“Swimming lessons instead of school skiing lessons” – Christmas campaign 1982

In the 80s, skiing had become a trendy sport and was booming with the general public. Every Austrian who wanted to be considered “modern” strapped two boards to their feet in the winter. With the increase in popularity of skiing, however, the prices for ski equipment, lift tickets and accommodation soared. Skiing was an expensive sport even then.

School Skiing Courses were very trendy in the 80s

School skiing courses were also very popular at this time. In the 80s it was almost a mandatory part of our school curriculum. For many parents, this became a noticeable burden on the household budget and not everyone could afford this pleasure. Despite various discounts and state subsidies, attending a school skiing course or winter sports week cost several thousand schillings per child. Children whose parents could not afford the school ski course had to stay at home and take alternative lessons.

In order to offer these children an athletic balance to everyday school life, the campaign “Swimming Lessons Instead of Skiing Lessons” was launched. This offer was based on a cooperation between the Steiner Swimming School and the pool of the Wiener Stadthalle (Wiener Stadthallenbad): The Steiner Swimming School offered swimming courses for children and adolescentsat cost price, the Wiener Stadthallenbad provided the necessary lanes and waived the entrance fee for participants. This gave the children who stayed at home the opportunity to do sports and they were guaranteed to have as much fun as their classmates who were in the school skiing course.

Healthy exercise and sporting activities among children and adolescents are unfortunately becoming less important in the educational system. We view these changes with a critical eye. Sport, in whatever form, is essential for the physical and psychological development of our children.

Below you can see the article from the Kronen-Zeitung published on December 8, 1982.

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