Ski Challenge 2025: When gaming and sport become an experience!

Ski Challenge 2025: When gaming and sport become an experience!

On November 3, 2025, an exciting ski and business evening took place at Intersport Winninger in Stadlau in Vienna. Organized by Martin Dolezal, President of the Snowsports Academy, the event was themed “The future of sports between reality and virtual reality”. Not only was the current trends in winter sports discussed, but the importance of gamification for motivating young athletes was also brought into the spotlight. How sportsbusiness.at reports, the Ski Challenge, an interactive game that does not require a VR headset and combines digital activities with real sports, will be presented.

The evening gave those in attendance the opportunity to experience the latest technology in the sports world up close. The ski challenge was presented in combination with the MFT balance board, which is controlled via a free app. This type of interaction allows users to actively play on TV or tablet at home and improve their fitness at the same time. LAOLA1's interactive experience area allowed guests to try their hand at impressive life-size ski dynamics and recreate the feeling of a real winter sports event.

A look into the future of winter sports

The event brought together many prominent voices. Lizz Görgl, double world champion and most prominent representative of skiing, emphasized the importance of progress in sport and motivated those present to exercise more and be active. Philip Peinsold, CTO of Ski Challenge, mentioned that since the game was revived after its cancellation in 2016, it has already enjoyed over five million users. The support of the ski associations from Austria, Germany and Switzerland shows that there is great interest in innovative approaches to winter sports.

Bernhard Brückl from LAOLA1 explained that digital tools not only complement live sport, but also help activate emotions and create a deeper connection to sport. Tamara Schandl from ÖTV also spoke about the integration of VR technology in tennis, which shows that the fusion of different sports disciplines knows no limits. Sports journalist Fritz Hutter saw great opportunities in the balance of digital and physical options to promote motivation to exercise.

The role of technology in sport

The technical aspect is increasingly playing a central role in sport. Loud ispo.com The market for wearable technologies is becoming increasingly important, while artificial intelligence (AI) is being used more and more in training planning. However, there are sobering findings: Only three percent of all fitness devices actually provide useful data, while 97 percent are considered unreliable. Prof. Dr. Peter Düking from TU Braunschweig urges caution and emphasizes the need for improvements in this area.

The development of digital tools and platforms that could revolutionize sport is still at an early stage. Nevertheless, it is clear that the power of innovation in sport is constantly growing, and with the right support this could lead to a completely new way of practicing sport.

The Vienna Ski Association platform Wien Ski Connect not only offers a connection between sport and business, but also promotes community and exchange among sports enthusiasts. What remains is the realization that modern technology and traditional sport must grow together in order to continue to arouse enthusiasm for winter sports in urban regions like Vienna. Because one thing is certain: despite all the digitalization, human drive and passion for sport remain crucial.