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Banger Park
Freestyle-Mekka Scharnitz
Generally, the Karwendel Nature Park is the excursion destination in Scharnitz, but for the international winter sports scene, the Banger Park is the place to be. Established in 2018, it is THE summer training center for the world's best freestylers. At the beginning of the Banger Park in 2018, there was a fun-looking ramp with a large air cushion behind it. Since then, much has happened, and Scharnitz has become the mecca for all ski and snowboard professionals in the freestyle area.
The origin of the Freestyle Park in the plateau municipality is thanks to chance: The operator Alex Pankiewicz, a former Polish artistic gymnast and passionate freestyle snowboarder, discovered the area in spring 2017 and, by a stroke of luck, met owner Alexander Gaugg. The two took an immediate liking to each other, Pankiewicz's plan was convincing, and Gaugg was "on board." Together, they tackled the hurdles of the approval process and, in summer 2018, inaugurated the first jump with jumps from Austria's top snowboarder Anna Gasser. "Back then, I thought for the first time that this could really become something," recalls Gaugg.
Gradually, four more freestyle jump facilities with airbags and a jib line with mats were built on the grounds of the Scharnitz Brandlift. After double Olympic champion Gasser, more top athletes followed, and it soon became known in the scene that summer training in freestyle sports was revolutionizing in Scharnitz. Today, international stars like Eileen Gu (double Olympic champion in freeski, China) and various national teams regularly come here for summer training.
"Training on the glacier has become extremely difficult," says Pankiewicz. "The changeable weather and the few days with good snow are an increasing problem for freestylers." In contrast, Banger Park offers stable and consistent conditions almost daily. Additionally, the risk of injury is significantly lower. Because although landing in the airbags is wet due to water used to reduce friction, it is not painful.
"The park has changed incredibly much", says Sabrina Cakmakli, Europe's most successful halfpipe athlete and three-time Olympian from Garmisch-Partenkirchen. "Especially for the women, the level has risen enormously due to this training opportunity." Till Strohmeyer, a snowboard professional from Tyrol, who spends about 30 days each summer in the park, says clearly: "If you want to keep up in the competitions in winter, you have to train here."
It's not just the locals who see it this way. All nations come to the Banger Park; it is unique across Europe. "Comparable facilities exist only in Japan", says Pankiewicz. And the newest jump facility even tops this. It has three so-called inruns: one, as usual, in the middle and two from the sides. "This has not existed anywhere so far." And it offers entirely new training possibilities, especially for halfpipe specialists like Cakmakli.
By the way: The park also has a tourist offering. The two smaller ramps as well as the jibline can be used by all interested parties during opening hours.
