have dreams, I have a goal, and I'm working hard," said Fritz. "If I don't get injured, it can definitely happen."

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CLIMATE CRISIS

For how much longer will people be able to ski in Austria in the summer?

In Austria, you can still enjoy skiing during the summer months. However, with the glaciers melting, the question arises: for how much longer?

For how much longer will people be able to ski in Austria in the summer?

If you are in Austria, the skiing season does not have to end when winter turns into spring. Even if it is a common known fact that the glaciers in the country are melting, you are still able to enjoy some skiing during the summer months, something that might not be possible in the future. 

Summer skiing in Austria

Austria is famous worldwide for its skiing opportunities, attracting skiers from all over the globe who want to enjoy the winter sport in the Austrian Alps, glaciers, and mountains. Even during the summer months, the country’s 11 glaciers tend to be crowded with enthusiastic skiers from all around the world.

Glacier skiing in Austria typically begins in late spring and can sometimes continue into early autumn. However, the duration varies each year, influenced by factors such as temperatures, snow conditions, and glacier maintenance.

Among the most popular glaciers to visit during the summer are the Hintertux Glacier, Stubai Glacier, Sölden Glacier, and Kitzsteinhorn Glacier.

The glaciers are melting

While skiing on glaciers during the summer is still something you can enjoy, it is becoming increasingly less possible with each passing year.

“A few years ago we thought that they would last until about the end of this century, but now it looks like at the end of 2050, at the end of the first half of the century, there’ll be no glaciers in Austria anymore,” Andrea Fischer, glaciologist at the Austrian Academy of Sciences told AP.

Other experts are more optimistic, one of them is Kay Helfricht, glaciologist at the University of Innsbruck.

“With progressive warming, especially in the summer months, about 60 percent of the current glacier volume in Austria will have disappeared by 2050,” Helfricht told the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

“There are, of course, different models and scenarios, but when it comes to the impact up to 2050, they are basically pretty much in agreement. There are divergent forecasts for the time thereafter. For the development from 2050 onwards, it will be very decisive which climate path we choose now.

“By the end of the century, the glaciers will have almost disappeared, and only a maximum of 20 percent of the ice, mainly the currently largest glaciers, will remain,” she said.

The behaviour of Alpine glaciers in the future depends on various factors, including the thickness of their ice, the extent to which they are already in symmetry with the current climate, and how meteorological factors such as radiation, air temperature, rainfall, and wind will change over time.

If the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions can be cut by 45 percent within the next ten years and then completely eliminate these emissions by the year 2050, it may be possible to prevent further melting and preserve the glaciers.

“I think it’s important that we all learn to think longer than our lifetimes, because we have to think about coming generations. Our decisions will affect the coming generations, especially in mountain regions,” glaciologist Andrea Fischer told AP.

Glaciologist Andrea Fischer at the Jamtal Glacier (Jamtalferner) near Galtuer in Tyrol. (Photo by KERSTIN JOENSSON / AFP)
 
 
But it’s not just about the danger to skiing…

Whilst Austria’s ski industry will take a hit from the rise in temperatures and subsequent loss of the glaciers there will be a more tragic impact for many animal and plant species in the mountains as well as the local communities.

“Glaciers and their meltwater create unique habitats for various species of plants, animals, and microorganisms. As glaciers retreat, these habitats are disrupted or lost, threatening the survival of species that are adapted to these specific conditions,” writes Eric Ralls on Earth.com.

There will also be an impact on river flows and on the communities who rely on glacial melt for drinking water, farming and hydro electric power.

Glaciologists Andrea Fischer and Violeta Lauria from the Austrian Academy of Sciences walk on the Jamtal Glacier in Tyrol. (Photo by KERSTIN JOENSSON / AFP)

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