Saillon, a small town in the Rhone Valley in Switzerland, is known for its beautiful hillside location with breathtaking mountain views, vineyards, and old architecture. Since February 2021, visitors of the beautiful Swiss town are offered an attraction that is definitely worth their while. Right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, LocoSki Academy opened its doors and became the first indoor ski center in Switzerland to offer year-round indoor ski training on a Treadmill SkiMachine!
How LocoSki was originated
LocoSki Academy was originally founded by the Buchard family, a Swiss family who share a true passion for sports and skiing. Laurence Buchard, the only woman of the family and former member of the Swiss professional ski team, is joined by her sons Damien and Loïs, her brother Olivier Morand, and Joël Vocat in running the LocoSki center. The name “Loco (crazy in Spanish) Ski Academy” surely lives up to its name.
Launching this adventure in the midst of a pandemic was a crazy idea but there was something to do, a niche to use.
The launch of the ski center was a great success and the fruitful concept of indoor skiing proved to be very popular for skiers in the surroundings of Saillon. In fact, LocoSki was able to attract Geneva skier Tanguy Nef and his brother Arsène, also a sportsman and member of Handisport Genève, as sponsors of the new indoor ski center. As of today, these valuable sponsorships contribute to LocoSki’s objective of facilitating beginning skiers, young competitors, and professional athletes as well as sharing a true passion for skiing with the people of Saillon.
Why indoor ski training can make a difference for competing athletes
The ski center LocoSki is home to a highly-advanced Treadmill SkiMachine with a surface area of 5 meters wide and 9 meters long that facilitates up to 6 skiers simultaneously. The mirror frame of the SkiMachine provides instant feedback, innovative slalom projections digitalize the learning process, and experienced coaches offer professional guidance from close proximity. Clearly, there are plenty of reasons why indoor ski training is beneficial for both professionals and beginners. Still, for athletes, one of the main advantages is that indoor ski training involves a higher training intensity and consistency. The potential to improve the effectiveness of athlete training in terms of learning and transferring skills to competition is essentially unlimited thanks to the constant circumstances during indoor ski training.
This is the main difference with “traditional” skiing. In one hour here, we ski for one hour. On the glaciers, with the wait for the lifts, we only ski for about fifteen minutes. Therefore, it’s really different in terms of the amount of work and endurance.
On top, another advantage of indoor ski training is that indoor skiing is weather-independent and can be done all year long. This allows professional athletes to work on their physiques and improve their abilities even during the off-season.
Various forms of indoor ski training
LocoSki Academy has more to offer than just alpine skiing. Just like our slopes, the possibilities for ski centers are essentially unlimited. Next to spinning and fitness, cross-country skiing is part of the extra activities that are being offered by the ski center. In short, with cross-country skiing, the ski boot is fixed to the binding in a way that allows the heel to rise off the ski. As a result, practitioners can move across snow-covered terrains using two types of motion techniques: classical and skating. Furthermore, cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport, a recreational activity, and even as a means of transportation. Without further ado, here is an example of how Nordic Skiing can be done at LocoSki Academy.
Contact SkiMachine
With 100+ endless ski slopes installed worldwide, numerous positive reactions from clients, and over 25 years of experience, SkiMachine has created wealth and know-how in manufacturing the highest quality indoor simulators in the industry. We are happy to provide you with professional input at any time!
