Hannes Schneider (1890-1955)

 

The son of a local cheese-maker, Hannes Schneider was born in the tiny village of Stuben, near St Anton. As an adult he developed the famous 'Arlberg technique' that became the globally accepted method of ski instruction and established him as the founder of the modern-day ski school. Many people credit him with turning skiing into an acceessible sport, rather than just a means of transport in difficult weather conditions.  The Skischule Arlberg, established by Schneider in 1921, is still prominent in St Anton (the instructors are easy to spot on the mountain in their blue and yellow uniforms).

 

Schneider left Austria after Hitler's occupation of the country, and moved to the States where he continued to teach and influence skiing techniques across the world. He died there at the age of 65.

 

It's well worth visiting the Ski Museum for more information about Schneider and his wide-ranging influence. The Albona mountain restaurant in Stuben also has more detail about his life and works.