An Evening of Skiing on Real Snow in Summer in Italy

The Italian ski region of Alta Badia has plans for a very special night of snowsports celebration later this month.

The ski and snowboard school at the village of La Villa are so dedicated to their sport that they have kept a big stock of real snow, left over from last season, preserved under a tarpaulin and they’ll be getting it uncovered and spread out on a slope by their office in the village on the evening of  Thursday 17th August.

Their “Summer Ski Show” – back for its second year – promises a night of skiing celebration, excitement and fun during one of the hottest month of the year.

And once the show is over, the ski school throw their temporary summers now slope open for children to enjoy a bit of night skiing on the snow, whilst everyone enjoys a bit of mid-summer apres ski.

“During the hottest summer days, one often dreams about skiing down a long refreshing ski slope. Being a fan of skiing for many people doesn’t stop once the winter season ends, instead it lasts year-round,” explained a spokesperson for Alta Badia’s tourist office, which is supporting the event.

Events kick off at 9:15pm with ski and snowboard instructors covering the history of skiing, through to the modern day, with the evolution of skiing techniques and the celebration of the Alpine Ski World Cup, which since 1985 has been hosted on the local Gran Risa slope, one of the most technically-challenging and spectacular runs in the entire Ski World Cup circuit.

The special guest of the evening is Davide Simoncelli who won the Ski World Cup Giant Slalom on the Gran Risa slope in 2003.

Thanks to the memories of one of the pioneers of the Ski School, Edoardo Agreiter, the giant TV  screens and the snow covered slope will illustrate the progress of the skier, from novice child, to the exam to become an instructor, through to modern-day skiing activities.  Local freestyle group “The Pirates” will also put on a display of their skills.

The whole show will be accompanied by music and special lighting effects and by the snowcat, without which none of the slopes could be accomplished.

At the end of the evening, children will get the chance to rent ski equipment, so as to try the thrill of downhill skiing in the middle of summer, accompanied by the ski instructors of the Ski & Snowboard School La Villa and as with any respectable event on snow, much thought has been given to the après-ski with a special outdoor bar on the theme to enable the party to continue.

(Images by Freddy Planinschek)