Snowpark construction with 3D machine control for the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships

Author: Olga Papandreou

In elite sports, precision is everything—from the millimetres that separate gold from silver to the meticulously crafted environments where athletes perform. From the Olympic Games to world winter sport championships, high-accuracy measurement and positioning technologies, such as total stations and GNSS, are used to measure distances in events like long jump, javelin, and shot put with millimetre-level reliability. Once limited to surveying and construction, these technologies are now helping ensure fairness, safety, and performance in competitive sports. In St. Moritz, Switzerland, we witness how Leica Geosystems’ solutions are being applied to shape the very environments where athletes compete. 

In the spotlight is the FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, a global event that began in 1986 and has since evolved to include a wide range of disciplines across freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and freeski. Held every two years, the event spans approximately two weeks, with the 2025 edition taking place from March 17 to March 30 in the Swiss Alps. This year, over 1,500 elite athletes from 40 countries competed across 17 disciplines, making it one of the most prestigious and logistically demanding events in winter sports. 

A global stage for innovation 

In preparation for the FIS Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland, a team of specialists is relying on advanced technology to shape the snowparks that will host the world’s top athletes at the iconic venues of Corvatsch, Corviglia, and the Olympiaschanze. At the centre of this effort is the Leica Geosystems 3D machine control solution for snow management, Leica iCON alpine. This 3D snow depth measurement and snow management solution guides snow groomers with both accuracy, ensuring the built features match the intended 3D design, and precision, allowing operators to replicate and maintain those results consistently, even in challenging conditions.  

From concept to construction; the path to perfection 

Efficiency, performance, safety, and sustainability 

 

According to Kobi, one of the most significant advantages of the Leica iCON alpine solution is the ability to work with real-time snow depth data. “It helps us move snow exactly where it’s needed,” he explains. “That makes the process more efficient, reduces fuel consumption, and supports more sustainable operations overall.” He also notes that the system is particularly helpful during night shifts or in poor visibility, providing a clear reference point for the machine’s position and orientation. This not only improves safety but also supports less experienced operators in delivering accurate results. 

Before adopting this technology, building snowparks was a more time-consuming and iterative process. Achieving the desired shapes often required multiple adjustments, measurements, and checks, and could not be done by a single person. GNSS technology improved accuracy by using an antenna on a pole and surveying software that allows users to conduct as-built checks and determine how far the current surface is from the desired one. The area would then be marked for the snow groomer operator to either remove or add snow. With the Leica iCON alpine system, the team benefits from the additional advantage of working with centimetre-level accuracy directly at the machine, as the reference to the 3D design is always available on the in-cabin display. This significantly reduces the time and effort required to complete the park construction. 

 

Peter Prantl highlights the importance of precision in snowpark construction, especially for high-level competitions. "Every jump is calculated," he explains. "The take-off and landing zones must be constructed to exact specifications to ensure both athlete safety and optimal performance." These calculations—accounting for all speed ranges, flight trajectories, landing impacts, and airtime—must be precisely transferred to the slopes to ensure the best possible experience for both athletes and spectators. He also highlights the system’s ease of use, noting that most operators need just one day of training. For Peter, the Leica iCON alpine solution is a practical and effective tool for any ski resort looking to improve the quality and efficiency of their snow management operations. 

 

A model for the future of snowpark construction 

 

Kobi advocates for the solution for ski resorts of all sizes. "It's not just for major events," he notes. "Any resort can benefit from enhanced planning, more efficient use of resources like snow, machinery, operators, and energy, as well as improved safety." As the FIS World Championships unfold, the team's work demonstrates how technology can support both the creative and technical aspects of snowpark construction, delivering consistent, high-quality results for athletes and organisers. With digital solutions like the Leica iCON alpine 3D machine control system, the future of snowpark construction promises nothing less than achieving the exact desired outcomes, ensuring unforgettable experiences for winter sports enthusiasts around the world. 

 

Learn more about our Leica iCON alpine solution here, and our Leica alpinePRO snow management system here.