Austria: Ice-Stock Team Cup

Ice-Stock Team Cup, Austria

Context

In Austria’s Alpine regions, Eisstockschießen (ice stock sport) is a widely practiced social sport, often described as a cousin of curling but with its own vocabulary, gear, and cadence, and participation varies by province and town. Teams slide weighted “stocks” toward a small target called the Daube, playing short “ends” known as Kehren. The sport is traditionally played on ice in winter and, crucially for workplaces, on asphalt in summer, where it’s simply called Stocksport. That year‑round adaptability helps explain why clubs are common in Alpine provinces and why the sport can function well as an employee ritual in those contexts. * *

Austria sits at the competitive core of the sport alongside traditions in Bavaria, South Tyrol, and Switzerland, and clubs are also growing in North America, with some term and role variation across regions. The International Federation of Icestocksport selected Styria (Kapfenberg and nearby Stanz) to host the 15th Icestock World Championships from February 25 to March 9, 2025, underlining the region’s status as a global hub for the game. Organizers expected 420 athletes from 27 nations and up to 30,000 spectators across events. * Styria also stages the long‑running Styria‑Cup in Kapfenberg, a prestigious invitational within the sport. *

Culturally, Eisstockschießen is both structured and welcoming. Each side appoints a Moar (captain) who gives tactical direction; a standard match comprises six Kehren; and footwear with good traction is recommended for safety: details that make it easy to codify as a repeatable team ritual. * *

Meet the Company/Cultural Tradition

In Mürzzuschlag and Hönigsberg, Styria, voestalpine Böhler Bleche, a plant within voestalpine’s high‑performance metals portfolio, rolls premium stainless and specialty plates for sectors from aerospace to chemical processing, exporting to more than 50 countries. The site’s modernized facilities include a duo rolling mill and heat‑treatment lines that signal a long‑term commitment to the region. *

Every winter the plant’s works councils (for wage and salaried staff) run a beloved tradition: the Betriebsrats‑Eisschießen, an internal ice‑stock tournament, consistent with their employee‑representation role under the Austrian Works Constitution Act (Arbeitsverfassungsgesetz) to foster inclusion and community. It has longevity (29th edition in late January 2023, 30th in February 2024, and 31st in January 2025) and scale, with 23–28 “Moarschaften” (teams) and roughly 200–270 colleagues taking part. Matches take place on community lanes across Hönigsberg and Langenwang at local ESV and Stocksportverein facilities as listed in the works‑council notices, culminating in a prize‑giving and the handover of a Wanderpokal (challenge trophy). Recent champions include the “TPA ICE‑Cracks” (2023 and 2025) and the plant’s own Betriebsfeuerwehr (works fire brigade) in 2024. * * *

The ritual is deeply local and legible to newcomers. The event literature and local coverage adopt stocksport terms (Moar, Moarschaft, Kehre), the venues are run by area icestock clubs, and the trophy ceremony is a recurring social marker in the plant’s calendar. It is a living example of aligning team‑building with Austrian culture rather than importing a generic corporate game. * *

The Ritual

Stage	What Happens	Purpose
0–15 min	Arrival at local lanes; gear hand‑out; safety brief (traction footwear, lane etiquette)	Shared baseline; reduce risk and uncertainty for first‑timers *
15–30 min	Team draw and captaincy: each side names a Moar; quick demo of aiming at the Daube	Role clarity; quick skills onboarding *
30–120 min	Round‑robin matches (standard 6 Kehren per game); friendly officiating and measuring	Fast cycles of cooperation and feedback *
120–150 min	Semi‑finals and final; spectators cheer colleagues between ends	Collective identity and recognition
150–165 min	Results verified; group photo; Wanderpokal awarded; small prize raffle	Closure ritual; story to retell next season *

Note: At Böhler Bleche, the works‑council tournament rotates across nearby club lanes in Hönigsberg and Langenwang, reinforcing ties with local sports associations. *

Why It Works

The tournament succeeds because it is culturally authentic and low‑barrier. Stocksport is an Alpine pastime played by many age groups; in Austria the discipline is common in many Alpine towns and at seasonal events such as Christmas markets and municipal rinks, though uptake is lower in some urban areas like Vienna where alternatives such as kegeln or company Fußball are more typical. That familiarity lowers anxiety for novices and increases opt‑in. *

The format also encodes light leadership practice. The Moar role (team captain) makes tactical calls and sets the line for each shot: an accessible arena for employees to practice directing peers without hierarchy. *

Short, repeated action builds cohesion. Team‑sport research reports small‑to‑moderate improvements in cohesion associated with shared movement and quick feedback loops, and these dynamics can support trust and prosocial behavior at work without assuming a specific biochemical mechanism.

Finally, it aligns with a regional narrative. With the 2025 Icestock Worlds in Styria and Austria’s recent European team title, the activity taps a live source of pride that spills over into workplace storytelling. * *

Outcomes & Impact

Participation and continuity are striking. Böhler Bleche’s works‑council event has reached at least 31 editions (1990s origin), with 23–28 teams and roughly 200–270 colleagues taking part in recent years, large enough to mix shifts and functions. * * *

Health and morale linkages are also evident. Meta‑analyses show that workplace physical‑activity programs and sport‑team interventions can improve fitness and are associated with small‑to‑moderate gains in cohesion, mechanisms that, when embedded in rituals like stocksport, support well‑being and social glue at work. *

Lastly, the ritual has community resonance. Hosting and playing in a sport where the region stages elite events (Styria‑Cup, 2025 Worlds) strengthens a company’s local ties and employer narrative: employees see their pastime mirrored on a bigger stage. * *

Lessons for Global Team Leaders

Principle	Why It Matters	How to Translate
Anchor in a local sport	Authenticity boosts participation	Pick a culturally rooted game (e.g., icestock in Austria) with explicit credit and benefit‑sharing with host clubs, and, where icestock is not accessible, choose a local, secular low‑risk alternative rather than a generic activity
Make roles visible	Micro‑leadership reps build confidence	Let teams appoint a captain (Moar) to call shots each match *
Keep cycles short	Fast rounds sustain energy and inclusion	Use 6‑Kehren games and round‑robins so many play often *
Safety first	A simple precaution keeps the ritual welcoming	Require good‑grip footwear, an alcohol‑free policy during play, a named first‑aid lead and incident process, and a quick etiquette and safety brief with accessibility accommodations *
Build external bridges	Networks sustain the ritual	Partner with and compensate local clubs or business‑sport bodies, rent lanes and source gear through them, and credit the origin and hosting club in all materials *
Year‑round continuity	Repetition beats off‑sites	Switch to asphalt “Stocksport” lanes outside winter to keep cadence alive, or select a different local, inclusive low‑risk activity where surfaces, clubs, or liability thresholds make icestock unsuitable *

Implementation Playbook

Find a local icestock club or municipal lane and book enough lanes for 60–90 minutes, capping groups at 4–6 players per lane (max 8) with ≤12 participants per lane across rotations; assign owner/facilitator/comms/data leads and estimate an all‑in cost per participant (time x loaded cost + lane/gear fees).
Publish a one‑page rules and communications primer: Daube target, 6 Kehren per match, captain (Moar) responsibilities, basic etiquette, voluntary opt‑in and equivalent alternatives, working‑time/pay and insurance confirmation, and a simple complaints/feedback channel. * *
Provide equipment, traction aids, and adaptive options (lighter stocks, ramps); pair first‑timers with experienced players for the first round and offer multiple time slots across shifts with transport or childcare support where needed. *
Run a round‑robin into a short knockout within 60–90 minutes; keep games moving with clear time caps per Kehre, conduct a surface‑condition check with weather thresholds, and assign a neutral facilitator plus a named first‑aid lead with an incident‑reporting process. *
Create a Wanderpokal and a simple prize draw to reward participation, not just winning, and publish an alcohol‑free policy during play with parity non‑alcoholic options at awards. *
Capture a team photo and short recap for the intranet only with explicit consent and a 90‑day retention for raw photos, use captions with date/place/club, event edition, and photographer/club credit, avoid staged Tracht/costume, and collect anonymous feedback plus pre/post pulse measures (belonging, cross‑team trust, positive affect) at T‑1 week, T+48h, and T+30d.
Consider a summer asphalt edition to maintain rhythm when ice is unavailable, and set pilot parameters with must‑keep elements (Moar role, 6 Kehren, safety brief), success thresholds (≥70% opt‑in; +0.3/5 belonging; −15% handoff defects per shift), and stop rules (<40% opt‑in or negative safety pulse) across 6–8 weeks with 2–3 sessions per team. *

Common Pitfalls

Treating it like curling: rules and pacing differ; keep to stocksport norms for flow and fairness. *
Over‑engineering: too many rules talks or long matches sap energy.
Ignoring accessibility: without a safety brief, grippy footwear guidance, adaptive gear, alternative non‑playing roles, and an explicit opt‑out without penalty, novices and some employees will opt out. *

Reflection & Call to Action

Böhler Bleche’s winter ice‑stock cup shows how a company can turn a regional pastime into a unifying ritual, with shared concentration, friendly rivalry, and a story that returns every year with the Wanderpokal. If you lead in Austria, you don’t need a new idea; you need a locally loved one. Start with a clinic at a neighborhood club, name a captain, play six Kehren, and let the culture do the rest. Within a month, many colleagues who barely knew each other may share a shorthand for trust: “Meet you at the Daube.”