School of Champions: “Come for the Skiing, Stay for the People”

The ORF Original coming-of-age drama School of Champions is back with a third season, continuing to chronicle the lives of the students at a prestigious ski academy as they grapple with friendships, romance, ambition and the pressures of growing up, alongside fierce competition to fulfill their dreams of dominating the professional ski world. In the new season, a potential closure of the school looms over everyone as they continue their training and compete for the starting spots in the next racing season.

We had the chance to discuss the series, its characters and its appeal with members of the cast and crew.

Established as an Austrian-German-Swiss co-production, School of Champions takes place at an Austrian ski school, but it holds attraction for international audiences. Cast member Marie Theres Müller, who stars as student Solenn, says, “My friends enjoy that it feels more international, which might not be expected at first glance. It’s fresh and new, with new faces.”

Though competitive skiing is a central part of the series, School of Champions features plenty of universally relatable themes, “like friendship, school life, first loves and growing up,” explains Anna Thunhart, who stars as student Steffi. “These aspects are really important and are portrayed so well in the series.”

In fact, “you come for the skiing, you stay for the people,” emphasizes showrunner and writer Samuel Schultschik.

Having an ensemble cast allows the series to tackle many different storylines and dig deep into issues that today’s teens may face. “With the variety of personality traits and stories, there’s something for everyone,” says Emilia Warenski, who plays another student, Dani.

The characters learn more about themselves in every season as they are forced to make decisions about their futures with regard to professional skiing and their personal lives, Imre Lichtenberger, who plays student Nikki, notes.

Season three sees life changes for many of the students. Warenski’s character Dani faces increasing conflict with her best friend Solenn as their rivalry grows. Their friendship is continually tested throughout the season as the competition between them intensifies. Moritz Uhl’s character, Georg, meanwhile, discovers that he likes men and must figure out how to handle the opinions of others. David-Joel Oberholzer’s Bobby learns techniques to manage his aggression issues, and Mikka Forcher’s character Luca embraces “van life” and lives on the mountain to deepen his connection with the sport.

One of the series’ biggest strengths is its dedication to authenticity, according to Oberholzer. “It takes a really realistic approach to the whole concept,” he says. “If you really want to know what it’s like for pro athletes and how they are developed, it’s quite interesting.”

“It really tries to portray the people behind the sports glory you see on TV or online when an athlete wins,” Uhl explains. “There’s so much behind it, including many who didn’t make it, got injured or just couldn’t handle it mentally. The show aims to convey that there are so many more at the start, and it’s incredibly hard to reach the top. It highlights the real people behind these athletes; [they’re] not just machines winning gold for their country.”

The show also portrays “how different people reach their goals differently,” says Warenski. “Or maybe they’re not reaching them and they have to reset. That’s something that’s very universal to everyone.”

“In addition to that, it’s about dealing with defeat,” adds Oberholzer. “Everyone talks about winning, especially since it’s called School of Champions, but we’re losing all the time,” and the characters must learn how to cope with their failures.

Plus, “for people who are not native to Germany, Switzerland or Austria, it’s a cool thing to dive in and see how people live in the mountains,” Oberholzer says.

Part of what gives School of Champions authenticity is that it is “literally a coming-of-age story because the actors are growing up with the series,” notes writer Jakob Fischer. “Besides the obvious physical changes, there’s also personal growth and development as actors that you can see each season. They find their own style, and I think that’s something you can really feel on the screen.”

In the process of making the hit series, many of the cast members brought their own personal experiences to their roles as well. “I quit competitive climbing last autumn due to injuries, a lack of motivation and because it didn’t really align with acting,” explains Warenski. “So, I know how it feels to give up one dream to pursue another. You usually have to choose one dream, and that’s what I did. I can really bring that experience into the series, showing that you have to sacrifice other things to achieve the goals you want.”

Attention was paid to the smallest of details to ensure the skiing was authentic, too. Doubles were used for the actual skiing scenes, and the actors were taught how to put on their helmets and goggles like a professional would. “The magic only works if you truly believe it’s them going down the slopes,” Fischer says.

Though they do their best to make the skiing seem as real as possible, Schultschik reiterates that “skiing drives the story, but it’s not the reason people stick with it.” The real magic comes from the characters and their personal journeys.

For any buyers looking for a piece of the magic, ORF-Enterprise has all three seasons on offer now.