Undoubtedly, ski lifts and artificial snow will remain part of winter sports. But people's desire to enjoy sports in snowy landscapes without these aids will increase - we are convinced of this as a company in the outdoor industry. Winter and snow, ski touring and cross-country skiing will therefore be less performance-driven and more pleasure-oriented in the future and will be lived like a real winter adventure.
Climate change will make it difficult in the future to find perfect snow conditions. Winter will therefore no longer be a season reserved only for winter sports but will rather become an opportunity to practice various sports that will then be practiced throughout the year. Sport climbers will spend the winters in climbing gyms and will spend the rest of the year traveling to climbing hotspots around the world. The colder season will also see a growing group of enthusiastic trail runners, mountain and gravel bikers, winter hikers and boulderers, who will no longer trade their favorite sports for other activities exclusively reserved for the winter.
In addition to the outlook into the future, the events of the Summit and the Convention were also taken as an opportunity to look back at 40 years of company history. What began four decades ago in Bolzano as a garage start-up has grown into an international player in the mountain sports sector. At the end of 2021, the Oberalp Group had over 850 employees, 13 company sites, 6 own brands and 3,500 retail partners, to name just a few. President and founder Heiner Oberrauch gave a moving speech in front of partners and employees, thanked teachers and companions, and emphasized the importance of interpersonal relationships, which are part of the success of every company.
