If you’re a normal skier or snowboarder, you know the best way to end a day on the mountain is with some drinks and food (I think nachos are the best Après food, but that’s a discussion for another time). If things are going great, the tradition that’s called Après ski can go on for hours, sometimes leading through dinner and late into the evening. So try to imagine stumbling out of an Après bar at 8pm, still in all of your ski gear, only to get slapped with a massive fine because you have your ski boots on.
It sounds like a pretty absurd concept, I know. Fined for wearing ski boots? In a ski village? But, believe it or not, at the Ischgl ski resort in Tyrol, Austria, you can get fined just for wearing your boots!
According to The Local Austria, in 2016, Ischgl Mayor Werner Kurz banned the wearing of ski boots in the center of town between 8pm and 6am. Those caught could see fines as little as €25 and up to €2,000. It also applies to those carrying skis, ski poles, and snowboards, with the law in place from November 20th to May 5th each year.
The reasoning? Noise and safety, of course! Residents of the town had apparently complained in the past of the sound of tourists stomping around late at night in their ski boots, so the town did something about it. Plus, according to the Mayor, wearing ski boots throughout Ischgl’s narrow streets has caused tourists to slip and fall on multiple occasions, and skis and boards can injure others as they’re carried around on shoulders.
Those attempting to return home from a late Après session are advised to take a taxi.
Honestly though, it’s not a terrible rule at all. Drunk people in ski boots can be a danger to themselves and others. I get where they’re coming from, at least.
Related: We Asked ChatGPT: “Where is the best Après-Ski scene in the world?”
Image Credit: Ischgl via Facebook