risk'n'fun KIDS I LOCALS

Local young people in particular are often out in the backcountry early and often - technically strong on skis or snowboard, but not always sufficiently trained to correctly assess alpine dangers. Overconfidence, group dynamics and a lack of basic avalanche knowledge lead to risks being underestimated.

This was the case on December 11th, 2021, when an avalanche occurred on the Venet shortly after many ski resorts in Tyrol opened. Several young winter sports enthusiasts were skiing in open terrain away from the secured pistes when they triggered an avalanche. Help came too late for one youngster.

We had already received numerous inquiries from parents in the risk'n'fun inbox beforehand, all along the same lines:

"Our boys are almost exclusively off-piste and go in everywhere. Does the Alpine Club have a special program that teaches boys how to behave properly off-piste?"

This is mainly aimed at young men aged between 13 and 16.

Yes, we at risk'n'fun have been working on a concept for a long time. The same requests have been coming in for a few years now, and we took a winter to get out and about with children and young people to gain experience and develop a feel for their needs. One result of this is our risk'n'fun KIDS I LOCALS offer, which we've been running in various sections since winter 2014 and working with young skiers and snowboarders.

Our previous scope of action with risk'n'fun KIDS I LOCALS was focused on working with sections. Interested sections contact us and together with local youth workers we put together a suitable program. In summer on mountain bikes, in winter snowboarding and skiing, depending on age, next to the piste, on forest trails or freeriding in open terrain. The framework of who is responsible for what is clearly defined, but each program requires a precise assessment of the local conditions in order to design a safe and suitable offer together with those responsible.

"Being allowed to learn"

We have been able to learn a lot from young skiers and snowboarders in recent years. What we experienced first-hand back in 2014 was that the speed in freeride crews is always very high. Zack - out of the lift, two good dives with the poles, drop in - down and back up on the next lift. If there are snowboarders with you, it doesn't go quite as quickly, as you still have to strap in first and it can always happen that someone doesn't make a traverse. In addition to the speed factor, there is also the fact that there is a great deal of interest in expertise. It is COOL when people know how the emergency equipment works - and it is MEGA when the APP from the avalanche warning service opens, the avalanche report is read and then understood. And it is often sobering when slopes are discussed and assessed together with a guide. And then a fact-based result emerges that this line doesn't actually always work at all. Even if nothing has ever come down there.

Break down. Find ways.

We try to build in time slots. The break where there is room for a potentially decisive question. Break down the pace. For a little more communicative leeway. "If you manage to establish BREAK situations, you've already laid the first foundation for good decisions. In general, we try to slow down the pace a little and not get excited about who is first and best. And it's very simple: keep your distance when you enter a slope ," says Michele Gallonetto, describing his experiences. "With the simple opening question: What do you want from me? - and the gift of being able to wait until something comes from the young people, that's how we start the day. I can then dock on and pick them up and address their questions. And that's where the interaction begins. As a trainer, you have to be flexible in order to integrate all of the kids' questions and requests into the day in a meaningful way. The spectrum ranges from runs that you've always wanted to do to the function of emergency equipment or table football jumping. And there are also many topics that are somewhere "in between" and concern the freeride crew or the kids' personal experiences. Last year in Zillertal, we passed the slope where a young freerider had a fatal accident in winter 2020. Everyone knew the teenager. My impression was that the kids still couldn’t comprehend the incomprehensible. And the analysis of the terrain and the discussion about what had happened were once again important for further processing," says snowboard guide Ursl Wohlschlager. That is also part of it.