1. Johann "Hannes" Schneider was an Austrian ski instructor of the first half of the 20th century, famous for pioneering the Arlberg technique of instruction.
14 Facts About Hannes Schneider
1. 2.
Hannes Schneider's father was a road supervisor tasked with keeping the crucial Arlberg Pass open during the winter months.
3.
Hannes Schneider first observed skiing in 1900 when Viktor Sohm visited the town of Stuben.
4.
Legend has it that Hannes Schneider made his first pair of skis from an old barrel; in reality, he took measurements of Sohm's skis and had a local barrel maker craft him a pair.
5.
Hannes Schneider became more proficient on his skis and soon gained a reputation for his skills, winning many local races.
6.
Hannes Schneider was drafted into the Austrian Army in 1908, but was reassigned to the reserves after a few months.
7.
Hannes Schneider did serve as a ski instructor for the Austrian Army during the First World War, after which he returned to the Hotel Post.
8.
Hannes Schneider co-wrote a best-selling instructional book with Fanck, named Die Wunder des Schneeschuhs, which was translated into English as The Wonders of Skiing in 1931.
9.
Former students of Hannes Schneider include Otto Lang, Friedl Pfeifer, and Toni Matt.
10.
Hannes Schneider, was stripped of his ski school and imprisoned.
11.
In 1939 the President of Manufacturers Trust Company, negotiated the exoneration of Hannes Schneider and brought him to the US to re-open his ski school at his Cranmore Mountain in North Conway, New Hampshire.
12.
Hannes Schneider, recognized as the father of skiing, ran the ski school and the resort until his death in 1955.
13.
Hannes Schneider died in New Hampshire in 1955, at the age of 64.
14.
Hannes Schneider was posthumously inducted into the US Ski Hall of Fame in 1958.