This award-winning film, a story told in two parts (two DVDs) - 1890-1940 & 1940- , that together are close to two hours, is about how Hannes Schneider became known as the “Father of Modern Alpine Skiing” by starting his famous ski school and ski shop in St. Anton, Austria in the early 1900s and then spreading awareness of alpine skiing throughout the world by starring in ski movies and developing his famous Arlberg technique. With the Nazi takeover of their beloved Austria, Hannes and many of his disciples fled to the Americas. Once in the Americas they taught thousands of people how to ski, and developed, managed, and improved many of America’s premiere ski resorts.
Although their numbers have dwindled, their legacy lives on, as evidenced by the Austrian chalet architecture at many an American ski resort, and the success of so many American ski racers trained by Austrians. This legacy serves as a testament to the tenacity, determination, entrepreneurial spirit and success of these Austrians, and above all an attitude that all things are possible, best exemplified by the grandfather and leader of all these pioneers – Hannes Schneider.
Hannes proved that all that was to be the ski industry was possible. He started his own successful ski school and ski shop in St. Anton, made ski movies and defined the Arlberg technique and spread awareness of both throughout the worldwide via his ski school and travel. And once in the United States he managed and improved a ski area - Mt. Cranmore in the Mount Washington Valley of New Hempishire. With Hannes’ example other Austro-American ski pioneers knew all was possible, and so they made it happen. Hence, Hannes’ and his successors’ accomplishments are what this story is about.
Buy 2 hr film (2 DVDs) - $38.95
Explains and shows how during World War II many top Austrian ski instructors and racers; such as: Sigi Engl, Luggi Foegger, Bill Klein, Toni Matt, Friedl Pfeifer, Herbert Schneider and Rupert and Werner von Trapp, were recruited to serve as ski and rock climbing trainers and leaders of the United States first division of mountain troops, the 10th Mountain Division, which trained at Camp Hale in the Colorado Rockies, and then served in the Aleutian Islands as well as in Italy. In Italy some of these Austrians fought alongside their American comrades against their German and Austrian compatriots. Much of this story is told by 10th Mountain veteran Herbert Schneider.
Explains and shows how and why two generations of Arlbergers, not only molded the Arlberg into the world capital of alpine skiing, in particular of ski instruction and technique, but also in the process greatly influence the development of American skiing. The film starts with Hannes Schneider, (late 1800s – 1950s and considered by many as the “Father of Modern Alpine Skiing”) and his self-proclaimed disciples; such as: Luggi Foeger, Franz Gabl, Friedl Pfeifer, Otto Lang, and Benno Rybizka, followed by Professor Kruckenhauser & his Ambassadors, like, Othmar Schneider and Herbert Jochum.
Explains and shows how the top austrian racer, coach, and ski school director Friedl Pfeifer, with the help of the Americans Walter Paepcke and Dick Durrance, developed Aspen into a world class ski resort. While serving as a trainer in the 10th Mountain Division, the United States’ first division of mountain troops, which trained at nearby Camp Hale, Pfeifer visited the then run-down mining town and nascent ski area of Aspen. He saw potential in the surrounding mountains, which reminded him of his home-town of St. Anton, Austria, and so promised the townspeople of Aspen that if he survived the war he would return to build Aspen into a world-class ski resort. After suffering near fatal wounds in the mountains of Italy he returned to Aspen and realized his vision. Story includes interview with Friedl Pfeifer.
Explains and shows how the concept of running gates (introduced by the Ski Club Kandahar’s Brithish leader Sir Arnold Lunn, in part through his connection and friendship with Hannes Schneider, and by association the Ski Club Arlberg), became a widely accepted and watched sport throughout Austria in the early 1920, when such races as the infamous Arlberg-Kandahar and Hannenkamm were established, and later in the Americas, where the first offically recognized downhill competition was held in 1927 on Mt. Moosilauke in New Hampshire.
Explains and shows how and why Austrians played an instrumental role in developing the Franconia area into a destination ski resort. First at Peckett’s on Sugar Hill, a high society resort hotel of the 1920s and 30s, they led the hotel’s ski school – the first resort ski school in the Americas; and, later they ran and staffed the ski schools of nearby Mittersill and Cannon Mountain ski areas. Mittersill was developed in the 1940s by the Austrian Baron Hubert von Pantz, who was the first in the Americas to pioneer real estate development, in the form of an Austrian alpine style hotel and chalets, as part of ski area development. Meanwhile, Cannon Mt. became a New Hampshire state entity, site of the Americas first tramway and the Franconia Ski Club, as well as home to the Austrian-Swiss duo of Paula and Paul Valar, who for years ran and developed the Mittersill and Cannon Mtn ski schools. Otto Lang, one of the Austrian instructors at Peckett’s, and Paul Valar, former Cannon Mtn. ski school director, as well as a founder and the first technical director of the Professional Ski Instructors of America, help tell this Franconia story.
Explains and shows how and why Austrians played an instrumental role in developing the Franconia/Sugar Hill area into a destination ski resort. First at Peckett’s on Sugar Hill, a high society resort hotel of the 1920s and 30s, they led the hotel’s ski school – the first resort ski school in the Americas; and, later they ran and staffed the ski schools of nearby Mittersill and Cannon Mountain ski areas. Mittersill was developed in the 1940s by the Austrian Baron Hubert von Pantz, who was the first in the Americas to pioneer real estate development, in the form of an Austrian alpine style hotel and chalets, as part of ski area development. Meanwhile, Cannon Mt. became a New Hampshire state entity, site of the Americas first tramway and the Franconia Ski Club, as well as home to the Austrian-Swiss duo of Paula and Paul Valar, who for years ran and developed the Mittersill and Cannon Mtn ski schools. Otto Lang, one of the Austrian instructors at Peckett’s, and Paul Valar, former Cannon Mtn. ski school director, as well as a founder and the first technical director of the Professional Ski Instructors of America, help tell this Franconia/Sugar Hill story.
Explains and shows why and how in the late 1800s and early 1900s Mathias Zdarsky, followed by Hannes Schneider, who is considered by many as the “Father of Modern Alpine Skiing”, molded and started the legacy of Austria as the world capital of alpine skiing, in particular of ski instruction, technique, and racing... a legacy that continues to this day.
Explains and shows how and why this town developed into a world famous ski resort area, via the establishment of the famous Hahnenkamm races and the Kitzbuehel Ski Club, and how during the 1950s and 1960s became home to some of the world’s best racers, i.e. Christian Pravda, Ernst Hinterseer, Hias Leitner, Anderl Molterer, and Toni Sailer, all of whom enjoyed considerable success in Austria as well as in the Americas.
Explains and shows how and why in the 1930s-1960s this area of New Hampshire became home to numerous ski areas and ski events that featured some of Austria’s best, world-renown ski instructors and racers. Benno Rybizka was the first to arrive. He worked first as ski school director at Black Mountain in Jackson, N.H., and soon thereafter at nearby ski area of Mt. Cranmore in North Conway, developed by the successful banker Harvey Dow Gibson. Rybizka was then joined by Toni Matt, who performed the unforgettable feat of schussing the Tuckerman Ravine Headwall, and soon thereafter by Hannes Schneider, their mentor from St. Anton, Austria, along with his son Herbert. In Austria Hannes had become a ski god, due to his status as ski film movie star, originator of the world renowned Arlberg ski technique, and director of the world famous St. Anton ski school. In the Americas, where he fled to escape Nazi occupied Austria, Hannes made North Conway his home as he successfully worked along with his son Herbert to make Mt. Cranmore a destination ski resort. For all he accomplished he is widely acclaimed as the “Father of Alpine Skiing”. Much of this segment is told by Hannes’ son and long-time Mt. Cranmore director, Herbert Schneider.
Explains and shows why and how in 1936 in the American Northwest Otto Lang not only starred in the film Ski Flight and wrote Downhill Skiing, which together did much to raise awareness and level of alpine skiing in the Americas, but also inaugurated the first American Hannes Schneider franchise in the American Northwest on Mt. Rainier in Washington State. Within two years, Otto would open two additional Hannes Schneider ski schools in the Northwest, one on 
Explains and shows how Stowe, Vermont became “The Ski Capital of the East” under the leadership of the Austrian Sepp Ruschp on Mt. Mansfield (1930s-1960s), and Johannes von Trapp at the Trapp Family Lodge (1970s - ). Sepp Ruschp, with the financial backing of AIG founder and owner C.V. Starr, led the development of the downhill ski area, which included his ski school that featured many top Austrian skiers, while Johannes created the first cross-country ski resort in the Americas. This story is told primarily by Johannes von Trapp, originally well known as member of Trapp Family Singers, but now better known as the owner and head of the Trapp Family Lodge.
Explains and shows how under the leadership of Sepp Ruschp (1930s-1960s), and his prominent Austrian ski instructor recruits, Mt. Mansfield in Stowe, Vermont became “The Ski Capital of the East”. This story is told in part by Johannes von Trapp, youngest of the famous Trapp Family Singers, who resided in Stowe and knew Sepp and his Austrian ski instructor recruits, and Othmar Schneider, the Austrian Olympic Champion, who for years graced the slopes of 
Explains and shows how Sun Valley, one of the Americas’ first grand ski destinations, built to resemble a European ski resort and site of the world’s first chairlift, attracted Hollywood glamour in part by featuring a world-renowned ski school led and staffed for years by top-flight Austrian skiers; such as: Hans Hauser, Friedl Pfeifer, Otto Lang, Sigi Engl, Sepp Froehlich, Konrad Staudinger and Hans Muehlegger. This story, which includes the internment of some of the Austrian Sun Valley instructors during World War II, is told in part by Friedl Pfeifer, Otto Lang, and Konrad Staudinger, as well as Bill Lash, a former Sun Valley resident, and founder and first president of the Professional Ski Instructors of American Association.
Explains and shows how in the late 1930s the well known Austrian racer Hannes Schroll, along with the help of the area’s first ski school director - the Austrian Bill Klein, convinced well heeled celebrities and families, such as Walt Disney, and the Hills of the Great Northern Railway fortune, to invest in the development of the Sugar Bowl just above Donner Pass, not far from Lake Tahoe and within driving and train range of San Francisco, and Reno. Thereafter for a number of decades the Sugar Bowl was the premier Californian ski resort as its many top-flight Austrian ski instructors, racers and coaches attracted many a skier while creating a sterling reputation for skiing excellence and Austrian style après-ski conviviality. This segment is told in part by Bill Klein, long time Sugar Bowl ski school director and ski shop owner in both the Sugar Bowl and San Francisco, and Ernst Hager, former Sugar Bowl instructor and later U.S. Women's Ski Team Coach.
The singing legacy of the Trapp Family Singers, who favored Austrian independence from Germany and thus opted to flee the Nazi takeover of their country, is well known and documented; however, what is less known is that upon immigrating to the United States the family created a significant skiing legacy. The two older brothers, Rupert and Werner, served in the 10th Mountain Division, America’s first division of mountain troops, while later the younger brother, Johannes, created the first cross-country ski resort in the Americas, alongside the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont. That the Trapp Family Lodge cross-country center is still in operation today is a testament to the success of Johannes',and the 
Explains and shows how the 1936-37 winter sport season opened in America with the 1936 Winter Sport Shows at New York's Madison Square Garden and the Boston Garden, which together attracted over 200,000 spectators. The shows promoted 
