Vienna installs plastic skiing slope to preserve national sport

Plastic skiing slopes are becoming more popular in Austria - due to increasingly mild winters and little snowfall. In order to preserve the country's national sport, the city of Vienna installed a dry slope on what used to be a snow-covered skiing slope in the city's Penzing district. Pupils can now learn skiing for free on a plastic-carpeted hill.

Despite the lack of snow, Austrian Chinese Yesheng Li and his fellow Viennese classmates are happy about their first skiing experience. "Maybe one time I'll bring my parents as well," says Yesheng after his first time on the green slope.

By offering skiing lessons and rental gear at no cost for students, Vienna is trying to preserve the Alpine republic's national sport.

"I think we used to be a skiing nation," Viennese middle school teacher Karin Paur says while watching her class of mainly children from Turkish and Serbian immigrants. "I think it has changed especially with the prices going up, and with lots of immigrants coming to Austria. But it's cool to have an opportunity like this where also immigrants have a chance to learn to ski."

Philipp Scholler - who built this dry slope - says up until fifteen years ago he used to ski here on real snow. "It's different when you don't have the snow or the whole slope. But all in all I'm very happy to still have skiing right in the city of Vienna and I think that's a big win."

Are these plastic carpets gradually going to replace snow on Austria's skiing slopes? Meteorologists say yes if climate change isn't halted because, if it isn't, by the end of the century most Alpine ski resorts will not have enough natural snow. However if goals set by the Paris agreement are reached then traditional winter tourism can be saved some experts believe.

With dry slope lessons already sold out for this season, the Austrian capital plans to continue its plastic skiing initiative in the upcoming years.

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