Zana (26) from the Czech Republic and Tommaso (24) from Italy experienced their first bike season this summer. They have been shaping snowparks during the winter season - Tommaso for many years, Zana experienced her first season last winter. However, both of them craved the outdoor lifestyle also during the summer. Therefore, they were looking for a fun seasonal job in the mountains.
“Working at the Bikepark Tirol is just great as you are living the outdoor life, you get to shred a lot, you can stay with the same company summer/winter, you meet many amazing people and you can practice your German.”
Tommaso and Zana report happy: “We start our day, depending on the weather mostly between 09:00-10:00 a.m. Usually, we work around five hours per day on the trails, so we finish around 03:00 p.m. Then we have to refill our energy levels with some food. Last but not least we go for some laps & shreds. In the beginning of the season, we had some larger tasks, as we had to get the park ready. After the first two months it’s all about trail maintenance and fixing some smaller things. In our free time we like to enjoy the mountains in a different way, we visit lakes or hike to cozy mountain huts. So, we are enjoying the outdoor life to the fullest.”
Zana’s favourite task regarding the trail maintenance is cutting the turns and chopping the gras to make the trails wider again. Tommaso agrees with her. He adds that the trails were extremely narrow in the beginning of the season and through the hard work, the impact and results of the shape can be seen by everyone. So, he enjoys seeing a clear before and after effect. Further, they concur that the job is diversified, for instance, some days are more focussed cutting the wood and branches and other days are more directed on widening the trails. Besides, they share, that they are in constant exchange with the bike community while working. Riders would stop by and express their contentment about recent trail work and changes.
Of course, trying the trails and improving ones own shred skills is a great highlight & task of the job. As Zana and Tommaso are new to the bike scene, they were happy to see their speed levels increasing while also becoming more and more confident on their bikes.
“Being a Shaper means to us: outdoor life, mountain lifestyle, combining fun with work, getting to know new people, new languages and cultures.”
When we asked them about which obstacle, they like to shred the most, Zana mentioned the wallride and some specific turns. Tommaso enjoys hitting the small doubles most. As both of them got into the bike scene because of the Shape Academy they have been making their first real progression this year.
Both Zana and Tommaso shared that being a Shaper in the summer is slightly different to the winter. As a Shaper in the bikepark, you should like manual work as you cut wood, clear and maintain the trails. Being flexible with working hours is also an important key point, as you must adjust the trail maintenance to the unpredictable weather in the mountains always.
“You’ll never know unless you try! At first, I was a bit scepticalbout the job, as it is different from being a Shaper in the winter. But I discovered my passion for biking and I enjoyed the summer season a lot. So, just always go for it!” - Zana
We would like to thank Zana & Tommaso for their amazing work and for the interview!
Remember: no shapers, no trails, no fun!
Cheers