A Weekend in Levi: Chasing Dreams and Driving the White Winters Forward
This year’s White Winters gathering in Levi – alongside the Alpine FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Levi 2025 was a weekend full of passion, inspiration, and purpose. The perfect Arctic landscape arrived just in time – reminding us that luck alone isn’t enough to preserve winter. The combination of world-class racing, engaging discussions, and shared commitment of a community dedicated to safeguarding the future of winter made the event and weekend truly special.
An unforgettable moment to celebrate: Eduard Hallberg, representing Fearless Finns, finished third – marking the first World Cup podium for a Finnish male alpine skier in 18 years. Watching ultimate superstars Mikaela Shiffrin and Lucas Pinheiro Braathen perform at the top of their game was a thrilling reminder of why this mission matters.
Returning to Levi felt symbolic. It has been one year since Ski Sport Finland and Solved launched White Winters here, together with Levi and Nasdaq – a milestone that marked the start of our shared journey.
Our mission is as clear as ever:
White Winters brings together challenges with sustainable solutions, accelerating climate- and nature-positive innovations across ski resorts, the winter sports industry, and events internationally.
[White Winter video: Snow is guaranteed in Levi, but not everywhere: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1HtV8UEbsotknpK7Zej-n4wGxTwqMctte]
One of our first steps is to help resorts understand where they stand with climate and environmental challenges. We provide actionable tools and connect them with a community of expertise. The White Winters Assessment Tool, now strengthened by AINS Group joining White Winters, supports resorts in evaluating resilience, actions, and communications.
Insights and climate reality
Throughout the weekend, conversations consistently returned to one theme: winter is changing, and the industry is ready to act.
Elli Niskanen, Planning Director for Sustainability at AINS Group, opened the discussion with a clear message: resorts need reliable, comparable data to understand their impacts, plan actions and communicate progress.
The operational viewpoint came from Marko Mustonen, Commercial Director of Levi Ski Resort, who highlighted Levi's ongoing environmental efforts, including energy–efficiency improvements, responsible snowmaking, and biodiversity initiatives. Sustainability is no longer a project; it is embedded in daily operations. Levi’s environmental programme
Anne Larilahti, SVP Sustainability at Amer Sports, reminded us that while skiing has environmental impacts, its social, cultural, and well-being benefits are enormous. Skiing connects families, builds communities and fosters respect for nature.
Norbert Kurilla, from the Slovak Olympic & Sports Committee and OECD, provided a policy-level perspective on how international collaboration can accelerate sustainable transitions across the industry.
Other voices contributed practical insights. Kalle Palander, legendary Finnish alpine skier and the last Finnish World Cup winner in alpine skiing, shared insights on snow farming and adaptive practices – Snowsecure – that are shaping the future of resorts. Tuija Kalpala from Betolar highlighted low-carbon and waste-free materials that can reduce resort infrastructure emissions. Tommi Saarela, representing eSled, showcased the role of electrification in reducing noise and emissions in resort mobility. Other White Winters members attending the event included Liski, represented by CEO Diego Parigi, the exclusive FIS partner for sports and safety equipment.
Looking Ahead: tools, collaboration, next steps
Building on the momentum from Levi, White Winters continues to provide resorts with the resources and connections they need to act on climate and nature challenges.
The White Winters Assessment Tool, strengthened by AINS’ expertise, helps resorts measure their impacts, track improvements, and communicate progress transparently.
Meanwhile, our Solutions Platform connects resorts directly to experts and innovations, from energy optimisation to snow management and biodiversity solutions.
This year, we are also launching a White Paper with KPMG to map the needs, best practices, and insights from the world’s 25 leading resorts, guiding the next phase of industry-wide transformation.
The momentum carries forward with an exciting calendar of gatherings: Ruka White Winters in November 28, 2025, White Winters at the Olympic Games in February 2026, Financial Times White Winters x GB Snowsport in London in March 2026 and Metro Camp White Winters Slovakia in April 2026 in Poprad.
And, of course, we look forward to returning to Levi in November 2026, reconnecting with our community, celebrating progress and continuing our shared mission for a sustainable winter future.
Let’s keep the momentum going.
Winter is worth it.
Photo credit: Ski Sport Finland