Snow Volleyball Festival held in Östersund with Swedish Championships coming up soon

The beautiful city of Östersund, which lies at the very centre of Sweden and close to famous ski resorts such as Åre and Duved, is slowly but surely becoming the country’s Snow Volleyball hotspot. It did host the very first edition of the national championships in 2019 – and the local Volleyball club, together with the city, have shown much interest in developing the sport. After a break in 2021 due to the pandemic, the city returned to host a Snow Volleyball festival this past weekend, and the Swedish Championships will be taking place this coming Saturday, February 19.

Östersund Winter Park lies by and on Lake Storsjön. It is the perfect environment for the annual Snow Volleyball Festival. Organised by Östersund Volleyball Club, four courts were available together with a hotdog barbecue. The day started with heavy snow, but luckily enough the wind did not disrupt the action too much. During the day, the sun came out and accounted for perfect playing conditions – so action continued across all courts until sunset.

The matches featured, among others, mixed teams with experienced players and a number of persons just introduced to the sport. The players and spectators added energy with hotdogs from the grill and soft drinks. The Snow Volleyball Festival was a great success and will for sure be back!

This coming Saturday, the Swedish Championships will be taking place in Östersund downtown. Pool matches start in the morning, with six men’s and four women’s teams, with finals scheduled for 2 and 3 pm.

In 2022, Sweden will be the only NEVZA National Federation to deliver a Snow Volleyball national championship or tour. The pandemic and the resulting constraints still represent a major challenge for organisers and promoters alike.