Stein Eriksen

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Utah ski legend Stein Eriksen dies at 88 in Park City
The Salt Lake Tribune

 

 

First Published Dec 27 2015 11:21PM • Updated 3 hours ago


( Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Stein Eriksen next to his statue at the base of Deer Valley in 2002. Eriksen died Sunday at 88.

Utah ski legend Stein Eriksen died Sunday at his home in Park City, surrounded by his family, Deer Valley Resort said in a statement. Eriksen was 88.
Known for decades for his impeccable style and panache on skis, Eriksen, competing for Norway, won the gold medal in giant slalom and the silver in slalom at the 1952 Winter Olympics in his hometown of Oslo. After winning three gold medals at the World Championships in Sweden in 1954, he immigrated to the United States, working in Colorado, Vermont, California and Michigan before helping to develop Park City Mountain Resort.

 

He then became director of skiing at Deer Valley, where he served in the role for more than 35 years. A five-star lodge at the resort is named in his honor.

 

"People kind of step aside when they see him coming. They don't do that with other people," longtime friend Jim Gaddis said in 2009, himself as a national champion racer for the University of Utah. "They'll say, 'There goes Stein.' People want to watch him. It's just amazing."

 

 

Considered a founder of modern skiing, Eriksen developed a forward somersault that is credited as the forerunner of the inverted aerials performed by freestyle skiers today, the resort said.

 

"Stein was an icon before he got here, so it raised perceptions of Park City by leaps and bounds," said Clark Parkinson, who was an instructor at Park City when Eriksen arrived. "He's done so much for Utah skiing I don't think you can put a value on it," Parkinson observed in 2009.
Eriksen said he was grateful for the continuing attention. "To be an Olympic and world champion has been a trademark for me," he said in 2009. "But the appreciation that the American people have for champions has enhanced that value in a way that made it possible for me to enjoy life without too much effort."

 

At 80, Eriksen was seriously injured in a 2007 collision with a young skier at the resort. But after rehabilitation, he was back skiing. In 2013, Eriksen was hospitalized for more than a week with what the resort described as "neurological symptoms."

 

Last month, Eriksen was honored at the World Ski Awards, singled out for his outstanding contributions to ski tourism.
The individual honor accompanied a second consecutive designation of Stein Eriksen Lodge as the "World's Best Ski Hotel" and a third straight selection of Deer Valley Resort as the "Best Ski Resort in the United States."

 

"The winners serve to define the standards of the ski industry," said World Ski Awards Managing Director Sion Rapson, "inspiring others to raise the guest experience and stimulate new demand."

 

Eriksen's "celebrity charisma created a special ambiance whether within the Lodge, our restaurant or out on the mountain, that was warm and inviting," said Dennis Suskind, president of Stein Eriksen Lodge, in the resort's statement. "He was a real friend and will be missed."
"Stein has been an integral part of the Deer Valley family since the resort's inception and his presence on the mountain will be profoundly missed," said Bob Wheaton, Deer Valley president and general manager. "His influence in the ski industry and at this resort was infinite and his legacy will always be a fundamental aspect of Deer Valley."

 

Eriksen is survived by his wife of 35 years, Francoise, son Bjorn, three daughters, Julianna, Ava and Anja and five grandchildren, the resort said in its statement. He was preceded in death by son Stein Jr.

 

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the Stein Eriksen Youth Sports Opportunity Endowment. A private memorial will be held for family, followed by a later celebration of Eriksen's life. Details of that event have not yet been released.

 

Πηγή: http://www.sltrib.com/home/3354276-155/utah-ski-legend-stein-eriksen-died

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Founder of modern skiing, legendary skier Stein Eriksen dies at 88 in Park City

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rip......κριμα!!!

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το ινδαλμα μου.και δεν κανω πλακα.

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Stein Eriksen, skier - obituary

 

Nordic skier whose fluid style made him a world champion

 

Stein Eriksen Photo: ©Deer Valley Resort

6:00PM GMT 30 Dec 2015

Stein Eriksen, who has died aged 88, was a Norwegian alpine ski champion noted for his distinctive and elegant style, who helped to pioneer modern freestyle skiing in America.

Skiing with his legs close together, Eriksen would swoop down a mountain in a fluid and graceful manner, swinging his hips and shoulders in an effortless rhythmic motion. During his heyday in the 1950s, “to ski like Stein” became the ambition of many a would-be champion. A former gymnast, Eriksen was one of the first skiers to adopt tricks and flips into his repertoire. Sporting his favourite Norwegian woollen pullover, and skiing on long, straight skis, he would amaze onlookers with his forward mid-air somersault, decades before such tricks were adopted and developed by “freestyle” skiers.

Eriksen competed in the 1948 Olympics in the Norwegian team with his brother; but while it was a proud moment for the Eriksen parents, the team’s performance was mortifying. Stein Eriksen had the best result with a 29th in the slalom. It was after this that he adopted a new “reverse shoulder” technique in which the shoulder nearest the slalom pole would lead into the turn. It became the hallmark of his style.

Stein Eriksen competing in the Winter Olympics at Oslo, 1952

His first appearance outside Europe was at the World Championships in Aspen, Colorado, in 1950. “I saw the downhill and thought: 'Wow, am I going to go down there?’ ” he recalled. He recorded the fastest time on the first heat and eventually took bronze.

At the 1952 Oslo Olympic Winter Games, he took the gold and silver medals in the giant slalom and slalom respectively, becoming the first gold medallist to hail from outside of the Alps. During the giant slalom descent he almost lost control when his skis went flying out to the right and his left fist hit the snow hard. But somehow he managed to bounce back to beat Italy’s Zeno Colò as well as Austria’s Toni Spiss, Christian Pravda and Othmar Schneider.

Two years later he went on to win three gold medals at the World Championships in Åre, Sweden, making him the first alpine skier to win the world championship “triple gold”.

Eriksen in later life

Stein Eriksen was born on December 11 1927 in Oslo. His future career was never in much doubt; the family lived near the Holmenkollen ski jump and his father, Marius, was an Olympic gymnast and noted Nordic ski competitor who produced his own make of skis. His mother, Bitten, organised the Oslo Ladies’ Slalom Club and was president of the women’s Norwegian Ski Association. His older brother, Marius Jnr, was also a ski racer. His father built a mini slalom course and ski jump in the back garden which was lit by candles at night, and as soon as the young Eriksen could walk he was on skis. He began competing aged seven and his parents enrolled him into gymnastics classes to build up his physique. The lessons were the foundation for his later aerial stunts.

During the war, Marius Jnr fled to Britain in a fishing boat to join the Royal Norwegian Air Force and as a result the family were evicted from their home by the Nazis. Slalom races were held illegally deep in the forests while gymnastics classes were held in private homes after the Germans took over school buildings. Yet it was during the war that the young Eriksen developed his signature forward roll.

In 1954 Eriksen emigrated to America, where he ran various ski schools and founded a hotel in Deer Valley Resort, Utah. In 2002 he served as an Olympic ambassador, 50 years after his own Olympic triumphs.

Eriksen is survived by his wife, Francoise, and by a son and three daughters. Another son predeceased him.

Stein Eriksen, born December 11 1927, died December 27 2015

Πηγή: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/12074608/Stein-Eriksen-skier-obituary.html