"Friedl" (The Story of Legendary Skiing Pioneer Friedl Pfeifer

The Story of Legendary Skiing Pioneer, Friedl Pfeifer

• Won the prestigious Grand Prix de Paris, Gross Glockner and Arlberg-Kandahar Championships
• Emigrated to the US from his native Austria to escape conscription by the Nazis
• Joined the 10th Mountain Division during WWII, earned 2 Purple Hearts, lost a lung and nearly died on the battlefield
• Founded Aspen Ski Corporation in 1945, and subsequently Aspen Ski School and Aspen Buttermilk Resort
• Coached the US Women’s Ski Team at the 1950 FIS World Championships in Aspen and the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy
• Established the first professional ski racing circuit in America, creating the head-to-head dual slalom racing format
• Was inducted into numerous halls of fame including the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in 1980
• Retired to his modest ranch in the Mission Valley, Montana