“Discovering Lake Palas: Europe’s Best-Kept Slalom Secret”

Lake Palas is a lake located just 1 hour and 15 minutes from Milan, 45 minutes from Turin, and 10 minutes from Lake Viverone, surrounded by spectacular landscapes. It is a unique place, where coach Luca has been involved in the world of water skiing for over 25 years.

His story begins with his father, André Van de Pute, a Belgian migrant passionate about skiing. Seeking opportunities, he emigrated to Australia, and during a festival in Melbourne, he discovered something that would mark him forever: water skiing at its highest level, the famous Moomba Masters. Fascinated by what he saw, he returned to Belgium with a new passion.

From then on, André began spending his holidays at Lake Viverone in Italy, where he practiced water skiing with a group of friends. It was there that he met his wife, with whom he decided to permanently move to the area and start a family with their two sons, Matteo and Luca.

The three grew up skiing on Lake Viverone, competing all over Europe in the slalom discipline, representing their country and training with the best coaches in the world. Eventually, they opened their own ski school on the lake.

At the beginning of the 2010s, wakeboarding started gaining popularity, which created a challenge for slalom skiing due to the waves caused by the boats. In 2009, they discovered a piece of land less than 10 minutes from Lake Viverone: an old sand mine that, after being excavated, naturally filled with water. The place was ideal: protected from the wind, surrounded by nature, with mountain views and perfect conditions for a slalom course.

In 2011, they acquired the land and began a great transformation. They excavated islands, built a clubhouse, and with a lot of hard work created what I consider today to be one of the best lakes I have ever skied on.

Everything is meticulously cared for: the lake, the boats, the course, the accommodation, and the quality of the coaching.

Since then, Lake Palas has welcomed skiers from all over the world who come to train and enjoy its facilities, including a hotel on site.

In my experience, I’ve had the chance to meet amazing people united by their passion for this sport. Three tournaments have already been held at the lake, attracting world-class skiers such as Thomas Degasperi, Benjamin Stadelbauer, Carlo Allais, among others. They all achieved very high scores and agreed that Lake Palas is a world-class lake.

But Lake Palas is not just a ski school: it is a place to disconnect, enjoy the silence, be in touch with nature, and share with people from all over the world. Here you will find skiers of all levels, from those just learning to get out of the water to world medalists.

Currently, Luca has built a house on the lake and has two children, with whom he is creating the next generation of skiers. Personally, I have been working here during the summers for the last four seasons, and every year I look forward to returning. I know it is a place where I will always improve as a skier, thanks to the exceptional conditions it offers.

http://www.lakepalas.com

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