INTERSKI - The big festival for snow sports instructors

Six months before the next Interski Congress in Levi/Finland, we recall the last Interski Congress in Bulgaria with Martin Obermayr's "travelogue" in Insight Snowsports Magazine.

Text: Martin Obermayr | Photos: Martin Stanzel, Interski, Pamporovo ski resort

The Interski Congress has been held regularly since 1951, and every four years since 1971. In the spring of 2019, 1,100 international participants traveled to the Bulgarian ski resort of Pamporovo for the event. The program included impressive demonstrations, creative workshops on the slopes and in the lecture hall, plenty of networking opportunities, and—not to be forgotten—some truly great parties. Here's a personal travelogue.

A premiere always has the huge advantage that you have no point of comparison to see what was better or worse in the past. That's exactly how it was for me with my first Interski Congress. I knew that the international ski and snowboard teaching community gathered there, but I could only guess how it would all unfold. However, the theme, "Future. Snowsports," was more than promising.

And now, looking back on the events of these seven days of the congress from a certain distance, Interski 2019 achieved exactly what the organizers had set out to do: The future of winter sports has gained even greater importance in the minds of the participants. I'm speaking quite boldly here from my own experience and from everyone I spoke to – and there were quite a few.

What counts is enthusiasm

But let's start from the end. My education as a state-certified snowboard instructor was a quarter of a century ago, and my career as a snow educator ended before the turn of the millennium. At that time, I opted for journalism, and so I spent the following years working as a race reporter. My connection to teaching faded. That changed when, at the end of 2017, I received an offer to write for the first issue of "Insight – Snowsports Magazine." Since then, I've reconnected with ski and snowboard instructors.

To make a long story short, I was truly surprised to encounter such a creative and progressive mix of young and established people at Interski in Pamporovo, all sharing a common goal: to promote their sport with enthusiasm and a spirit of innovation. The atmosphere was electrifying, and I can only echo Jonathan Ballou's sentiment: "Everyone leaves Interski with a dozen lifelong friends who share their passion for snow sports."

Full program

The congress program was packed, requiring daily decisions about which workshops and lectures to attend. For example, former snowboard world champion Heidi Neururer from Austria spoke on "The Snowsport Instructor as Service Provider & Leader"—peppered with numerous anecdotes from her professional career and the main message: "An athlete needs an encouraging relationship with their coach. The same applies to the winter sports enthusiast and their instructor."

Slovenian sports university professor Rado Pišot, in turn, called for a simpler and more standardized European ski and snowboard curriculum. The core message of his research: "Skiing is a Game!" Equally engaging was the approach of Henrik Steen Jensen from Denmark, who spiced up his presentation with a "speed dating" game among the audience, thus immediately creating a communicative icebreaker. The daily practical workshops on the slopes were equally diverse. For example, the Hungarian instructors tackled the decidedly provocative topic "Does it help or does it hurt? (Kill it or keep it!)" Japan focused on breaking down boundaries: "The Borderless beginner lessons. The Fun Way!" And the USA, with "People Skills Fundamentals," placed particular emphasis on personal interaction with guests.

The absolute highlights, however, were the two evening demonstration shows, where each nation had the opportunity to showcase its skills before a large audience. It was a spectacle that once again demonstrated to me why the Interski Congress is such a unifying event for nations. This was particularly evident in the British, who demonstratively brought an EU flag to their demonstration run.

Where the journey is headed

The competition between the two applicants for Interski 2023, Kitzbühel versus Levi, was fair and respectful. However, their circumstances couldn't have been more different. Kitzbühel traveled to Pamporovo with a 30-person delegation and invested over a million euros in the campaign. They rented a private lodge at the valley station, where delicious Tyrolean food and drinks were served daily. In addition, there was a huge party in the large conference hall featuring the excellent Tyrol Music Project.

The competitors from the Finnish resort of Levi, on the other hand, were barely present during Interski Week – except for the official presentation of the bids on the third day of the congress. Former World Cup winner Tanja Poutiainen was also on stage as a prominent ambassador (see her interview on page 54). The decision on who would be awarded the bid wasn't to follow until two days later. It was truly exciting, because on the one hand, it was clear that Kitzbühel had pulled out all the stops, while on the other hand, Levi, as the underdog, appealed primarily to the smaller federations. During the secret ballot on the penultimate evening, there was a real electric atmosphere in the large conference room. The result was quite clear in favor of Levi: 22 to 13 votes.

Ultimately, three factors favored the Finnish bid. First, Levi had already competed three times. Second, the Austrian Ski School Association (ÖSSV) had withdrawn from the ISIA (International Ski Instructors Association) in 2015. And third, there were reports, particularly from smaller nations, that Kitzbühel's presence was perhaps a touch too powerful and intense for the event's rather intimate character.

In terms of sheer scale, there were many arguments in favor of the world-famous Hahnenkamm resort of Kitzbühel, as Rudi Lapper, head of the Austrian demonstration team, emphasizes: "It would, of course, have been a tremendous opportunity for the entire Interski movement if Kitzbühel had consistently promoted this over four years." And Lapper, who is also the chief instructor for the Austrian state ski instructors, sees this not merely as a patriotic statement, but simply as his honest opinion. He is highly regarded internationally for this candor. Lapper's technical analysis of the demonstration shows is also quite sobering: "I thought we were further along than that. But only six or seven nations are skiing really well – there's quite a gap after that." Yet this is precisely where the great potential of Interski lies: that the smaller nations, in particular, can still make significant strides forward. The next opportunity for this will arise in Levi in 2023. I hope to be there again then.