Oliver Kern runs SkiResort.info, the largest ski resort test portal in the world, which details more than 6,000 ski areas worldwide. He’s also a man that spends a lot of his life visiting ski areas around the world, recently skiing his 1,000th ski area. In the process he has collected more than 25,000 ski passes and just to keep things interesting, has set eight world records for his endurance feats on skis.
ITS> Where did you first ski, who with and when?
OK> I stood on skis for the first time at the age of three. I think I really started skiing properly when I was about five. We have friends in the Ötztal, which is how I ended up skiing in Hochoetz. At first, I didn’t like it at all and even wanted to quit after I fell off a chairlift. But I gave it another try—and then I started to enjoy it.
ITS> When did you realise you were hooked?
OK> That was relatively late. I got my driver’s license in November when I was 18, and then I went to a different glacier in Austria every weekend. And then, in the winter, I visited many other ski resorts in the Alps and the U.S. From then on, I was hooked.
ITS> Ever tried snowboarding?
OK> Yes, about an hour, and then I went back to skiing and never got back on a snowboard again.
ITS> You have set a number of remarkable skiing world records. What do you enjoy most about setting them and do you have a favourite?
OK> I love the thrill of trying something new and the physical challenge. What I enjoyed most were the 101 different ski lifts and the 22 different 8-person chairlifts. The hardest part was covering the most vertical meters in the indoor ski area nonstop for 24 hours.
ITS> You have skied at more than 1,000 ski areas, that’s believed to be more than anyone ever. Can you choose a favourite?!
OK> I’ve currently visited 1,015 ski resorts. It’s very hard to pick a favourite. It always depends on what you’re in the mood for. In Austria, I love the cosy huts and the Jagatee; in Canada and the US, the hot outdoor hot tubs; and in Scandinavia, the vast landscapes…
ITS> Which ski area was number 1,000 and did you do anything special to celebrate?
OK> umber 1000 was the SNØ indoor ski area in Oslo at the end of a ski trip in Norway. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much time, so I didn’t really celebrate it.
ITS> Your SkiResort.info site details more ski resorts than any other, over 6,000 around the world. When did you get the idea to create it and did you plan for it to be the biggest from the start or did that just happen?
OK> I started Skiresort.de in 1998 as a way to enjoy skiing and as a hobby. I enjoyed collecting ski passes and exploring ski resorts. I never planned for it to become the largest platform. It just kept growing, and users loved it. The English version, Skiresort.info, was launched in 2010. We currently also offer Dutch, French, and Italian versions. Starting in the 2026–2027 winter season, there will also be Polish and Czech versions. Additional languages are in the works.
ITS> You have built up a collection of more than 25,000 lift passes. Do you have a plan to create a museum for them?
OK> Not right now—the ski passes are in the folders and the duplicates are in a big box. We’ll see what the future brings.
ITS> With more lift passes now on our phones do you think the era of the physical card will end any time soon?
OK> Yes, unfortunately. I always return the ski passes with a deposit too, because otherwise you’d go broke if you kept them all. Wherever possible, I always ask if I can get a ski pass without a deposit. But I suppose that’ll become less and less common in the future.
ITS> According to SkiResort.info it seems there are maybe 5,000 more ski areas you are yet to ski! Where next?
OK> There are still many ski resorts to discover. The goal, of course, is always to visit large ski areas. I’m still missing a few in the French Alps. Likewise, there are some more exotic ski resorts in Eastern Europe and Asia to explore. Japan also really appeals to me.