Show of the Week: School of Champions

This unique scripted series takes viewers high up into the stunning mountains of Austria, tracking a group of students as they navigate life at the country’s most prestigious ski academy.

While parts of the story unfold on the slopes, much of the drama takes place within the boarding school where the young athletes live, exploring how newfound friendships and romantic relationships fare against the constant pressure of having to win the next race.

The show has been a hit for coproduction partners Austria’s ORF, Germany’s BR and SRF in Switzerland, with three seasons already produced using the same cast. This continuity has helped to further engage viewers, says writer, Jakob Fischer.

“There are so many different relatable themes, especially for young people who are growing up or trying to find themselves”
Marie Theres Müller

“It’s literally a coming-of-age story because the actors are growing up with the series,” he explains. “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 that’s something you can really feel on the screen.”

Anna Thunhart, who plays student Steffi Strobl, adds that “themes like friendship, school life, maybe even first love and growing up” all feature across the show’s three seasons, while Emilia Warenski (Dani Strobl) says that the large cast ensures “a variety of personality traits and stories”, meaning “there’s something for everyone.”

While the first season explores how the young athletes fare against the high-pressure environment, the second delves further into the competitive world of downhill skiing and the coaches who play their own power games to secure success, with toxic training methods and manipulative behaviour turning the students against each other.

The third season starts with the potential closure of the school, which threatens not only the continuation of training but also the availability of starting spots in the next racing season.

Much of the show was shot on location in the Austrian Alps, providing a challenging environment at times. “We’re often in the mountains, so there’s not much light and limited hours to shoot, plus we’re working with young actors,” says writer Samuel Schultschik.

Mikka Forcher, who plays Luca Rossi, adds that there is also considerable character development across the series, adding to the show’s realism. “As the series goes on, my character really starts to change,” Forcher says. “He dives into the whole ‘Van Life’ thing, actually living on the mountain, which deepens his connection to skiing. This lifestyle helps him break free from old shackles and discover who he really is. It’s a real coming-of-age journey where he learns a lot about himself.”

And while the skiing action and stunning scenery will inevitably draw international audiences, the heart of the show lies in the developing relationships of the characters, with storylines that explore love and family dynamics, student politicisation and sexuality.

“The personal growth and development of the actors across the seasons is something you can really feel on the screen”
Jakob Fischer

“There are so many different relatable themes, especially for young people who are growing up or trying to find themselves,” says Marie Theres Müller, who plays Solenn Eden. David-Joel Oberholzer also points to his character, Bobby Harrer, as he faces up to dealing with his anger issues, underlining that his character’s storyline is “more about self-discovery.”

The relationships between characters fuel the show’s ongoing success across multiple seasons and there are surprises aplenty both on and off the slopes. “We have an entire episode set at a techno party,” says Fischer as an example. “It was great to experience that with the whole cast as a break from the snow.”

Providing an authentic story was also key, he adds, with considerable efforts made to ensure the cast and their doubles who complete the action scenes on the slopes are seen as one and the same.

“The doubles look similar to the actors and characters, and from season one we worked with the young actors on the small details, like how they put on their helmets or goggles,” Fischer says. “The magic only works if you truly believe it’s them going down the slopes.”