Video: Fabio Wibmer and Vali Höll Shred Saalbach Bike Park on its Opening Weekend
Bike- and YouTube-Star Fabio Wibmer meets two-time Junior Downhill World Champion Vali Höll. During Lockdown Fabio managed to reach an audience of millions with his interpretation of 'Home Office', while Vali was busy constructing a DYI fitness studio to prepare for the World Cup season and her ‘Home’ World Championships. For both athletes, the opening of Austria’s largest bike region on June 11 finally marked the beginning of a return to business as usual. Goodbye home gym, hello trails.
Race-Time vs. Airtime
The trails in Saalbach Hinterglemm are as unique and diverse as the skills of Vali Höll and Fabio Wibmer. The Season-Opening edit shows the two athletes riding two opposing mountains and demonstrates that Saalbach has something in store for every taste. While Vali is working on improving her technique and finding those elusive final tenths-of-seconds on the X-Line on Schattberg, Fabio is busy racking up airtime on the Panorama-Trail on the Kohlmais.
Vali Höll should have been competing in the third World Cup of her season on June 7 but thanks to the lockdown, the season-opening of Saalbach actually marks the beginning of her preparations for the World Cups which have been postponed to September and October. At least for Vali the lockdown wasn’t all bad, as the young racer from Saalbach was able to fully concentrate on her final exams in school and now still has the chance to fully prepare for the World Cup Season including the World Championships in neighboring Leogang.
Vali Höll:
“When Saalbach and Leogang open their doors for the summer season it feels like Christmas and Easter on the same day as I can finally move from the home gym to riding the trails on my doorstep. Next to the World Championships track in Leogang, the X-Line in Saalbach is the perfect training ground to work on my technique and fitness."
Fabio Wibmer’s plans for the year have drastically changed as well thanks to the lockdown. But even confined to his ‘Home Office’, the creative Bike- and YouTube-Star managed to adapt and get creative by producing a video that reached a global audience of millions.
Fabio Wibmer:
“I am absolutely stoked to be able to ride in Saalbach again. Even though we managed to create a surprise hit during the lockdown, nothing beats being able to go outside again. Being able to ride the trails in Saalbach again, a region that has supported me for years and with which I have built a unique relationship, was something special and definitely beats riding on my washing machine and dining table.”
Austria’s largest bike region
On June 11, Saalbach Hinterglemm opened the gates to start the summer season, which also means that Austria’s largest bike region is completely open as of now. With more than 70 kilometers of trails, nine lifts and gondolas and seven mountains as well as several beginner areas and pump tracks in Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, those new to the sport as well as advanced riders will be hard-pressed to identify their favorite trail.
Further information on riding in Saalbach Hinterglemm is available at saalbach.com/bike
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Right... I mean you couldn't see his weiner or anything... What a letdown.
If you're really lucky, you might even get to see a week old number 2.
Yeah, it's a shame with the Jokercard. But it was a question of time. The offer was just too expensive for Saalbach. I'm happy that I could use it for the last three years
--> this information is not correct.
"The Season-Opening edit (Edits name) shows the two athletes "
--> I think this is another mistake ;-)
To the others: Always remember, that in Austria even on fireroads, mountainbiking is illegal, except its a marked mountainbike route.
In Austria (and particularly in Tirol) every mountain is "the jewels/diamond of the Alps", every resort has its "top of the world/Tirol" point of view. It's also the best snow conditions while having the best weather, the most natural environment while having the most cable cars (...).
At the beginning I was finding it annoying, now it just amuses me. I'm curious which city will be first to dare calling itself the mtb Mecca
And yet, my absolute favorites, schladming and semmering aren't exactly in the most alpine parts of austria. In addition, Wexl Trails is also pretty cool, Schöckl is worth a visit all year round and for riders from styria or carinthia, bikepark Maribor is pretty close too.
MTB in Austria isn't bad, its just not where you'd expect it to be
If you pay 45€ to a bike ticket in Leogang, they tell you that you can do anything – fck the nature, fck hikers, fck everything – MTB is the best thing in Austria. But if you want to go on a short after-work-ride in the evening at your home spot you will get into trouble in lots of austrian regions, with penalties up to 750€ and maybe also a trial/law-suit which are even more expensive.
However – according to bikepark: there are also great parks in the west of Austria.
In my opinion they call themselves already as "mtb-mecca".
Innsbruck declares as "Bike City Innsbruck"
Bundesland Salzburg declares as "Mountainbike Paradise"
Mühlviertel even declares as "biggest mountainbike-region of central-europe"
At least skiing is legal in Austria everywhere (also ski touring and backcountry skiing) – so i do not care too much about the embellished and beautified pictures and informations. But mountainbiking is still illegal nearly everywhere in Austria, and tourism advertising do not care about the legal situation which tightens all problems even more ...
Schladming reopened with a 3 new lines (including a 4km jump line) and a new gondola.
Much better than Leogang/Saalbach in my opinion.
Spent half a day at Schladming during my drive back from Leogang and it was pretty much the most fun I'd ever had on a bike.
Plus: S/H was pushed with their „Joker Card“ (free lift ticket) so it was very crowded. They stopped Joker Card this year.
It´s a accumulation of things. First off, it´s a beginner region. There´s not much to challenge experienced riders for a longer period of time. Basically X-Line and Pro-Line, that´s it. It also was very crowded because they gave you free lift access with every accomodation. As the two tracks i mentioned before are rather difficult for beginners and advanced riders, most of the traffic is focused onto the beginner lines, which as a result get beaten up pretty badly. So people start complaining about a lack of maintenance.
Now that they got rid of the free lift access and people have to actually pay for their tickets, they get even more angry. The average clientel being middle aged people with kids doesn´t exactly help keep things in perspective either.
It´s not a bad region to ride. As was said, much more suited towards the beginner/intermediate enduro rider. Worth a day trip for advanced or more downhill oriented riders though.
but yeah cheers guys
If you plan on spending multiple days in the region you´re right, it´s probably not for you and especially comparing it to Morzine etc, it´ll be a huge disappointment.
@Jaib06 if you can ever swing by Schladming though, it was absolutely awesome and definitely worth a visit, just not sure if there would be enough stuff for a few days of riding.
There is the Planai Downhill Park AND the Reiteralm Trail Park nearby (same lift ticket;; best trail park in Austria).
I would say enough stuff for a few days...
To me, and this is nothing more then my own personal opinion, Saalbach is to Austria what Bruges is to Belgium. Sure, it's a nice place, sight's are amazing, but you just get this feeling of "overwhelming commercialization" The whole vibe seems kind of forced. Maybe it's due to the fact that winters are becoming shorter and people who live of tourism have to improvise to make a living (That Audi A6 ain't gonna buy itself...) So they fake some enthousiasm about bikes, but you just feel that the heart' not in it.
That's why I feel that this video with Fabio Wibmer is the perfect analogy for Saalbach. He would sell his grandmother on Instagram if they would allow it, but everytime a new video of him drops, I check it out...
...
"I could take a piss on your trails and then zip my fly mid air?"
...
"Great idea."
If you talk about natural Trails, almost any region in the alps provides more and better options.