Top training in Sölden

“The coaches have done a great job”

The cold April makes it possible: perfect conditions still prevail on the local mountains for the red-white-red ski aces. A circumstance that the ski crossers in Ötztal are also happy to take advantage of. Including Mathias Graf, but Thursday is his last day. Because then a well-deserved diving vacation awaits.

While summer is showing a strong sign of life in the valleys on today's national holiday, the local mountains are back in deep winter after last week's snowfall. The red-white-red winter athletes, such as the Ländle-Skircrossers Mathias Graf, Claudio Andreatta and Simon Fleisch, who have been training on the Tiefenbachferner above Sölden since Monday, are taking advantage of this. "We head to the glacier at five o'clock in the morning," reveals Graf, who uses the top conditions to break in some skis - while other ÖSV aces intensively test equipment.

Looking forward to the descent
In addition to free runs, the program also included several heats in a one-minute course. "Our coaches have built something amazing, they've done a really great job," says the Kästle pilot enthusiastically. "It's really fun and gives you that racing feeling again." Today and tomorrow, gliding course training is planned before Graf leaves the snow behind for the time being: "My wife Lisa and I are going diving in the sea in a few days. I'm looking forward to that after the long winter," grins the 28-year-old from Dornbirn.