Skiing in crisis

Upper Austria puzzles: Where is the next Vincent Kriechmayr?

Vincent Kriechmayr is the figurehead of Upper Austrian ski sport

(Bild: GEPA pictures/ Wolfgang Grebien)

The sports director of the elite ski club TVN in Wels paints a bleak picture of the situation in Upper Austrian skiing. It is becoming increasingly difficult for talented skiers to get enthusiastic about the hard training. Added to this are high costs for parents.Windischgarsten boss Gattinger remains positive despite a slump in the squad

The top ski club TVN in Wels is urgently looking for new talent. "500 children used to come to a ski day, now we have to cancel it," groans TVN-Wels head of racing Andreas Kainz. His club has the absolute Upper Austrian and ÖSV figurehead in double world champion Vincent Kriechmayr. The reasons for the general and rapid decline in skiing lie above all in social change. "Today, all children go to soccer or basketball. Only our squad athletes are supported by the equipment suppliers, the rest have to buy their own racing skis. Parents can no longer afford to support their children with 700 euros a month for centers like Stams or Hofgastein. And it is becoming increasingly difficult to find volunteers. Our coaches used to be allowed to go to the Kitzsteinhorn for free, but now they have to pay 125 euros for two days," says Kainz, outlining the depressing situation in Upper Austrian ski sport, which, as in the case of the Wels TVN, would no longer be financially viable without supporters such as Sparkasse or Colop. There are currently six alpine athletes in an ÖSV squad: Kriechmayr, Daniel Hemetsberger, Andreas Ploier, Elisabeth Reisinger and the youngsters Nicole Eibl and Yvonne Gadola.

Distraction PlayStation
Markus Gattinger from the Windischgarsten sports middle school sees light at the end of the tunnel despite the problems: "Unfortunately, our young people are becoming less and less sporty. Everyone is sitting in front of the PlayStation instead of exercising, and all sports are generally feeling the effects of this. But we still organize 12,000 school ski courses per year in Upper Austria, the mountain railroads and the Upper Austrian Family Department cover the costs of the lift tickets for young people. The quality of the youngsters is still there, but today we need to do more and more to convince parents. The previously broad pyramid is becoming narrower and narrower. We are not relying on quantity but on smaller teams to make the leap to the top. We can't build a Vincent Kriechmayr, he just happens."

H. Eichinger