Hannes Schneider

Johann "Hannes" Schneider (June 24, 1890 – April 26, 1955) was an Austrian Ski instructor of the first half of the twentieth century.

Hannes Schneider
Hannes Schneider in Japan in 1930
Born	Johann Schneider (1890-06-24)June 24, 1890 Stuben am Arlberg, Austria
Died	April 26, 1955(1955-04-26) (aged 64) North Conway, New Hampshire
Occupation	ski school instructor/director
Known for	Arlberg Technique, St. Anton ski school
Awards	Inducted US Ski Hall of Fame (1958)

He was born in the town of Stuben am Arlberg in Austria as a son of a farmer who also kept a few cows that provided fresh milk for local cheesemakers. His father was also a road supervisor tasked with keeping the crucial Arlberg Pass open during the winter months. It was his father's hopes that Hannes would becomes a cheesemaker.

He first observed skiing in 1900 when Viktor Sohm.[1] visited his town of Stuben. Legend has it that 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 of skis. Sohm took Schneider under his wings during his winter visits to the Arlberg region. Schneider became more proficient on his skis and soon gained a reputation for his skills, winning many local races.

In 1907, he was offered a spot as an apprentice cheesemaker, much to the delight of his parents. However an offer to teach skiing at a hotel in Les Avant, Switzerland opened his families eyes to the possibility that one could make a living skiing. The hotel had a vibrant summer business. but few visitors in the winter.

Word of the offer spread throughout the towns of his region and he was offered a similar arrangement at the Hotel Post in St Anton am Arlberg. Karl Schuler, owner of the Hotel Post knew this was an opportunity to position St Anton as a major ski resort for the growing sport.

While at St Anton, Schneider developed the basics of ski instruction known as the Hannes Schneider Arlberg Ski Technique and Method of Teaching" or simply the Arlberg Technique. This is still used today as foundation of teaching alpine skiing. Many of the early pioneers of alpine skiing passed through Schneider's school as instructors, including Luiggi Foger, Rudi Matt, Benno Rybizka and Otto Lang who went on to open ski schools in the USA at Mt Rainer, Mt. Hood and Mt Baker and ran the Sun Valley Ski School for many years.

Schneider was drafted into the Austrian Army in 1908, but was reassigned to the Reserves after a few months when the town fathers of St Anton claimed that his ski school had become crucial in the Arlberg region. Schneider did serve as a ski instructor for the Austrian army during the First World War,[2] he returned to the Hotel Post. In 1920 he appeared in a documentary film based on the Arlberg technique;[3] he formed a semi-independent ski school where by 1924 he had formalized his method of instruction. In 1928 he helped organize the international Arlberg-Kandahar alpine race at St. Anton.

In the inter war period he also appeared in several more of Dr. Arnold Fanck's ski films. The White Ecstasy, which helped make skiing popular, was filmed at the Arlberg in the winter of 1930/1931. He also co-wrote a best-selling instruction book (with Fanck), named Die Wunder des Schneeschuhs which became translated to English as The Wonders of Skiing in 1931. Former students of Hannes Schneider include Otto Lang, Friedl Pfeifer, and Toni Matt .

In 1939 he moved his operations to Cranmore Mountain Ski Resort in North Conway, New Hampshire. He had run into trouble with Nazi policies and even spent time in jail after the Anschluss. During the Second World War he helped train the 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Army in which his son Herbert served. Hannes became a member of the US Ski Hall of Fame in 1958.[4]

The New England Ski Museum hosts the Hannes Schneider Meister Skiing Cup in his memory every March at Cranmore Mountain resort. During 2005 the New England Ski Museum featured an exhibit on the life of Hannes Schneider and his impact on the sport of skiing.