"Ski in the City": skiing in the schoolyard in Milan

At the BES – Bilingual European School in Milan – students are skiing in their schoolyard. On February 12, Giorgio Rocca joined the students on the Neveplast slope.

While the elite of alpine skiing compete in the World Championships in Cortina, students at BES in Via Val Cismon are skiing in their courtyard on a synthetic Neveplast slope, with the endorsement of Giorgio Rocca.

Amid the uncertainty about the reopening of ski resorts due to the pandemic, BES devised a clever solution to allow students to ski during school hours. While waiting to go skiing in the mountains, they brought the mountain, or rather the ski slope, to the schoolyard.

The synthetic slope, created by Bergamo-based Neveplast, simulates the experience of skiing on natural snow. The slope is 30 meters long and 10 meters wide, with a 10% gradient. It is ideal for beginners and young children to learn the basics of skiing and for students who already ski in winter and compete.

Neveplast's mission is to make skiing and winter sports accessible to everyone, regardless of location, season, or weather conditions, by introducing skiing to urban areas. This concept of Urban Skiing was embraced by BES, which named their bold educational project "Ski in the City."

Ski lessons began on Tuesday, February 9, taught by specialized instructors who mostly live in Milan and have been unable to work in the mountains this year due to the closure of ski resorts.

BES has 540 students, from the British American Pre-School (BAPS) to middle school. A meticulously planned schedule ensures each student has the opportunity to have at least two skiing lessons. The slope will be operational until at least spring, with the possibility of extending the skiing season.

The ski school is located in the school's garden, an open space with a Nordic architectural touch, where a climbing gym will soon be available. To enhance the skiing experience, a mountain chalet-style kiosk has been set up next to the slope, where students can enjoy a hot chocolate after their lessons.

On the morning of Friday, February 12, Giorgio Rocca visited BES.

Giorgio Rocca: "I couldn’t refuse the invitation from BES, which with the 'Ski in the City' project has once again demonstrated its visionary spirit that should inspire all educational projects in schools. Many of the children who come to ski at the Giorgio Rocca Ski Academy in winter attend BES here in Milan. They are fortunate because, in addition to skiing with us, they now have the chance to ski in their schoolyard during school hours.

I’ve known Neveplast for a long time and share their goal of bringing skiing to urban areas to broaden the base of mountain and winter sports enthusiasts. I hope the 'Ski in the City' project is just the first of many to spread the culture of skiing in cities. As we approach the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, I envision a snow village with slopes of various sizes and difficulties open year-round in the city center.

The 'Ski in the City' project aligns perfectly with BES's mission to foster an environment that encourages students to be courageous, resilient, and willing to push beyond their limits—a mindset known as risk-taking, which is a core principle at BES.

Riccardo Garbagnati, Marketing Manager at BES: "The founder and director of the school, Luca Paloschi, is a pioneer who doesn’t back down from challenges and always strives to achieve his goals within the rules. The time from the conception of the 'Ski in the City' idea to the realization of the project and the start of the first lessons was very short. We were familiar with Neveplast, especially their ski slope on the roof of Copenhill, and we immediately clicked with them. At BES, we are a team of dreamers, always ready to step out of our comfort zone, much like the Neveplast team, and we love turning dreams into reality.

The pandemic has suddenly disrupted our lives and all school plans. Students had to forgo in-person classes for months, as well as trips and many activities they were used to. Skiing is a very popular sport at BES, and we were very disappointed that our students couldn’t ski this winter.

The 'Ski in the City' project has been a delightful surprise for our students and their families."