Friedl (Whitefish)

The story of Austrian ski champion Friedl Pfeifer, 3-time winner of both the Grand Prix de Paris and the Gross Glockner Championships, 2-time winner in the International Races at Sestriere, Italy and the U.S. National Slalom title, and in 1936 the combined downhill and slalom champion in the Arlberg-Kandahar.

 

During WWII Friedl served in the 10th Mountain Division as a ski instructor, then fighting the Germans in Italy, he was seriously wounded, losing a lung.

 

During the incendiary expansion of post-war skiing in America, Friedl founded Aspen Skiing Corporation in December, 1945, and subsequently Buttermilk at Aspen and the Aspen Ski School which he headed from 1946 until the mid-1960's. As a ski coach, Friedl directed the American Women’s team in the F.I.S. Championships at Aspen and at the Winter Olympics in Cortina d’ Ampezzo. In 1960 he established the first professional ski racering circuit in America, which he directed until 1966. During that period Friedl created the head-to-head dual slalom racing format. which is still used today on the FIS World Cup Tour and on several professional tours.