Padel on ice changes movement first
At the Red Bull Academy in Salzburg, the Coldest Court concept is easy to see: a padel court built on top of the ice rink. Luca Auer and Peter Hochkofler of EC Red Bull Salzburg face Philipp Krening and Veit Oswald of EHC Red Bull München while staying on their skates.
The padel on ice shown in the video is not a separate new discipline. The players use rackets, a ball, a net and the surrounding walls, but move on skates across the frozen surface. The biggest change is underfoot, with braking, recovery steps and balance at the net immediately altered.
The four hockey players are not picking up padel rackets for the first time. Salzburg’s official report says they play padel regularly and also use it in their training. The challenge is therefore less about learning the basics and more about adapting familiar skills to a surface that changes every movement.
The link between the two sports is concrete: quick reactions, anticipation, partner coordination and fast reading of trajectories. The video also points to the walls. In padel, the glass keeps rallies alive. In hockey, the boards can also redirect the puck.
Three challenges before the super tie-break
Before the match, the players go through three tests. The first combines a deep lob, bandeja and volley using the glass. The second borrows from hockey with a 360 spin before a finish into a mini goal. The third asks the players to hit the ball off the back glass and send it as far as possible.
The first two challenges end level. Salzburg wins the third and starts the final match with a 3-2 advantage. The format shows the difficulty of the surface clearly. Skates help the players cover ground quickly, but make braking, resetting and body control near the net far less familiar.
Delfi Brea urges caution as Salzburg wins 10-8
Before the super tie-break, Delfi Brea joins remotely. The FIP ranking dated 24 August 2026 lists her as joint world No. 1 on points with Gemma Triay. In these conditions, her advice starts with managing risk.
I would play safe, and not hurt your knees or maybe not fall.
Munich fights back to 8-8, but Auer and Hochkofler take the final two points. Salzburg wins the super tie-break 10-8. The official EC Red Bull Salzburg report confirms the home victory.
Premier Padel partnered with Red Bull on the project. Bullpadel supplied the rackets, Wilson the balls and the FIP the official referee. The most useful detail is that all four hockey players had already brought padel into their training. On ice, their reactions and coordination transfer well. Padel footwork does not.
