Travel Gallery – The Arlberg, Austria

September 17th, 2009

Photo Gallery by Cyril Muller

The Arlberg area is littered with incredible resorts and terrain that is usually covered in deep untracked fresh powder, and since most European’s don’t go off-piste, all the goodness is there just waiting to be schralped. Plus it’s where the whole idea of downhill sliding as a sport was born (skiing in this case), which makes it a Mecca of sorts and a must-visit for any core snowboarder.

the Arlberg has always been a popular destination for Australian’s and New Zealander’s, close to Innsbruck and capital of the Tirol area it’s a very old little city with loads of culture and wild party nights. Known as the captial of the Alps, Innsbruck hosts an international aiport, which means you can fly in and jump straight on a train to any resort in Tirol. It’s only a couple of hours to the Arlberg with towns like St Anton, Zurs or even Lech where you can arrive and jump straight onto the gondola or lift.

yril Muller is an Arlberg local and works all year round photographing pro-snowboarders in the Arlberg area for various publications. He was super excited when we asked him to provide us with a photo essay of the area and his favourite mountains and we are really happy to be showing his incredible photos. Hope they inspire you to get to the Arlberg at least once in your lifetime.

Thanks Cyril.

For further info on traveling to The Arlberg – Austria check out: austria.info/au

This is what Arlberg is famous for: Crazy dumps of snow, for days on end! I took this shot right before putting my camera pack back into the car. It was just snowing too heavy to shoot that day!
I spent the afternoon just shredding treeruns with the boys – it turned out to be one of the best days snowboarding of my life! Armpit deep, I guess you´d call it. Or maybe overhead for you Aussies!

I love the exciting moment before the action starts. Makes me feel like a kid, waiting to open that christmas present. The kicker’s ready, cameras all setup, the riders strapping in. I get all nervous, keep measuring light, double checking focus, just waiting for the „dropping in ten!” on the radio. Looking at that shot, I can´t wait for winter to start again around here!

Natives around The Alps have been pioneering this territory for ages. All this under the worst of circumstances, dealing with some of the harshest and most unpredictable weather, tough winters and short summers. I have the utmost respect for people who spend their whole life within those mountains, who’ve gained profound knowledge of their surroundings through decades of experience. Much like fishermen who spend their life at sea, most of those people develop a very strong bond with nature. Out there, your surroundings become proof that there has to exist some kind of force that exceeds our imagination.

The Arlberg area is world famous for its kicker spots. Countless movie crews have ventured into the Arlberg backcountry every season in search of one of those setups where a nice long inrun leads into a perfect table or gap, just to drop again into a steep, long landing. Chris Sorman knows where to find the good spots, and clears one of them with a smooth cab 5.

This is the end of the road in winter, cutting access up towards Arlberg from Bregenz (the north-western access road which can only be used in summer). The region out here has just as sick terrain and snow as the main Arlberg area, which lies behind this closed road. Especially in peak winter months, it’s way less busy though, which makes it a perfect spot for Christmas holidays and February when St.Anton, Lech and Zürs tend to get crowded!

The resort of Damüls, homespot of Gigi Rüf, hosts one of central Europe’s most important contests for young shreds, called Austrian Rookie Challenge. Kids from all over Europe gather there for the weekend to ride the contest, hang out, get to know each other and have a fun weekend. Responsible for the event is a local shop, Alton’s Skatehouse, who invests loads of time and money into pushing snowboarding in the Arlberg area. In the shot, 13 year-old Slovenian kid TK Ravnjak gaps the A-Frame into a backlip/backside noseblunt. Boom!

On this shot, we’re looking out to the west down the Valley of Vorarlberg. Although some photographers broke this silent rule this season, I won´t mention the name of the resort I took this shot from – it still is kind of a semi-secret spot in the area. Check out the mountains on the other side of the valley, that’s only a fraction of the potential and resorts this area has to offer!

One thing I got really into last season was shooting second angles off the tripod with my old backup camera, a Canon EOS 20D. It enables you to get the main shot out of your hand so the rider doesn´t hike for nothing, while at the same time remote trigger an artsy angle trying to get that different shot. This photo here is one of those, shot long after the lifts had closed. The ride down after the session in total dark was putting our boardfeel to the test!

Although famous for powder and steep lines, the Arlberg area has whatever a snowboarder could be looking for. Be creative, and you’ll find plenty of in-town jib options! This photo here is shot right next to the train station of St. Anton, in front of the Franz-Josef Memorial. Franz-Josef, by the way, was the emperor of Austria back in the 19th century, and, no joke, homie married his cousin! I prefer Dmitry Fesenko doing tailbonk bs 180’s…