FREESTYLE.CH O`Neill Evolution

H
IS
GL
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Nike Chosen Sessions
SCHNEESTERN NEWS
No.02 / April 2013
WWW.SCHNEESTERN.COM
Page 4/5
Logo Schneestern
Nine Knights
Page 2
Good things come to those who wait. This is the
story of how a quick sketch on a scrap of paper
during a phone call became Schneestern's new
logo.
FREESTYLE.CH
The name says it all. Each year in September,
the Landiwiese in Zürich plays host to the
biggest freestyle event in Switzerland. Alongside classic summer sports like MTB, skateboarding and FMX, the event’s biggest highlight is
Page 6
Since 2007 Schneestern has designed and built the
gigantic castles by which all other features are measured, and the progression continues in all areas.
Nico Zacek dishes the dirt on his one-of-a-kind event.
the colossal snowboard and freeski big air jump
built from real snow.
This year Schneestern was responsible for all of
the snow works for the first time, and we were
able to prove ourselves as a competent partner
for in-city events. We plan to strengthen and
expand our involvement in coming years, and
we’re excited about the new challenges and
glad to be a part of this historic event.
The white cross on a field of red is known
worldwide not just for the best chocolate and
precise, expensive watches, but also for snowsports tradition.
Since the 19th century St. Moritz has been
known as the birthplace of winter tourism and
winter sports in the Alps, and the first Swiss ski
school was founded in 1929.
In more recent years a large, independent
freestyle scene has also developed in Switzerland. Several events, snowparks and winter
destinations are now well known beyond Swiss
borders in the freestyle scene.
O‘Neill Evolution
When we first took charge of designing and
building the Evolution setup in 2010, our
biggest challenge was living up to the organizers’ high expectations. The setup was in need
of a complete redesign. The focus of the slopestyle needed to move more in the direction of
Big Air, which suited the terrain much better.
We focused on designing the jumps with an optimal trajectory to allow the riders to progress,
making use of our proprietary software (see the
report on page 7). At the bottom of the course,
right in front of the viewing area, we reinvented
the feature every year. This year, working under
the motto “Real Street,” we came up with an
original final feature offering over 22 unique
options for the riders. In this way we were able
to do justice not just to the name “Evolution,”
but also to our own goal: progression.
THE SETUP
@
Among these events are Freestyle.ch in Zürich
as well as the TTR 6-star O’NEILL EVOLUTION
in Davos. For about three years Schneestern
has been involved in both of these events,
where of course we’re responsible for all of the
snow works.
030 hours of planning
382 emails received/sent
075 sq. meters digital print
049 running meters of rails
006 shapers
300 hours to build up
TRIPLE KICKER
22m
flight distance
"sweet spot"
possible distance
30m
REAL STREET
stairs
40
23
riding options
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SCHNEESTERN NEWS
No.02 / April 2013
A new look for the Schneestern Logo
We finally did it! Good things come to those who wait.
“How time flies!”
Well, it’s already been two years since our last
newspaper for Interalpin 2011 and our ambitious goal of producing at least two issues per
year. Our goal wasn’t only to inform our customers and everyone else about our products and
projects, but above all to excite and inspire with
interesting stories, photos and background information.
Although we haven’t achieved our goal of producing regular issues of the Schneestern newspaper, it’s certainly not because of a lack of
projects, but rather quite honestly due to the
fact that we’ve devoted every minute of the
past two years to our customers, projects and
products.
Together with them we’ve been growing steadily since 2011, and in our daily work in the field
we’ve excited and inspired more people than
we probably ever could have with more issues
of our newspaper.
In the future, too, we’ll be spending less time
and energy cultivating our image, and more
time concentrating on the really important
things: our customers, partners and colleagues.
Dirk Scheumann and Maxi Kaiser / Schneestern
executive directors
It’s spring 2009, and once again my designer
and I are discussing the integration of our logo
in the catalog.
We’re talking about making T-shirts and caps
for the team, as well as the overall corporate
identity. Our logo at the time, a pair of wings
with a star in the middle, was reminiscent of a
military emblem like those found on fighter jets,
formed from eight individual graphic elements.
In other words, not the perfect logo for a highclass technical company.
The sparks started to fly! Our approaches and
priorities on the subject of the company logo
were so far apart that it was an inexhaustible
source of argument.
Usually we were always able to find a compromise, but not on this day. Our designer Daniel
took a deep breath and said he wouldn’t use the
current logo anymore, and that we should start
looking into a professional redesign as quickly
as possible.
So we got started. Briefings were written,
budgets allocated and designers cast. But
ultimately, the decisive draft and idea was
Schneestern, FIRST in SNOWPARK SAFETY
Safety is one of Schneestern’s leitmotifs. For this reason, all of our products have been
inspected and certified by the German Technical Inspection Authority (TÜV) since
2008. We’re the only producer of snowpark equipment worldwide that subjects its
products to external safety testing.
created in our own office, sketched in pencil on
a notepad during a telephone call. After final
adjustments to the design and the font, our
company’s new logo was presented.
The logo incorporates two basic elements of
our business, a MOUNTAIN and a KICKER,
which are unified in a single unbroken line. The
mountain represents our connection to and
passion for nature and winter sports, while the
kicker stands for the lowest common denominator of all action sports.
Because whether it’s freeskiing, snowboarding,
skate, MTB or FMX, the point is to catch some
air! For our customers, partners, colleagues and
friends, I hope the new logo will also be a
symbol of our continuing teamwork and friendship.
Dirk Scheumann
Snowpark trends
from “Super Pro” to “Family Friendly”
Guesstimation: Not a part of the equation...
Safety requirements for snowpark equipment alone isn’t enough. Surveys and statistics show that
the worst injuries take place on jumps. The proper design and construction of a jump for snowboarders and skiers is a very complex matter.
This applies to everything from a beginners’ jump to a huge professionals’ kicker, because a jump’s
dimensions always need to fit the riders’ capability. Here are some examples of conditions that lead
to serious injuries on jumps:
Poor planning in overall jump geometry (takeoff and landing)
Poor choice of terrain (too steep, too flat)
Improper shaping of the takeoff (lack of trained staff)
Poor daily maintenance due to inadequately trained staff
Mistakes in the overall concept of the park (wrong target group, incomplete feature offer,
for example no alternatives for beginners)
In order minimize risk right from the planning phase, Schneestern has developed special software
to accurately design snowpark jumps.
Inrun simulation
max. Distance
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50
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Snowparks are no longer just playgrounds for
the crazy, the capable and the professional. The
trend is now moving towards family-oriented
products that interest every age group and
promote skill development at all levels.
We’ve seen this trend firsthand in our parks and
also through the requests of our clients.
In response to this, Schneestern and our
partners have developed special products that
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Distance [m]
Speed [km/h]
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0
Jump simulation
max. Distance ca. 30m
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10
0
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x [m]
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Takeoff Speed [km/h]
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impacting in dependence of negative and positive pop and jump sideways plus minus 20 °
are attuned to the new market demands. Designed for fun, coordination and safety, the
FUNSLOPE line is fundamentally different from
the snowpark products that we typically produce and market, and there’s no limit to the possibilities.
NEW: Custom made Park Base
We'll build you a custom park base! Whether you need a meeting place for your park visitors, an
in-park storage space, or an event headquarters with power supply - everything is possible.
Projekt
Impact
Airtime
3.6
85
3.4
80
5
3.2
75
Airtime [s]
Impact [m]
3
4
3.5
3
2.8
2.6
2.4
2.5
2
1.5
1
20
Landing Speed parallel[km/h]
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5.5
4.5
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Distance [m]
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Distance [m]
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Sweetspot data
Oneill
Planning
- min Distance to 35° Landing 24,3 m
- takeof 38°
- landing 35°
- takeof level to landing plus 2m
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Kicker data
70
2.2
1.8
20
Client
landing Speed
Impact: 1.2256 [m]
Weite: 31.432 [m]
Airtime: 2.5261 [s]
Landing abs. Speed: 66.4312 [km/h]
Landing tangential Speed: 64.0427 [km/h]
Pop: 0 [m]
SideAngle: 0 [°]
Nutzungsraumanalyse
Kicker und Rails
Company
Schneestern Parks & more
Supervisor
gezeichnet
Dirk Scheumann
Dirk Scheumann
gepr ft
Datum
Blatt Nr.
3. Dezember 2011
Önderungen
Nr.
Datum
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bearbeitet
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Distance [m]
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Guidelines for Snowparks
Additional groundwork on the subject of snowpark safety and construction was laid for the first time by a manual produced by the Swiss
Bundesamt für Unfallverhütung (Council for Accident Prevention) in 2012.
In sections: 5 Safety-related aspects during construction and 6 Safety
during operation, some basic guidelines are provided for park builders
and operators.
Schneestern is part of the group of experts that supported the BFU in the
drafting of these guidelines.
SNOWPARK
DE
FR
IT
EN
Denke daran, dass sich die
Bedingungen laufend verändern und die FIS-Regeln
und SKUS-Richtlinien auch
hier gelten.
N'oublie pas que les
conditions changent en
perma- nence, et que les
règles de la FIS et les
directives de la SKUS sont
aussi valables ici.
Ricorda che le condizioni
cambiano costantemente
e che le regole FIS e le
direttive SKUS valgono
anche negli snowpark.
Keep in mind that the conditions are constantly changing, and that the FIS rules
and SKUS guidelines also
apply here.
erst schauen
dann springen
regarde avant
de sauter
controlla prima
di saltare
look before
you leap
plane
deinen Lauf
planifie
ton passage
pianifica
la discesa
make
a plan
lass es
langsam angehen
vas-y
gentiment
progredisci un
passo per volta
easy
style it
Respekt
verdient Respekt
le respect
invite au respect
rispetto
chiede rispetto
respect
gets respect
small
Diese Elemente weisen eine
geringe Absturzhöhe auf
und sind fahrbar (auch für
Snowpark-Einsteiger).
small
La hauteur de chute de ces
éléments
est
peu
importante et ils peuvent
être parcourus en glissant
(aussi par les novices dans
les snowparks).
small
Questi elementi hanno
un'esigua altezza di caduta
e sono utilizzabili (anche
dagli inizianti snowpark).
small
These elements have a
low fall height and are
rideable
(even
for
beginners).
LINE
Start small and
work your way up.
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Expanding Expertise - plastic welding
Have you been searching for a way of
measuring guest volume at important
points in your ski area?
SCHNEESTERN NEWS
No.02 / April 2013
We’ve also been busy specializing in the construction of wakeboard obstacles and are adapting these techniques for snowparks, with the best infrastructure and know-how for plastic work now available in our own factory.
Fun tubes – made in Germany
Just a plastic tube… that’s surely an understatement! When one looks at the enormous effort
that goes into the production of our new Fun
Tubes, it quickly becomes clear that we’re
dealing with a highly complex production
process. The manufacture of these tubes is
possible only with specialised personnel. Plastic
welding in particular demands a high level of
expertise. Schneestern has been able to expand
its competence in this field. As a producer of
wakeboard obstacles, we’ve processed over 80
tonnes of plastic in the past 18 months, and are
now bringing this experience to bear on the
development of snowpark products. If you know
our products, then you’re already familiar with
the modular system.
Guest counters
The new guest counters from Schneestern have
been specially developed to analyze traffic at
particular points in ski areas—for example,
snowpark entrances.
For snowpark operators it’s become increasingly important to measure guest volume. Only
so can reasonable decisions be made regarding
the development and expansion of a snowpark.
The measurement is made possible by an
infrared light barrier that functions reliably even
in adverse weather conditions. The barrier’s
interruption time is adjusted to distinguish
between skiers and snowboarders– the key is
the leg position of snowboarders! All relevant
data is saved to an I/O server as well as to an SD
memory card. This data can be accessed at any
time. The data is organised by date and time
and can be prepared visually in Excel.
In the coming year Schneestern will offer
additional building blocks that can be adaptively networked to a server. Plans include a
weather station and improved evaluation
diagnostics, as well as data transfer via GSM to
an online platform to display and manage data.
These expansion modules can be seamlessly
integrated into the basic version.
The idea is to expand an inventory of standard
elements through the use of a modular construction method. This allows for greater flexibility,
faster delivery, and easier replacement in case of
damage. In addition, products can be implemented in parks more creatively, heightening the
attraction for snowpark users.
Individual modular elements can be combined
either directly, or with the use of various connectors, to create countless different geometric
shapes.
The Fun Tubes are exceptionally well-suited for
beginners. Due to their low height and round
shape, they’re very safe, and they’re also very
light and don’t require snow anchors. This makes
installation and removal easy.
Modular System
293
47
18
100
70
Funslopes – Fun for everyone!
We’ve developed exciting new products for kids and families to meet the unique needs of this target group. Schneestern is the exclusive supplier of all Funslopes products, using the company’s extensive
snowpark expertise to make safe, innovative and fun products available. They’re based upon our TÜV-certified safety standards and the high quality of our regular snowpark equipment.
What is a Funslope?
A Funslope is an offer for all winter sports
enthusiasts who are looking for a change from
cruising the pistes. It’s a highlight for any ski
destination, and the name says it all. Basically a
Funslope is a special area in a ski resort, similar
to a snowpark or a skicross course. It’s a hybrid
that incorporates aspects of pistes, snowparks
and cross courses, with elements often found in
beginner snowparks like waves and smaller
jumps. Playful features like bridges, tunnels and
spirals accentuate a Funslope and are
especially pleasing for children. Features familiar in skicross courses, like banked turns and
changes of direction, are also present. The
length of the Funslope area is the crucial factor
in guests’ enjoyment, much more so than the
width of the course. An intermediate (blue)
piste is the ideal slope. A real Funslope features
conspicuous snow masses and is a real
eye-catcher! However, the amount of snow
needed is much less than that required for a
snowpark or a cross course. That’s because
everything in a Funslope needs to be absolutely
beginner-friendly, and therefore not too
exaggerated in size.
Who are Funslopes conceived for?
Funslopes are for everyone, from the smallest
guests who’ve just learned to point their skis or
snowboards downhill, all the way to their
grandparents. The target audience is families
and everyone else who’s looking for a new
experience beyond the usual pistes, but may
not have the skills necessary to navigate a
snowpark or skicross course. Funslopes are
neither about meters and seconds like alpine
racing, nor style and action like freestyle.
They’re about only one thing – having fun!
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SCHNEESTERN NEWS
No.02 / April 2013
Nike Chosen Sessions
Progressive, exhilarating, inimitable – use words like these, and you’d
better be ready to back them up. But the Nike Chosen Sessions can hardly
be described without using these powerful adjectives. The event in Silvretta Montafon, Austria in April 2012 captured the attention of the international snowboard community and created a seldom-seen stir among athletes, media and fans alike.
The best amateurs from several countries
worldwide had qualified for the grand finale of
the Chosen Series, a global slopestyle tour, and
the Chosen video contest. They all shared one
goal: the chance to show their stuff in front of
the international stars of the Nike Snowboard
Team, guys like Danny Kass, Peetu Piiroinen and
Nicolas Müller, and claim the coveted title of
“The Chosen One.” Specifically for this event,
Schneestern transformed over 120,000 cubic
meters of snow into one of the biggest and
most innovative snowparks of all time. 27
shapers labored for weeks during the buildup
to this trailblazing event. Altogether it required
7,000 hours of brainstorming, design, planning,
construction and maintenance to make the
Chosen park a reality. The event broke new
ground in snowpark design and offered
Schneestern the possibility to reach its full
potential in a large-scale project.
Given full creative license, the team developed
new features like the skateboarding-inspired
bowl and a snakelike halfpipe with varying
radius, height and direction.
Snow technology meets event management
Along with sister company 5 Stars, Schneestern
was also heavily involved in the event’s conceptual, organizational and communicative side.
After the huge success of the Nike Chosen
Sessions, Schneestern and 5 Stars were commissioned by Nike and the Vorarlberg cableways to launch the Nike Snowpark Montafon.
This ambitious project started in the 2012/13
winter season.
www.5stars-agentur.com
How we did it
Interview with Schneestern
- When did you first hear about what Nike had
planned? How did they present their concept to
you and what was your reaction?
We had the first concrete meeting in September, at which Nike presented the Chosen
Sessions project. For the finale we were supposed to build the best, most innovative snowpark
to date. Naturally that sounded very interesting,
and a park designer doesn’t get a chance like
this often. However, our reaction was at first
cautious and skeptical. At this point our project
plans for the winter were already set and there
wasn’t room for much more. In addition, at that
point in time we didn’t have an event partner, or
the right terrain. We took two days to think over
the implementation of this mammoth project. It
was only after we’d secured the support and
manpower of partner shapers from across
Europe that we could give Nike the green light.
- I assume Nike had a lot of input into the setup.
How much came from you and your crew, how
much came from them, and was it a smooth
process?
From the beginning we had a lot of freedom in
the planning. Of course, we still tried our best to
integrate the riders’ wishes and suggestions
and Nike’s requirements into the design. But
that only set the rough ideas. There needed to
be a big kicker, a kicker line, a rail line a bowl,
and a hip. Head designer and project leader
Dirk Scheumann was primarily responsible for
the park design and for innovations like the
bowl, the scaffolding, the Swoosh, and the pipe.
- Ballpark figure: how many cat hours did it take
to build that park? And how long in real time?
In the first phase, pushing together all the snow
for the elements, we needed about 400 cat
hours. During the final build and shape eight
snowcats, two excavators and 27 shapers were
at work. All in all we put about 7,000 hours into
the project.
- Were there any big problems, did anything not
work out as planned, or did it run pretty
smoothly?
Thanks to good planning and great teamwork
with Silvretta Montafon and our partner
Prinoth, everything ran according to plan
without any big problems. Naturally we have to
thank Mother Nature for bestowing such a
snowy winter.
- What feature were you most pleased with and
why?
Our personal favorite and highlight in this park
wasn’t as it was for many others the bowl or the
Swoosh, but rather quite clearly the pipe. The
idea of this new shape for the “fun pipe” had
been floating around the project leader’s head
for some time.
Several years ago the smaller pipes started
disappearing, to be replaced by oversized
competition monsters with icy 6.3-meter-high
walls. Everyone complained about something –
too high, too flat, over-vert, the ski school skiing
through the flats, etc. So we tried to build a pipe
where people could have fun again, that still
works even when the vert isn’t perfectly shaped
to the tenth of a degree. We oriented ourselves
on bowl parks for skaters.
Essentially, we tried to break all the rules of
building a FIS halfpipe, and instead design a
pure “fun pipe” that’s not about World Cup
points, but solely about the fun of riding a
transition and finding creative lines. The response and feedback of the riders showed that we
did everything right.
- Was having such a budget at your disposal a
dream come true for a shaper, or a little bit
scary?
It was a little of both. Naturally such a budget
was a dream, but the responsibility that we
took on was huge, and so our stress level during
the preparations was correspondingly high. Not
just the features, but also personnel, equipment
and the whole required infrastructure, had to be
planned in detail. But with every day that we
finished an element of the park, the tension
sank, and we knew that we were going to make
not only our own dreams come true, but also
the riders’.
Prinoth, for perfect pistes
That’s the motto of the South Tyrolean snowcat manufacturer based in Sterzing. For our
part, it could also be: for perfect parks. That’s because without Prinoth’s support, the Nike
Chosen project wouldn’t have been possible.
Luckily we shared a similar vision, and were
able to join Prinoth in a partnership that created
not only one of the world’s best parks, but new
ideas, stories and friends as well. To carry out a
project like this, it was important to plan out
every detail well in advance. Eight Prinoth
snowcats stood at our disposal for almost three
months.
The entire park was built without artificial snow,
meaning that a lot of natural snow had to be
collected. This took place over a two-month
time period with two Prinoth Beasts, which
were perfectly suited for the task. When
pushing snow at distances often greater than
400 meters, every extra cubic meter was worth
its weight in gold, and with the Beasts in action,
the planned effort of snow collection was
reduced by almost half. For the final park build
we had Huskies, Everests and of course the park
pro Bison X at our disposal. Our team of operators could choose the appropriate machine for
the task at hand, which helped us to complete
the final build efficiently within two weeks. The
technical support was also top-notch. Thanks to
Prinoth mechanic Alex we had a great contact
person at our side during the entire project.
SCHNEESTERN NEWS
No.02 / April 2013
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Rider Statements
The park was so incredible. I’ve never ridden
such a good park – it couldn’t have been more
fun. (Ethan Morgan)
The kickers at the Nike Chosen Sessions were
unbelievably well built.
The park crew really outdid themselves, and I’m
really proud that Nike invited me to this session.
(Spencer O´Brien)
The park up here is just crazy, everything is just
perfect. It’s a good mix of big features and
small features that are fun – it’s got everything!
(Halldor Helgason)
When I saw the park for the first time, I was
speechless. (Markus Mathis)
I’ve seen a lot of amazing parks in my days, but
I have to say that what they built at Montafon
for Nike was at the top of the list.
(Brad Kremer - legendary film maker)
Interview with Thorsten Schlossbauer
Nike Brand Manager Action Sports
What is your position at Nike, and what role did
you play in the Nike Chosen Sessions?
I’m Nike’s action sports brand manager for the
German-speaking regions, and responsible for
Nike Snowboarding marketing in Europe. For
the Nike Chosen Sessions, as “Executive Producer” I was responsible for the entire project and
coordinated the team behind the event.
What was the goal of this event?
Our primary goal for the Nike Chosen Sessions
was to celebrate the finale of the Nike Chosen
Crew Video Contest and the Nike Chosen Series
in the best possible way. Additionally, with the
Chosen Sessions we wanted to bring our novel
event format based on a media production to
the next level, and integrate the global snowboarding community into the event online.
Finally, we also used the park for Nike content
production, and produced one of three parts of
the “Nike Snowboarding Project”
(http://vimeo.com/52651642) there with Brad
Kremer, one of the best action sports film
producers.
Why did you choose Schneestern to design and
build the park?
I’ve been involved with the idea of a “Nike
Snowboarding Park” for some time already, and
it was important for us to have an absolutely
innovative park, a flawless design and an
experienced partner. Nike stands for innovation
and wants to push the sport. We want to
guarantee our consumers a premium experience with the Nike brand. That’s why we met
with Schneestern – the DNA of the two companies were a perfect fit to reach this ambitious
goal.
How did the riders like the setup?
The feedback from the riders was overwhelming! The Nike athletes were integrated in the
design from the beginning and provided
feedback on the plans. But when they rode the
Freda lift to the park for the first time, it
completely surpassed their expectations! The
precision that Dirk and his team used to build
the park was just unbelievable. The entire Nike
Snowboarding team was there, was well as 12 of
the best amateurs worldwide and three video
crews from the USA, Finland and Germany.
None of them wanted to leave Montafon, they
all wanted to stay and shred for a few more
weeks.
Which feature was your personal favorite, and
why?
I liked the bowl the best. In my opinion it was
more of a work of art than a snowboard feature.
None of the riders had ever ridden anything like
that before. We truly managed to build a
ride-able skateboard bowl for snowboarders. Of
course, the Swoosh was also a highlight!
Are you satisfied with the success of the event?
Was it worth it?
All in all, I’m very satisfied with the event. The
media response was unbelievably good, and the
numbers of video views were unbelievably high!
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SCHNEESTERN NEWS
No.02 / April 2013
Livigno – new home of Nine Knights Schneestern in conversation with Thomas Confortola
Schneestern: Can you briefly describe Livigno?
Thomas: Livigno is a small
village in the Italian Alps
close to the Swiss border.
It’s known for its high elevation (1816 meters), which
guarantees snow for at least six months of the
year. The economy is based on tourism, which
has been steadily growing since the sixties. In
the years before, the people lived off the
products of the meager harvest that the land
offered during the short summer.
Thanks to the geographic location and the
enterprising spirit of the residents, it’s grown
into one of Europe’s most popular ski resorts,
receiving millions of visitors each year.
The 115 kilometers of ski pistes are divided
between two mountains, so that tourists can
enjoy the sun every hour of the day. A progressive snowmaking system is the basis for our
top-notch ski resort.
Schneestern: Tell us a little more about Mottolino Fun Mountain.
Thomas: Mottolino Fun Mountain is the coolest
ski area in Livigno.
Eight lifts access 2,070,000 m2 of pistes that are
freshly prepared every day. Together with the
best Italian snowpark and a project called “Freeride Experience,” it adds up to exactly what we
call it: 360˚ FUN.
Even the name “Mottolino” has a special
fondness for our customers, who proudly wear
the name on our clothing collection just about
everywhere. We’ve done a good job in social
networking: our site has been recognized four
times by the “Italian Website Blogometer” as the
most visited interactive website.
Schneestern: Why does Nine Knights take place
in Livigno? What special value does the event
have for Livigno?
Thomas: That our mountains serve as the venue
of Nine Knights adds a special value to our
philosophy: it’s cool, it’s fun and it reflects
exactly what we aspire towards. That’s how we
proclaim it to the world and pass it on to our
fans. Nine Knights draws worldwide attention and
now everyone knows that they need to choose
Livigno to experience something extraordinary.
Schneestern: What does Nine Knights stand for?
Thomas: Mottolino and Livigno believe strongly
in fun. Or even better:
we want to impart emotions on everyone who
chooses us for their “happy time.” Nine Knights
is the event that represents this concept
perfectly – through the passion of the participating riders and the adrenaline of their growth!
We’ve always been on the front lines with our
snowpark. It’s been recognized four times as
Italy’s best snowpark. For four years we’ve been
the venue for all kinds of events, to show the
world how important FUN is for us. Nine Knights
was a chance that we couldn’t let pass by.
Schneestern: Why do you enjoy working
together with Schneestern so much?
Thomas: Schneestern is the perfect partner for
such a big and important event. They’re professional and know exactly what they need to do to provide their partners with the best-quality service.
Working together with Schneestern doesn’t must
mean the best choice in technology and technique, but also their passion for their work and their
perfection with all its meaning and possibilities.
NINE KNIGHTS – The measure of things since 2007 NINE QUEENS – NINE KNIGHTS’ Charming Twin Sister
After five years of Nine Knights and the giant castle in Livignio 2012, it is time to remember how it all began.
Right from the start Schneestern was part of the event and it followed continuosely developement in all spheres.
“It can absolutely be said that Nine Knights has
influenced our work, our team and above all our
vision like no other project.” (Dirk Scheumann)
Nico Zacek
Dirk: Nico Zacek, the creator of Nine Knights,
dishes the dirt on his event. You’ve come a long
way as a freeskiing professional and are among
the most well-known German freeskiers. How
did you come up with the idea of Nine Knights,
and what exactly is the concept?
Nico: The idea of Nine Knights was simple. Like
you’ve said yourself, we’ve both taken part in
many events over the years, and learned a lot
from it. The original idea of Nine Knights was to
create an event that guaranteed maximum
output for everyone involved – the athletes,
media and also the shapers. So it’s not about
who wins, who takes the most prize money
home, but rather about spending a laid-back
week with the best, most beautiful feature in
the world in order to push our cherished sport
ahead materially and athletically.
Dirk: In the earlier years you yourself were an
active Knight, and today you still make sure to
hit the jump first. How has your background as a
freeski pro influenced the evolution of the setup,
and how was it working with Schneestern on the
planning?
Nico: I believe that an event like Nine Knights
can only be realized by people that are active athletes themselves. The border between a beautiful feature that doesn’t actually work and a perfectly functioning multi-feature is really very, very
thin. It demands experience and a talent for scale
transitions, takeoff angles, etc. … In the past years
we’ve both learned a lot about building castles.
Dirk: Have you ever had doubts about the
feasibility of the design?
Nico: Because each year you’ve always created
exactly what we designed, I don’t have the slightest doubt. But it’s still interesting to see what
unexpected challenges come up, like slushy
snow, dirt, the sun, and so on.
Dirk: Well, we all know that a project like this is
always heavily influenced by weather conditions.
Are you ever nervous, and how do you deal with
that uncertainty?
Nico: Puhh, very nervous even. The only thing
that helps is having a great team that you can
rely on, that can handle every situation.
Dirk: The ski resort is always an important partner.
What are your experiences with this teamwork?
Nico: The ski resort is the most important
sponsor of an event like this! When the resort is
motivated and helps out with all of its resources
to create the best possible event, that’s support
that money can’t buy!
Dirk: It’s definitely interesting to many people how
a project like this gets funded. Is there a lot of
support from the industry? Who are the sponsors?
Nico: After five years, the support is great. But
it was a long road here and we’re also a very economical event ;). Our main partners are Mottolino, Livigno and Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, Suzuki, Völkl
Marker, O’Neill, Contour, Blue Tomato and Smith.
Dirk: What’s your personal favorite story from
five years of Nine Knights?
Nico: Teddy Berr’s naked Superman!!!!!!!!
Dirk: To finish, I’d like to know how the story
continues. For two years now there’s also been
the parallel freeskiing event for women, Nine
Queens. We build this setup as well. What do my
team and I need to prepare for next season?
Nico: As always, I’ll reveal that at the last minute. But
I can tell you one thing: Dress warm, because two
castles will be built for each event!
Dirk: Many thanks for the pleasant conversation.
I wish you the best in the future!
Make way boys, the best female freeskiers are storming the castle! As these pictures show, the ladies are also
packing a trunkful of tricks.
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WWW.SCHNEESTERN.COM
SCHNEESTERN NEWS
No.02 / April 2013
7
LEGS OF STEEL - Glockner Gab
Out of the depths, to the top spot in Europe!
The Legs of Steel (LOS) film company has been around for two years now. A highlight of their productions has been the massive private features built by Schneestern. More than anything else in the
entertainment industry, it’s individuality and creativity that keep audiences coming back. We caught up with one of the LOS founders Tobi Reindl about his company’s baptism by fire two years ago and
the future of ski movies.
Tobi Reindl (LOS founder
and producer):
“In projects the size of the
LOS special shoots, there’s a
lot at stake. You need a
partner that you can trust
100%. And I’ve learned one
thing: Schneestern gets the
job done.”
Lolo Favre (X Games Participant):
“I’ve never seen such a
dedicated crew. They’re
building day and night, and
they never get tired. The
jumps are hands-down the
best in the game.”
Dirk: Tobi, we’ve known each other for a long
time, and I still fondly remember the days that
we rode together on the Atomic freeski team.
I’m glad that we’re still at it today and have
turned our hobbies into our jobs. Do tell, how
did you turn from a freeskier into a filmmaker?
Tobi: It was a relatively smooth transition. We
(Paddy Graham, Bene Mayr, Thomas Hlawitschka and myself) founded Legs of Steel two years
ago, actually as active riders. However, over the
course of several injuries, I’ve taken on more and
more of the organizational aspects of the project and have grown into the position of producer.
Dirk: What importance do the special features
have for you and the film production? Are
normal parks not enough?
Tobi: In filming it’s all about coming out with something completely new. Custom features are particularly well suited for that, because there’s no limit
placed on creativity. Since almost every wild dream
is technically possible nowadays, we’ve been able to
go in completely new directions this season. For example, our project was a perfect mix of creativity and
a brand-new idea, paired up with the perfect technical implementation. So sure enough, we were able
to jump over a four-lane road in this unusual location.
Bene Mayr (LOS founder,
most successful German
freeskier, X Games Participant):
“Whether it’s Nine Knights
or a LOS custom feature,
Schneestern makes the
impossible possible.”
Dirk: What influence do the scene and the riders
have on the film?
Tobi: Like I said, with LOS it’s a film that’s produced by the skiers themselves. So accordingly,
we all have direct input on our movie projects.
Dirk: Your current film is called “Hurt So Good”
and is available on iTunes. What plans do you
have for the future, and what are your goals?
Tobi: We can always take it a step further, and that’s
what we’re going to do. We’ve already got some
more good ideas bouncing around in our heads.
Dirk: Tobi, thanks for the update, we’ll see you in
the snow!
Paddy Graham (LOS Founder, British freeskier, Red
Bull athlete): “The Kaunertal
Super Kicker was sick!
Easily the sickest jump ever
built on European soil. It
was the first time the
Americans were jealous of
us!”
A Glimpse Behind The Scenes
When people think of Schneestern, they usually think of huge snowparks or event setups. Have you ever wondered what takes place behind the front line? Where all the features come from? And
what happens when all the snow melts in the spring? You can be sure that with Schneestern, innovation and expertise don’t stop at the front lines.
Paper Management
After many years on the move from one project
to the next, with teams constantly on the job in
different countries, we discovered that working
on paper while sitting at a desk in an office just
isn’t efficient. So we started early to digitize all
of our information and operations.
Today all of our systems and operations run
online, allowing us to access everything we
need from anywhere in the world. No more
letters or invoices piling up on our desks, no
more filing cabinets with tons of files collecting
dust.
All paper documents are sent directly to our
partner Knoch Archives, who digitalize everything with their high-capacity scanners and
upload it to our online work platform. This
allows our whole team to work on the same
document at the same time from several
different locations.
The purchasing department double-checks
orders, our project leaders balance their
budgets, and controlling reviews any discrepancies.
When all tasks are completed, the last click
sends the document to our bookkeeping,
where payments are transacted and booked
and the whole process is automatically
archived. No matter what time it is or where our
people are working, the back-office workflow
runs paperless and without any delays caused
by missing information or documents.
Team Management
Another aspect: during the high season our team
expands to include up to 50 shapers distributed
among over 15 different projects across Europe. In
order to manage coordination and time tracking,
we’ve implemented a system based on an online
databank that’s accessible by web browser or
smartphone. Every team member can clock in
and out with their cell phones, and we can monitor
our team from the office in real-time, knowing
exactly who’s working on which project and what
they’re doing. Through intelligent data retrieval we
can calculate the exact labor input for each project
and invoice the customer quickly and precisely.
Seasonal Business
We have a purely seasonal business for about four
or five months of the year. Of course, this opens the
question of how we’re able to keep our team
together throughout the whole year. This is accomplished in large part via our production facility. Our
employees need to be able not only to perfectly
shape and build snowparks, but also master the
crafts of metalwork and carpentry. Our modular
system produces benefits not just for our
customers, but also on the production side. In the
summer months we produce all of the basic
elements of the modular system. About a year ago
we expanded our production facility to 4500m2
with a new production hall and a large storage area,
in order to be even more effective during the winter.
In one season we produce over 5,000 features. In
terms of materials, that means that in the last
years our 15 production employees have processed around 500 tonnes of steel and 400
tonnes of plastics/Alucubond and wood. We
estimate that this year, the one millionth screw
will enter service in our features. Parallel to preproduction for the winter, we’ve also sought out
additional workloads to keep us busy. So in the
summertime we’ve also built several skateparks
in our region. In addition, shortly after our move
to the new production hall we established a
healthy partnership with Rixen Cableways, and
since 2011 we’ve produced wakeboard features
exclusively for them. For the first time in our company history, we started operating two shifts to
cope with the demand. A positive side effect is that
we’ve vastly expanded our expertise with plastics processing, and now have numerous extruders and plastic welding tools at our disposal, opening new possibilities for our winter operations.
Max‘s world - responsible for all in-house processes and EDP at Schneestern
Maximilian Kaiser / German business administration degree, similar to MBA / CEO/CFO Schneestern
8
Regional Engagement
and a Clear Commitment
to Boardsports
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WWW.SCHNEESTERN.COM
SCHNEESTERN NEWS
No.02 / April 2013
Partnership Projekt 3CS
The australian outerwear company 3CS is supporting Schneestern with their equipment since 2011.
We appreciate the fact, that our cooperation is going deeper than just the delivery of functional and
upmarket workwear, which we need for our daily work in the winter conditions.
We did an interview with Jaye Botfield, Co-Owner of 3CS, and asked him about his aims regarding
our cooperation.
What do snowboarders do when the parks melt
in the spring sunshine?
Well, most of them continue to enjoy their
boardsports lifestyle throughout the summer.
Skateboarding plays a huge role. So it’s not
surprising that most members of our team spend
their free time on a skateboard. In fact, they even
built a skate bowl in our old storage hall.
In 2011, when a neighboring community asked us
about building a skatepark, we didn’t need to
think long about whether to get involved.
Our production manager Martin Hänsel and
snowparks manager Michi Sonnenberger, both
passionate skateboarders, immediately began
volunteering their time to move plans forward.
After we gave the community the first cost
estimate, it became clear that we’d have to lower
costs if we wanted to complete the project to its
full extent. So an exemplary initiative sprang up
to make the project a reality.
Local organizations stepped in to support the
skatepark, organizing bake sales and other
fundraising events. Impressed by all of the
engagement, the community agreed to cover the
remaining sum, and in spring 2012 ground was
broken on the site.
At Schneestern we saw this project as a new kind
of challenge. We designed and built several skate
ramp prototypes to meet the high demands in
regards to safety, noise emission and longevity.
The most important aspect of a skatepark is the
riding surface, and here we encountered the
biggest challenge. Our know-how and experience from ten years of feature production helped
us, in collaboration with a producer of composite
materials, to develop a paneling that met our
requirements perfectly.
Matthias: Hi Jaye, how are
you and how did the winter
in the southern hemisphere
go?
Jaye: We are really busy this
time of year but everything is
going to plan so where happy.
Last Winter here in SH was strong for Australia
with well above average snowfalls and consistent cold temperatures. New Zealand had some
really solid snowfalls but they were plagued
with a few decent lulls. With the lack of trees in
most NZ ski resorts this can mean some very
icy conditions.
Matthias: Can you tell us something about the
3CS company and the 3CS PCP program? What
excatly is the program?
Jaye: 3CS is an Australian owned outerwear,
luggage and accessory company that’s focus
has been in delivering quality, durability at a
realistic price. 3CS has been designing, developing and delivering work grade outerwear for
over a decade. Not only in its consumer line but
in a specific mountain uniform program. In 2011
we separated the mountain uniforms program
from 3CS and re-launched as its own brand
"Terrain Life". Building strong, durable outerwear is in the DNA of 3CS, which is why the 3CS
Park Crew Partners (PCP) Program came so
naturally. The easiest way to explain the 3CS
PCP Program is straight from our spiel „The 3CS PCP Program is currently in its 6 year
and was established to show support through
partnerships with the heart and soul of all great
parks…“ The Park Crew.
It’s the Park Crews who spend countless hours
in all weather conditions designing, building
and shaping great parks so all can have somewhere to shred and progress.It is the Park
Crews that are responsible for providing the
perfect platforms that have progressed our
sport to the ridiculous level we see today.The
3CS PCP program is the pat on the back, the
cheers at the bar, and the high five in the park
WE ARE SCHNEESTERN / Matthias Heß (Head of Customer Service)
that with out any words says great job and
thank you on behalf of all like-minded snow
lovers."
Matthias: Why did you choose Schneestern for
your Europe cooperation?
Jaye: Choosing Schneestern was a very easy
chose. We needed a European partner that lived
and breathed park building, were truly visionary
in their approach and would push the industry
fundamentals to a new level. This would allow the
3CS PCP program the perfect partner to not only
share its message but together develop the
ultimate specialised Park Builders uniform. These
will then be available for all Park Builders around
the globe. We are really excited about the
partnership and what the future holds for both
Schneestern and the 3CS PCP Program.
New Product guide 13/14
New catalog with all of our products for 2011/12.
Request a catalog free of charge via
email: info@schneestern.info or
telephone: 0049 (0)831 96088610
We also offer our catalog for download on our
homepage: www.schneestern.com
We’ve made it our duty to offer you a competent, flexible and friendly customer service. For
four years this job has been fulfilled by our
customer service manager Matthias Heß.
He’s responsible for order logistics, manages
every incoming inquiry and order, and makes
sure that everything flows smoothly between
orders, production and delivery.
He came into contact with Schneestern in
Winter 2006/07 while working as head shaper
in the Fellhorn park, and after completing his
studies in sports science in 2008, he ended up
back with the Schneestern team. The 31-yearold married last year, is a proud father, and now
calls Allgäu home.
Competent, transparent and honest consultation is a fundamental principle for Matthias as
well as for Schneestern.
New website online!
www.schneestern.com
“Emily” - the smallest winch snowcat in the world.
Over the course of six months, we converted a
small cross-country trail groomer into a specialized machine for in-city snow events. First we
disassembled the groomer down to the frame,
eliminating every unnecessary kilogram. The
goal was to build a hydraulic winch-equipped
groomer with less than 2500kg operating
weight that can build and maintain event setups on pitches of up to 40 degrees, even on
scaffolding structures. The groomer’s hydraulic
system was expanded and improved in order to
perform all the blade functions of a park machine, in addition to controlling a hydraulic winch.
It was a great pleasure for our team to support
and realize this project in collaboration with the
community of Oy Mittelberg (Allgäu).
The biggest challenge was achieving a constant winch pulling force regardless of driving
speed, which we accomplished almost entirely
without the use of electronic help. After a test
run without the winch at Freestyle.ch in
Switzerland, we were all anxious to see how
she’d handle the full endurance test at the
Billabong Air & Style in Innsbruck this January.
But even the 41-degree pitch, probably the
steepest landing of any in-city Big Air, was no
obstacle for Emily. We were able to finish the
landing in unheard-of time, from a bare
wooden subfloor on the scaffolding to a
perfectly leveled snow landing in a single day.
.