Martin Dolezal receives the SKI GUIDE AUSTRIA AWARD 2026

Martin Dolezal was honored for his role as an ambassador for alpine skiing.

The Ski Guide Austria has presented its awards for this year – and one of the recipients is Martin Dolezal. The managing director of Snowsports Academy – Snowsports GmbH is being honored with the SKI GUIDE AUSTRIA AWARD 2026 , one of the most prestigious awards in the Austrian winter sports industry. The award recognizes individuals who have shaped the development of snow sports with exceptional dedication, innovation, and vision.

Günter Fritz (Ski Guide), Martin Dolezal, Werner Hascher (Ski Guide)

50 years of passion for snow and winter sports

Martin Dolezal has been skiing since he was three years old – and has since made his passion for snow his life's work. This passion runs through every stage of his career: from the winter sports industry to managing sports and leisure facilities, and training the next generation of ski and snowboard instructors.

For more than 40 years, he has shaped the Austrian snow sports landscape as a leader, visionary, and creative idea generator , developing strategic concepts that have an impact far beyond Austria's borders. His central aim: to share the fascination of snow with people all over the world.

Martin Dolezal presents the award.

Foresight and impact beyond Austria

As president of the Vienna Ski and Snowboard Instructors Association – Snowsports GmbH and managing director of Snowsports GmbH, Dolezal is responsible for the training of over 3,000 snow sports instructors per year (ski and snowboard) who come to Austria from all over the world.

Furthermore, he is significantly involved in the development of snow sports in the indoor ski centers in Dubai and Egypt , where he has been responsible for the training of all ski instructors from the very beginning – a flagship project for international snow sports development. In addition, he leads training programs in numerous other countries, including China, the Netherlands, Argentina, Lesotho, Georgia, and Greece, thus making a substantial contribution to the professionalization of snow sports on a global scale.

Commitment to the future of snow sports

With his keynote speeches "Change of Mindset" and "Snow Sports in Urban Areas," Martin Dolezal provides crucial impetus for the future development of snow sports. He emphasizes the importance of snow as a cultural asset of Austria and as a significant economic factor – and at the same time shows new ways in which snow sports offerings can be better integrated into urban living spaces.

His goal is to initiate a change in thinking: away from the notion that winter sports take place exclusively in alpine regions, towards innovative, urban-oriented concepts. This should make snow sports more accessible to a wider population, attract new target groups, and secure the future of winter sports in a long-term and sustainable way.

Photo credits: philipphutter