Small lift on a big mountain
Small but fine: Ski lift Flirsch
Endless kilometres of slopes and heated seats? No, the ski lift in Flirsch is just a short drag lift over a 0.3 km long slope with an altitude difference of just under 60 metres. Nevertheless, it is irreplaceable and has many advantages for children and families.
Home from school, change into a ski suit after lunch and head straight out onto the slopes! How wonderful it is, when the ski slope is right behind your house, or at least located within your hometown. This means that older children can also indulge in some sporting fun on their own and learn to ski with friends – often together with children from visiting holidaymakers.
The drag lift in Flirsch, which was built back in 1973 next to the local school, is the perfect size and easily manageable for beginners and children. It allows parents to keep an eye on their young ones and watch their skills evolve and progress. You will often find two-year-olds there at the beginning of the season, who can barely even stand on skis, let alone use the lifts. By the end of winter, they are using the lift on their own and skiing down the slope like a seasoned pro. Outside lift operating hours the perfectly prepared slope is also popular for sledding and tobogganing.
Olympic and World Champion lift
Most importantly, there are reliable lift attendants, who make sure that everything runs smoothly. They check if everything is as it should be with the lift, T-bars and route before it even opens. ”We make small repairs ourselves from time to time, but above all: We look after the children“, say the two, who enjoy the fact that this lift enables young people and the guest children of Flirsch to ski with easy access. ”The greatest motivation for our work is seeing how much fun the children are having!“
In turn, the children are motivated by this entertaining sporting opportunity to head out onto the slopes often in winter and thus learn to ski better and better. The ski star brothers Mario, Michael and Andreas Matt also practised at the ski lift in Flirsch – with some pretty impressive results: Mario Matt became Olympic champion in 2014 in Slalom and multiple World Champion. Andreas won silver at the 2010 Olympic Games in ski cross and was crowned World Champion and overall World Cup winner. Michael, the youngest, also won Olympic medals in 2018 and continues to be one of the top athletes in the international ski circuit.
Family-friendly facility
To ensure that every generation can take advantage of this opportunity, Christian Matt, as local chairman of the Flirsch local committee, and Lukas Wechner, as operations manager, together with a few helpers, take care of all matters relating to the ski lift so that it can be operated every winter.
Small village lifts are sometimes referred to as ”mayor lifts“ in Tyrol, because they are maintained by the municipalities themselves. In this case, the municipality, together with the Flirsch branch of St. Anton am Arlberg Tourist Board, provide the finances required. Cost effective? Absolutely! If you consider the many advantages for both local and visiting families and that youngsters are able to whet their appetite for skiing.
