Published on December 9, 2024 at 12:04 p.m. / Modified on December 9, 2024 at 12:05.
4 mins. reading
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Skiing remains a central sport in Switzerland, but its practice has declined since the 1980s.
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Despite the interest of young people, the diversification of sports and low-cost tourism are reducing its popularity.
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Rising costs hinder its accessibility to the less wealthy.
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Global warming limits the available slopes and accentuates the elitization of skiing.
The history of skiing and that of Switzerland are inseparable, but for how long? Between global warming and ski bashing, does skiing remain dear to the hearts of the Swiss? “Skiing is still the national sport in Switzerland, played like football in other countries,” recalls Grégory Quin, historian at Unil and author of Skiing in Switzerland. A story. You just have to delve into the numbers to see it. A first, basic example: Switzerland is the second country where people search for the word “ski” the most on Google, behind Norway.
Other, more qualitative figures: the Federal Office for Sport (Ofspo) has been providing reports on the subject for more than twenty years. When the Swiss are asked about their sporting activities, skiing comes in at the top, along with hiking, cycling, swimming and jogging.
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