For the 21st consecutive year, Skipass Modena has confirmed its status as the key event for the winter sports and tourism sector. Held at ModenaFiere from October 30 to November 2, the Winter Tourism and Sports Exhibition drew capacity crowds, matching last season’s result of 90,000 visitors.
We at MondoNeve were present at Skipass with our booth in Hall A, the area dedicated to tourist boards, federations, associations, and industry companies. Over these 4 days we experienced Skipass firsthand and followed the numerous conferences and events dedicated to the world of snow.
Thursday was the day dedicated to the sports world and in particular to the FISI athletes who represent Italy around the globe, competing on the international winter sports stage at the World Cup, World Championships, and Olympic Games. At the FISI booth (located right across from ours), Italian ski champions such as Max Blardone, Daniela Merighetti, Elena Curtoni, and many other familiar faces of the White Circus paraded throughout the day. Here, luge super-champion Armin Zoeggeler was awarded the prestigious Cristallo d’Oro prize, whose roll of honor features illustrious winter sports names such as Carlo Senoner, Eugenio Monti, Gustavo Thoeni, Herbert Plank, Alberto Tomba, Stefania Belmondo, and Manuela Di Centa—an accolade crowning a career packed with success!
While Thursday saw FISI take center stage, on Friday the baton passed to another bastion of the snow world: AMSI, the Association of Italian Ski Instructors, a benchmark for all skiers and snowboarders in Italy. AMSI represents the Italian ski schools where thousands of ski instructors work, teaching children and adults alike how to enjoy the snow with great professionalism and passion.
In the SciareMag conference area, the new edition of the Gran Premio Giovanissimi was presented alongside the new Mobile App for iPhone and Android, set to debut in the coming days—a tool aimed at ski schools, students, and snow lovers in general thanks to an innovative information system that keeps users constantly updated on weather conditions and lift openings.
On Saturday, the Modena Exhibition Center was literally packed with thousands of snow and mountain enthusiasts, a steady stream of people from early morning right up until closing time. Aided by the November 1 public holiday and the many events on the day’s schedule, one of the most important highlights was the Freeride Awards ceremony, where Luca Pandolfi—for riding the snows of Pakistan alongside Jeremy Jones—and Silvia Moser—fresh off enviable competitive results starting with the Freeride World Tour—were crowned KING and QUEEN of freeride respectively.
Livigno took home 2 awards as best freeride location and best freeride event thanks to Skieda, the largest Telemark gathering in Europe.
Needless to say, the outdoor area was completely sold out, revealing an interesting and far from predictable trend: alongside the massive gathering of riders (now a Skipass tradition), there was a growing number of families queuing up to let their children have fun on the snow wearing snowshoes, skis, and ice skates.
Sunday: As the final act of the 2014 edition, Skipass staged two major sporting events: the finals of the Italian Bouldering Championship held inside Hall B, while in the outdoor area the Street Fighters Rail Jam finals crowned the 3 winners: third place went to Dutchman Jesse Augustinus, second place to Austria’s Simon Pircher, and first place in the 2014 Street Fighter went to 23-year-old Denis “Bonus” Leontyev from Saint Petersburg.
Our thoughts
Skipass has once again proved to be the benchmark trade fair event for the world of snow—the ideal and essential gathering to take stock of the situation, discover what is new, and start breathing in the snowy atmosphere through top-caliber appointments and events. The €15 admission fee was somewhat cushioned by the online advance ticket initiative offering a €5 discount, which was especially appreciated by young people and families.
The two halls remain very distinct from one another: Hall A dedicated to tourism, institutions, and major ski brands, and Hall B dedicated to the snowboard and freeride world. Two worlds that are different in many respects and perhaps a bit distant from each other, yet united by a shared passion for snow and the mountains!
Just as pre-ski training helps us tackle the first runs of the season, Skipass Modena ushers in the new winter season without leaving anything to chance.
A strong edition that now hands the baton over to winter!
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