Ice stock shooting
in Seefeld!

The history of ice stock shooting

Ice stock shooting is an old Tyrolean tradition, a sport similar to alpine curling. Light, cone-shaped “ice stocks” with a flat bottom are pushed accurately across a smooth ice surface. It’s a fun sport for couples, groups of friends or all the family.

It is believed that ice stock shooting originated in Scandinavia in the 13th century. The earliest ice stocks were made of wood with an iron band to give them the necessary strength and spread the weight radially. Nowadays, ice stock shooting is played with stocks made of pear or maple wood on frozen ponds and lakes.
There are no rules about either the size of the pitch or the number of players, so often whole villages used to compete against one another.

The first ice stock shooting clubs were founded in the 19th century. The first European Championships took place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 1951 and the first Ice Stock World Championships were held in Frankfurt am Main in 1983.

Even though ice stock shooting has been demonstrated twice at the Winter Olympics (1936 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and 1964 in Innsbruck), efforts to make it a separate discipline at the Olympic Games proved fruitless.

Ice stock shooting is one of the most popular winter activities in southern Germany, Austria, South Tyrol, Switzerland and Central and Eastern European countries, but interest in the sport is growing all over the world.

The Olympic Region Seefeld and ice stock shooting

In Seefeld in Tyrol, ice stock shooting can be played on either natural or artificial ice surfaces.

For an introduction to ice stock shooting, guests holding the Olympic Region Seefeld Card can enjoy a free taster session which teaches them the basic rules and technique. The taster sessions take place at the ice stock shooting rink at the Olympia Sports and Congress Centre in Seefeld in Tyrol.

You can spend a fun, relaxing day playing ice stock shooting at the following places:

• Birklstüberl in Seefeld in Tyrol
• Toni’s alpine curling lanes in Seefeld in Tyrol
• Olympia Sports and Congress Centre/Seefeld
• Scharnitz/Eisack
• Hubert’s Stüberl in Aue / Leutasch

Brief history of ice skating

The story of ice skating began in the Netherlands about 800 years ago. Messengers would attach iron runners to wooden shoes so they could skate along the frozen canals to deliver urgent messages to their aristocratic recipients. Over subsequent centuries, ice skating developed initially as a pastime for the nobility and later also as a people’s sport. The first skating clubs were founded in Great Britain in the middle of the 18th century.

Ice skating has long been popular among young people and especially in northern countries. Nowadays, it is a much-loved and fun winter activity all over the world, for people of all ages.

Depending on the various disciplines, different boots are worn for the different kinds of ice skating. Ice skating includes several sports such as figure skating (also ice dancing), ice hockey and speed skating. It’s a varied winter activity that is great fun for young and old alike.

Ice skating in the Olympic Region Seefeld

Families look forward to the winter ice skating season when they can enjoy circling round and round on the perfectly smooth ice.
At the Olympia Sports Centre in Seefeld in Tyrol, there is both an artificial ice rink and a natural one. Depending on the temperature, the ice skating season at the Olympia Sports and Congress Centre in Seefeld lasts from early/mid-December until well into March.

Both children and adults can borrow skates from the skate hire centre. And if your skates need sharpening, just call in at the Olympia Sports Centre Seefeld, then off you go again.

Hubert’s Stüberl in Aue / Leutasch is open daily during the winter season from 10 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. (Please only arrive after 7 p.m. if you have booked)