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Today, on October 1st, we reach out to you with a heavy heart. After 15 unforgettable years, the era of Snow Volleyball in Wagrain-Kleinarl is coming to an end. Changing circumstances, particularly si...
01 November, 2024
We are really sorry to inform you that we will not be able to hold Snow Volleyball 2024 in Wagrain this winter. For different reasons, we unfortunately have to cancel the event. We would have loved to...
03 Januar, 2024
The CEV Snow Volleyball European Tour stop in Wagrain-Kleinarl in the ski resort „Snow Space Salzburg“ this year again offered top level sports and a spectacular show program. Also for nex...
07 April, 2023You and your team want to sign up for a Snow Volleyball tournament? Click here to register:
The snow volleyball adventure began in 2008 amid the mountains of Wagrain in Austria. For the first time in the history of this winter sports resort, net posts and pitch lines were dug into the snow at an altitude of around 1,850 m. The initial event at the Flying Mozart mountain station between the two ski chalets Kogelalm and Gipfelstadl attracted hundreds of astounded yet thrilled spectators and offered the perfect location for the coming year. The mix of top-level sports and extreme weather fascinated fans and athletes alike.
After many successful events in Wagrain, 2011 was a milestone in the history of the sport. Snow volleyball was acknowledged as an official sport by the Austrian Volleyball Association (ÖVV) and provided with its own bid invitation. The basic structure for professionalism and competition at the highest level was therefore guaranteed, leading to the creation of the Snow Volleyball Tour powered by Amway in 2012. The slogan “Served Ice Cold” provided the backdrop for the competition among palm trees, hot tubs and cheerleaders in St. Anton am Arlberg in Austria and at Spitzingsee lake in Bavaria, Germany.
On October 16th, 2015 at the Volleyball Congress in Sofia, Bulgaria, the Confédération Européenne de Volleyball (CEV) confirmed the addition of this new sport to their official calendar. This meant the inclusion of Snow Volleyball as a thrid discilpine on European soil for the first time and laid the foundation for the first ever European Tour.
In March & April 2016 the first ever CEV Snow Volleyball European Tour was held in three stops all over Europe. This was the start of a successful partnership between the CEV and Chaka2 in order to promote the sport on a continental level.
On August 18th, 2016, the Fédération International de Volleyball (FIVB) signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) during the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro at the House of Volleyball with Chaka2 in order to develop Snow Volleyball globally.
In 2017 FIVB & Chaka2 organized the first ever global FIVB Volleyball Your Way Snow Festival with hundreds of children and athletes between the ages of three and seventeen participating in Austria.
Additonally the second CEV European Tour was held in 2017 with stops in Austria, Czech Republic, Liechtensteon, Switzerland, Slovenia and Italy. Aside from the above mentioned events the first ever Snow Volleyball competition was organized in Asia with an evnet held in Iran.
On February 14, 2018, the FIVB and the CEV showcased snow volleyball at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea by hosting Snow Volleyball Night at the Austria House with an exhibition match featuring some of the world’s greatest stars from both volleyball and beach volleyball.
The inaugural 2018 CEV Snow Volleyball European Championships took place from March 23 through 25 in Wagrain-Kleinarl and Flachau in Austria. The continent’s best 24 women’s and 24 men’s teams competed at the birthplace of the sport for the first European champion titles, after six European Tour stops and as many as 17 national championships served as qualifying events. Lithuania’s Ieva Dumbauskaite & Monika Povilaityte and Russia’s Ruslan Daianov & Taras Myskiv became the first-ever European Championship gold medalists for women and for men, respectively.
In 2019, the FIVB, CEV & Chaka2 organized the first ever Snow Volleyball World Tour with stops in Austria, Italy (both CEV) and Argentina. Chaka2 was supporting at all events and laid the foundation of a successful development in this year. For the first time athletes from all continents were participating in a Snow Volleyball competition.
In 2019 is was also the first time that the new system of 3 vs. 3 was played and that the new Mikasa Snow Volleyball was officially presented as a European and Worl Tour ball.
Even if the complicated Covid-19 pandemic forced Austria, Europe and the whole world to cancel or postpone big (sporting) events with lots of spectators in 2020, we still managed to create possibilities that provide international as well as national sports a platform. Given how limited professional sports were in 2020, it is was even more crucial in 2021 to organize and rally around our beloved sport: Snow Volleyball. As a sport which is played at a professional level, CEV Snow Volleyball European Tour took place in Austria with two stops back to back.
After a special year for all of us, we can proudly say: Snow Volleyball is back on track. Why? Because never before has a CEV Snow Volleyball European Tour event had this many registered teams, the tactics of the players get more and more sophisticated and Snow Volleyball specific, and also at the Austrian Championships had more teams than ever have been listed. All these facts boost our confidence about the future of Snow Volleyball.
In 2022 thousands of visitors will enjoy a unique volleyball atmosphere at top international destinations and ski resorts to take part in a stand-alone entertainment program in the mountains.
It is our common goal to bring Snow Volley to the Winter Olympics. Therefore, together with CEV, FIVB and all national federations we will continue to promote and push Snow Volleyball.
After 15 incredible years, the era of Snow Volleyball in Wagrain-Kleinarl is coming to an end due to changing circumstances, particularly since the 2020 pandemic. We extend our deepest gratitude to all partners, supporters, and the local community who made this journey possible, especially Snow Space Salzburg, the Wagrain-Kleinarl Tourism Association, and key contributors like Christoph Baumann, Stefan Passrugger, and the landowners. While the event in Wagrain concludes, Snow Volleyball will continue to thrive worldwide, and we are proud of the legacy we have built together.
