Skiing is the goal. Movement is the foundation.
Ski Loko is not a one-off ski course. A child grows with us in the club all year round: in the gym, on skates, on a bike, while running, climbing and doing gymnastics, and then on snow. They build sporting habits, and after completing training at Ski Loko they gain a broad foundation to succeed in any sport! And it is not just about sport. Skiing is tough: it teaches children to overcome challenges, weather and discipline. They gain friends for life, even beyond the usual school environment.
We want children to learn to ski well technically. But we do not want to turn children into machines or one-sided athletes. We build a broad movement base, confidence in different situations, fitness, coordination and a positive relationship with movement. When winter comes, we transfer this foundation into skiing. Children in our club are mentally and physically more resilient.
Loko in one sentence: We teach children to ski well by first teaching them to move well. Play, variety, technique, a team, and gradually greater independence.
SKI Lokomotíva in brief
- 50+ years of Bratislava skiing tradition
- Hundreds of children have passed through the club during its history
- All year in motion, not just a few days on snow
- One team children, coaches, parents and shared experiences
Who is Loko for
Little skiers
Children who are already discovering skiing and need plenty of play, movement, simple tasks and a good crew.
Children who want to progress
We gradually add technique, more challenging terrain, gates, races, and greater responsibility for their own skiing.
Teens
For older children, we provide space to stay active in a separate group and continue club life into the teenage years.
Current 2026/27: we are accepting new children born in 2021 and older, and there is also a separate Teens group for children born in 2013. See current recruitment →
How we train
A skier needs much more than just knowing how to press on the edge of a ski. That is why we change the environment and type of load throughout the year. Each activity has a different role, but together they form one training process.
- Gym: strength, explosiveness, coordination, agility, balance, obstacle courses, relays, and games.
- Inline: balance, gliding, footwork, changing direction, rhythm, braking, and confidence in movement.
- Running and biking: fitness, endurance, hill work, terrain navigation, and moving outdoors.
- Gymnastics and climbing: full-body coordination, spatial awareness, stability, strength, and the courage to try new movements.
- Snow: technique, free skiing, different terrain and snow, drills, gates, and appropriate race situations.
- Play: is not a break from learning. For children, it is often one of the best ways to naturally repeat movement. At the same time, it serves as mental rest and recovery.
Current training schedule
During the 2026/27 season, the venues alternate depending on the period: the gym on Drieňová, Park Jama, Lamač hall, Kamzík/Koliba, Železná studnička, and the Spot climbing center. You can find the exact times and current program on the page Training →.
Versatility is not just our club tradition. All modern models of long-term development for young skiers place a strong emphasis in childhood on play, basic movement skills, and a variety of environments.
For us, skiing does not begin with the first snow. General sports training is part of the club all year round.
On snow
Technique? Yes. Gates? Yes. But skiing itself is a broader chapter than the course between gates. As they get older, freeride and ski mountaineering eventually attract the children. Our chases across Tatra resorts and gullies are legendary… On snow, children develop basic and later more advanced technique, learn to work with speed, turn shape, balance, and terrain. Gates are an important part of alpine skiing, but not the only one.
Free skiing, varied slopes, bumps, changes in snow, simple games and tasks are just as important. A child should learn to respond to the mountain, not just memorize one movement.
We see races as an experience: the start, concentration, the course, emotions, fair comparison, and the ability to cope when something does not go well. The result may be pleasing, but it is not the only measure of a good day on snow. During the season we usually take part in races at Austrian resorts where we are currently training. We also try the Bratislava Ski Series, and we are not averse to the Slovak Cup either. (the children especially love skicross)
Trainings and trips
A full season includes about 30-35 days on snow in Austrian resorts + several days of racing. The biggest progress often does not come from one training session, but from days spent together. A training camp gives a child more movement, more repetitions, and above all time to function with the group outside the usual routine. We require children to take part in at least ten days on snow before Christmas. A stay of around 20 days on snow already makes a difference, and over time the child becomes a full-fledged skier.
Spring, summer, autumn
Dryland training, cycling, running, courses, games, and shared activities. The Tatras, Biela Skala, Skalka pri Kremnici, but also the annual Danube river trip in the Hungarian town of Szob. Children love trips, and we love making them more varied. Depending on the season, via ferratas, climbing, outings, river trips, and other activities may appear. Not as filler in the program, but as a shared club experience.
Winter
Winter camps last three to five days. In the 2026/27 season, Schnalstal, Wurzeralm, Lackenhof, and Hinterstoder are planned. We will spend New Year's Eve together at Wurzeralm.
See the current season and dates →
What we want to teach children
- Movement versatility: to run, jump, balance, skate, climb, ride a bike, and transfer these experiences to snow.
- Independence: to take care of their things, listen to instructions, make decisions, and take responsibility appropriate to their age.
- Resilience: to keep going after a mistake and try again. To cope with unpleasant things, weather, frost, and snow.
- Team spirit: to help someone younger, wait for the group, support a friend, and know how to function with others.
- Joy in sport: performance and fun do not exclude each other.
- Good skiing: more technically confident, adaptable, and safe skiing in different situations.
Club life
Children should not remember only training times. If you go through years of the club’s Facebook posts, one thing stands out most: Loko is a crew. A crew that celebrates successes together, but also helps you get through the inevitable falls. Medals and falls. Serious training and absurd drills, snow training camps and summer adventures.
- Kamzík and Koliba: uphill runs, obstacles, the Skiers’ Forest Run, games, and a place the club has had a historically strong connection to.
- Mountains: a glacier at the start of the season, Austria during winter, freeride skiing, gates, and shared life outside Bratislava.
- Adventure: Skalka, via ferratas, bikes, rafting trips, or excursions.
- Humor: training can be challenging and fun at the same time. That is Ski Loko.
People
Ing. Igor Plávka — club chairman
Long-time coach. He started coaching already in the 80.s. Today he is an icon of the club and enjoys training with the children. Every day, despite his age, he moves, swims, does pull-ups, push-ups, and runs.
JUDr. Andrea Plávková — head coach
She organizes the club’s operations, training plan, and practical communication around the season. She is one of the main faces of Loko’s day-to-day functioning.
Mgr. Jarmila Janková — club secretary
She has long handled administration, back office, and the organization of winter trips and training camps.
The training team is complemented by other coaches and active athletes depending on the type of training. The club has long made use of experience not only from skiing, but also from gymnastics, climbing, and other sports.
For parents
What you can expect from Loko:
- A year-round system. Not random weather-based training, but a progressive program in different environments.
- A group appropriate for age and abilities. The difficulty is adapted to the children, not the other way around.
- Lots of movement. Training should be mainly about moving, not standing in line and listening to long lectures.
- A gradual move toward independence. The coach leads, the parent supports, and the child learns to function on their own.
- Races without a cult of results. Results make us happy, but a long-term relationship with sport is more important than one standings table.
- A community. Many club events have historically worked thanks to parents who help and create the atmosphere around the children.
History
Loko is not a new project. It is a continuation of a long Bratislava ski tradition. The club has been working with skiers for more than 50 years. Several historical sources connect the ski section of TJ Lokomotíva Bratislava directly with the development of skiing on Bratislava’s Kamzík in the 60. years and also in Bratislava’s Rača at the beginning of the 80s in the 20. century.
60. years
Enthusiasts from the ski section of TJ Lokomotíva Bratislava took part in building new slopes and ski infrastructure on Kamzík — including the new slalom meadow, the expansion of the practice meadow, and the lifts. Next to the new slalom slope, jump ramps were built. On the new slalom slope there was originally an anchor lift, the remains of which are still visible there today, and beneath it the iconic Kamzík 1000+ Vertical route is run. About Kamzík’s history: Bratislava News – Ski jumping once took place on Kamzík
In the 60s, legendary events also began, which the club Ski Loko took on organizing. In 1962, the race Dry Slalom and a year later Forest Run of Skiers. Both races are still held today at Bratislava’s Koliba.
80. years
In the 80s, the club raised a large number of promising Bratislava skiers who took part in international races. An iconic part of training in this period were summer camps at Zbojnícka chata in the High Tatras. During July, club members used to bring ski equipment and slalom gates here (and, according to witnesses, even a portable lift) so they would not miss snow training. In the Tatra valleys, skiing replaced glaciers, which were out of our reach.
2000
The lifts owned by the club in Bratislava’s Rača began to fall into disrepair in the 90s. (equipment, the chalet, etc. gradually disappeared) club members founded the civic association Ski Lokomotíva Bratislava. The club trained in Slovakia at Ski Krahule, Turecká, Králiky, Skalka pri Kremnici, and gradually moved for several years to Chopok South, where a new era began. On Chopok, many great skiers grew up once again. Ski Lokomotíva organized Regional League races here. In 2016 at Chopok – Krupová, 116 children from five clubs started.
Today
For the past 10 years, Ski Lokomotíva has been training in Austrian resorts. The focus stays the same: children, skiing, and movement. Training options change, new sports, halls, and trips are added, but the club’s idea remains generational. More information about the current camps can be found under the section dedicated to the current season and camp plan.
Want to find out whether Loko is right for your child?
The best way is to see the club in action. Come to a training session, watch how the group works, and talk to the coaches. In a few minutes, you’ll learn more than from ten paragraphs on the website.