Winter Trail to Nature: where skiing meets sustainability – and fun

Winter Trail to Nature is a card game where snow sports and sustainability go hand in hand. Developed by Susanna Sieff, FIS Sustainability Director, in collaboration with World Cup alpine skier and illustrator Elena Curtoni (ITA), the game takes a playful approach to raising environmental awareness. As a learning tool, players are presented with questions about nature and sustainability on the slopes, along with challenges that encourage direct engagement with the environment. The goal is to inspire greater environmental awareness, spark meaningful conversations, and connect the winter sports community with sustainable practices. 

The game was first tested in Zurich during the Autumn Technical Committees by participants attending the sustainability update. A few days ago, it made its Italian debut in Milan at the FISI Media Day, where some athletes from the Italian national team tried their hand at the deck. This event also provided the backdrop for an insightful double interview between Elena and Susanna.  

From ski slopes to sketch pads 

Athletic and artistic, Elena's skills extend far beyond racing down a black diamond. She began drawing at a young age, a passion that has grown alongside her professional skiing career. “I remember the first thing I illustrated and thinking, ‘maybe this is my path,’” she recalls. That path eventually intersected with sustainability when she joined forces with FIS to bring Winter Trail to Nature to life. 

When asked about her visual approach, Elena explains how the characters on the cards reflect her experiences on the snow and in nature.

Balancing both skiing and illustration can be challenging, but for Elena, the two passions complement each other. Her time spent on the slopes and in nature often inspires her creative work.

The spark behind the game 

For FIS, the idea for Winter Trail to Nature grew from a desire to make sustainability accessible and fun. “We wanted to move beyond technical explanations and create something engaging, a tool that sparks curiosity while players laugh and compete,” Susanna says. Working with an athlete as a creative partner brought a unique perspective that was used to refine the game, combining Elena's firsthand skiing experience with her skills in imaginative visual storytelling. 

Beyond the game, Susanna reflects on the broader impact athletes can have in promoting environmental and social responsibility.

Playing the game 

Winter Trail to Nature is designed for all ages and skill levels. If it were a ski slope, both Elena and Susanna agree it would be a playful blue run with unexpected twists. Here’s how the game works: players answer questions focused on nature and sustainability in snow sports. Wrong answers may result in a lighthearted “penalty,”, from performing a silly push-up to admitting their biggest carbon-footprint sin. The aim is to enrich learning through gamification. By immersing players visually, Elena hopes individuals will remember the cards and their messages long after the game ends. For Susanna, the initiative is about seeing fans, athletes, and organizers interact with the deck during events. “It’s about creating moments that blend laughter, learning, and action,” she says. 

Looking ahead, both Elena and Susanna see Winter Trail to Nature traveling beyond skiing and snowboarding, reaching other sports and communities with its playful and educational message.  In one word, the two describe the card game as ‘engaging,’ a simple yet powerful quality that is key to rallying support for a more sustainable snow sports industry. 

Winter Trail to Nature serves as a platform for dialogue, creativity, and awareness, showing that winter sports can be a conduit for environmental stewardship - without losing an ounce of fun.