Killer Trips: Europe <br>St. Anton, Austria
Travel
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
IN THE EYES OF AN EXPAT
Transplant
Jeff Swanson
Job
Owner of Sport Jennewein, a ski shop
Time Done
20 years
Home Hill
Kissing Bridge, New York
Why St. Anton?
It was a low snow year, and there was a four-foot dump in the Alps. The trains were down, everything. I’d heard that St. Anton attracted people from all over, so I decided to come for the winter. I’ve been here ever since.
What’s the perfect day?
A lot of people go straight to the Valluga, the famous peak, but I’d go on Riffl 1 or Riffl 2 chairs to Rendl, another mountain on the other side of town. It’s where the locals go for powder. It’s only about 10 percent beginner piste, and it’s wide-open above tree line. There are steeps on the front and a five-mile-long bowl on the other side that puts you right back in the center of town.
Your favorite spots for food and grog?
Everyone goes to the Postkeller; it’s high energy with a dance floor. I really love the Platz’l Après, a small place with lots of local ski bums. Every time I go there, I see five people I know. It’s right next to the Funky Chicken, which always pumps out the house music for the Swedes and the snowboarders.
What’s the best time to go?
Definitely early March. It’s usually sunny and a bit warmer, so you can get powder skiing and spring skiing in the same trip.
Got any advice for Americans?
You’ll meet people from all over the world-Australia, Holland, Canada, New Zealand. I call it the Manhattan of the Alps, since everyone here seems to be young, single, and urban. It’s not a good place for the 50-and-over Deer Valley crowd.
What’s St. Anton’s claim to fame?
There’s nothing like the expanses in the Arlberg. I’ve been here for two decades, and I never run out of new lines to take. There are just no limits.
