World’s first indoor ski jumping hill opens in Lucerne

LUZERN – On Monday evening, the world’s first indoor ski jump was opened at the Luzern Transport Museum. In the presence of more than 200 guests and Swiss sports minister Ueli Maurer, the first guests already dared a jump — amid helicopters, airplanes and other flying objects.

The “K8,” named after its hill size—the critical point—will in the future not only allow museum visitors a safe and profile-accurate jump via a ropecourse, but young ski jumpers can also use the hill for training. Together with the Saxon Peter Riedel GmbH, the Swiss Ski Association SWISS SKI initiated this idea — the guests warmly welcomed the new attraction of the “Hall for Takeoff.” Even Prof. Peter Schröcksnadel, President of the Austrian Ski Association, joked about this new highlight in the neighboring country: “I can only wish the hill much success — with it, we would finally have no wind rules!”

Since early March, the hill had been test-assembled in a warehouse in the Ore Mountains; in early April it traveled to Switzerland. Neither the heavy winter in the Ore Mountains nor a longer flu of the managing director could derail the plan, explains Peter Riedel, managing director of Peter Riedel GmbH:

“Such a project doesn’t come along every day. We did face some uncertainties, but we simply had a timeline we stuck to. Today, to see that everything works and that the hill excites people — that’s exactly the result I wanted to see!”

“For us, the K8 is an important and forward-looking project and represents good advertising for our disciplines. We have already created good advertising for our sport and SWISS SKI in Switzerland and internationally with the successes of the last few years in the World Cup and at the Olympics; with this new project, we are now reaching an entirely different clientele. Also not to be underestimated is the opportunity for our young jumpers to try things out here completely free from wind and weather.” - Berni Schödler, Head of Disciplines Ski Jumping / Nordic Combined SWISS SKI

“I can only congratulate the Swiss Ski Association and its partner on this project. It is a new way to inspire people for ski jumping while giving them the chance to test themselves how demanding and exceptional our sport is. – Walter Hofer, FIS Ski Jumping Competition Director

 

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