Creator and visionary of the Kalavrita Ski Center is Panos Polkas, who served Kalavrita as a Mayor for twenty years (1974 - 1990). His main concerns were the economic development in the region of Kalavrita as well as the containment of the population. Therefore, among other things, he promoted proposals to develop tourism. Because of this, the idea of the Ski Centre was born.

Moreover, Helmos Mountain has always been a popular destination for lovers of mountaineering and skiing. It should be noted that, at the time, this project was considered as impossible to be done and few believed that it would be able to work effectively.
Based on management standards abroad, he created the first public company in the country for the exploitation of the Ski Centre, which opened in 1988.

Since then, the economy has changed radically not only for Kalavrita but for the surrounding areas as well. There are new job openings in businesses and accommodation facilities, young people now have business incentives to stay at their homeland and the land gained surplus value. After Panos Polka’s death in 2002, the Kalavrita Ski Centre was named after him as a tribute to his work.