In most cities, a waste-to-energy plant is something residents try not to notice. In Copenhagen, Denmark, it has become one of Europe’s most unlikely ski destinations. CopenHill is a ski slope situated on top of a power plant, which is set to host its annual freestyle competition in mid-June. Established in 2019, CopenHill is part of Copenhagen’s ambitious strategy to become the world’s first zero carbon city.
On June 13, CopenHill will once again host the Scandinavian Team Battle, a summer freestyle skiing competition that transforms the Danish capital into a one-day urban ski festival complete with rail jams, rooftop concerts, food stalls, and an afterparty overlooking the city skyline. The event, now one of the most recognizable urban ski competitions in Europe, takes place not in the mountains but on the sloped rooftop of Copenhagen’s Amager Bakke power plant — a building internationally known for combining industrial infrastructure with recreation and environmental design.
Opened in 2019, the facility was designed by Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group as a hybrid between critical infrastructure and public recreation space. The building functions primarily as a waste-to-energy plant that converts Copenhagen’s waste into electricity and district heating for tens of thousands of homes. But instead of hiding the industrial structure, architects turned its roof into a year-round outdoor activity center. The CopenHill waste-to-energy incinerator plays a massive role in the city’s climate goals. While Copenhagen fell short of achieving zero carbon by 2025, it is on track to achieve its goal by 2030.
Today, visitors can ski, snowboard, hike, climb, and run on the structure above the active power plant below.
“Who else is getting hyped for this year’s Scandinavian Team Battle?” CopenHill wrote in a social media post on May 18. “You can expect an absolutely insane day packed with some of the best skiers in the game, good music, food, competitions, giveaways, and a huge rooftop afterparty to top it all off.” The competition at CopenHill has been taking place since 2021 and last year’s event attracted more than 1,000 spectators. This year’s edition is expected to become the biggest one yet.
According to organizers, the competition will feature some of the top freestyle skiers in Scandinavia, including Swedish stars Jesper Tjäder and Emil Granbom, with additional athletes from Norway, Denmark, Finland, and France still to be announced.
“Six national teams, each consisting of two skiers, compete in a fast-paced team format. Each duo rides the course together, pushing the limits with creativity and technical tricks. Spectators can expect huge jumps, unique moments and insane runs from some of Europe’s strongest freeskiers.”
— CopenHill Press Release
The event begins at noon with an open qualifying competition that allows amateur skiers to compete for a place in the professional final later in the afternoon. Organizers say participation in the qualifier is free and anyone is welcome to enter.
Beyond the skiing, the day is designed more like a festival than a traditional sports event. Street food vendors, DJ sets, giveaways, sponsor activations, and a live rooftop concert will continue into the evening before a rooftop afterparty runs until 2 a.m.
Denmark is one of the flattest countries on earth with a maximum elevation of 171 meters (560 feet) at Møllehøj in the Ejerbjerge hills — excluding Greenland, which is technically part of the Kingdom of Denmark but is an autonomous territory. Despite the lack of significant natural skiing in Denmark, the country has a national participation rate in skiing and snowboarding of 12% (compared to 8% for USA). There are a handful of small ski hills, dry land slopes, and indoor ski centers in Denmark.
Because Denmark lacks significant natural mountains and reliable snowfall, CopenHill uses a synthetic ski surface manufactured by Italian company Neveplast. The material allows skiing and snowboarding throughout the year without natural snow, making the Scandinavian Team Battle one of the few high-profile freestyle ski competitions held entirely on artificial terrain in the middle of a major city.
The slope itself rises roughly 85 meters (280 feet) above the harbor and offers panoramic views across Copenhagen, including the city center, wind farms, and the Øresund Strait separating Denmark and Sweden.
What began as an architectural experiment has gradually become one of Copenhagen’s most recognizable tourist attractions and a symbol of the city’s attempt to combine sustainability, urban living, and recreation in unconventional ways. Thousands of spectators are expected to gather this June to watch freestyle skiers throw tricks on top of a functioning power plant in the middle of Copenhagen — a scene that would have sounded impossible just a decade ago.
