Shape Academy’s head of snowcats has been working in his outdoor office between fences and joysticks for more than 10 years and talking about his work still sparks a light in his eyes. “I’ve always been fascinated by things like these! Eventually, it became a job and then a vocation for me”, Roli Winkler remembers when thinking back to his career’s very first steps. “I identify with my job and my affection for mountains keeps growing bigger and bigger while spending so much time with nature.”
It’s his fourth season working as a Regional Manager and Shape Academy’s chief snowcat operator this season. Originally from Ennstal, Roli Winkler began operating snowcats on Schladming’s Planai, where he was entrusted with Superpark Planai as the youngest snowcat-operator of the team. Because he was looking for a change in his professional life, he started working for QParks, the company from which the Shape Academy emerged later. Through QParks he went to Mayrhofen for three seasons, where he shaped Penken Park, one of THE hotspots when it comes to European freestyle.
Roli, who didn’t really have much to do with Freestyle, was lucky to learn from a very good park designer during his first years. “Andi Röck taught me so much about kickers and other features. In exchange, I taught him how to operate the snowcat.” According to him, that’s what makes a perfect match! It takes a good mix of drivers with a background in freestyle as well as tech-pros in order to succeed as a team.
“You develop some kind of connection to the machine.” And that is great because when Roli begins with his shift after the slopes are closed, he’s got to ace the joystick! “We start off with a team-meeting where we discuss if there are any feature changes that need to be done, a general reshape or other things that would optimize the park. There are usually many people participating in this meeting which is why it can get a bit stressful.” “Once my colleagues begin and I’m taking my seat in the machine everything gets calm and relaxed. I normally put on a nice playlist in the BISON X’s sound-system and enjoy the flair.” Roli sounds passionate when talking about his job even though he has to admit “you gotta be the right type of person for that. You have to enjoy sitting inside the machine all night long by yourself.” Roli Winkler definitely is the right type: “If things are going well, I enjoy every second of it!”
Joy covers every corner of his face when he starts talking about his experiences and the feeling when being on top of the mountain: “When you drive all night through storms and it finally clears up in the morning and a wonderful wintery scenery unfolds in front of your eyes – that’s an indescribable moment. And that’s when I stand still and feel thankful for this moment, I get to experience.”
It’s not only the almost cheesy moments that make working on the mountains so special for Roli. As a self-declared machine-freak, he also fell in love with PRINOTH’s machines, and with the BISON X in particular. As Shape Academy’s Head of Snowcats he’s given the opportunity to co-work on machine-development by giving his qualified feedback. “We’re always up to date in the machine sector and we’re the first ones to see, which way PRINOTH goes. That’s really exciting, especially when you can let your personal experiences play into that.” PRINOTH also benefits from the Shape Academy’s know-how and Roli is happy about this opportunity: “The cooperation is great for our operators’ driving-skills too! PRINOTH tests its machines on Stilfser Joch and because of the cooperation we get to check new candidates for the job as operators up there too.”
It’s the unique moments that turn Roli’s job into his vocation. As a Regional Manager he is not only involved in building QParks, Funslopes or Funcross as a snowcat-operator. In fall, he is also responsible for the acceptance of machines in the resorts where PRINOTH provides new rented snowcats. “Once a new BISON X has arrived in the region, we start putting it together and begin working with it right away”, Roli describes the season kick-off.
Here we would like to show you a Vimeo video.
“Until January, I am normally busy building different facilities in various regions. After that, driver’s trainings and quality check-ups follow. I keep doing that until the very end of the season or help out other drivers if there is plenty of snowfall.” Aside from that, Roli is up for special requests in case the circumstances are right for building special features. As soon as the days are getting longer, and the season has been closed successfully, he takes care of next year’s planning, potential employments and staff check-ups.
Then it’s time to bridge over those short nights and warm temperatures until our hero of the night can move back into his natural habitat: back into dark mountainsides in the frozen Alps armed with a BISON X by PRINOTH.