Event News
Kitzsteinhorn: Fall Training Ground for Pipe Pros
The fall snowpark on the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier in Austria’s Zell am See-Kaprun region has been open for business since October with a setup of over 30 features. Another major highlight is the glacier’s finely sculpted Superpipe. 150 meters long and 6.5 meters high, the Kitz pipe has been taken over by some of the world’s best halfpipe riders for the Superpipe Training Weeks running through December 3.
The fall 2018 snowpark setup as of 22 November.
Nearly 100 top international athletes have flocked to Kitzsteinhorn to get their pipe game ready for the coming season, among them Olympic champions Cassie Sharpe of Canada and Switzerland’s Iouri Podladtchikov as well as two-time Olympic gold medalist David Wise of the USA.
David Wise digs the Kitz pipe. Photo: A. Monsberger
“For me it’s the time of year to be getting tuned up and ready to start throwing some big tricks,” says Wise. “So it’s really nice for me to be able to come out here in November, what would be early for us in the States, and have this kind of a halfpipe.”
“This [pipe] is on point,” he adds. “The vibe is good, everyone is here from all over the world. Come check it out!”
David Wise - Kitzsteinhorn Snowpark Halfpipe Training Weeks 2018
The Kitzsteinhorn pipe is shaped by Alli Zehetner, one of the world’s top halfpipe builders, who also built the pipe for the 2018 Olympics. “The snowpark and superpipe have special priority at Kitzsteinhorn,” says Zehetner. “Thanks to my experience at the Olympics, I can now apply additional know-how to the construction of the pipe. Our early offer attracts the international elite to the Kitzsteinhorn already in autumn as they can prepare for the season in time.”
Zehetner added that in order to open a full-size pipe so early, his team worked with a large snow depot that was built in May and covered with fleece over the summer.
Wise on point with a switch 7. Photo: A. Monsberger
Meanwhile, Kitzsteinhorn’s glacier snowpark has been open daily with over 30 features including a variety of rails, boxes and jumps. The snowpark setup will be successively expanded as the season progresses, with an Easy Park opening in December, the main-season Central Park kicking off in January 2019, and a new park called South Central debuting in February next year.
Here are a few Instagram highlights from the Kitz fall season so far. Follow @kitzsteinhornsnowpark to stay up on new developments in the snowpark.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on InstagramBack on skis, feels good 🎧 1 lap @kitzsteinhornsnowpark #36chambers 📹 @stefan_thewall