Hannes Schneider
| Hannes Schneider | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Johann Schneider June 24, 1890 Stuben am Arlberg, Austria |
| Died | April 26, 1955 (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) |
Johann "Hannes" Schneider (* June 24, 1890; † April 26, 1955) was an Austrian Ski instructor of the first half of the twentieth century.
He was born in the town of Stuben am Arlberg in Austria as a son of a cheese maker.
He first observed skiing in 1900, and in 1903 obtained an authentic pair of skis and some instruction from Viktor Sohm. In 1907 he became a ski guide at the Hotel Post in St. Anton, Austria where he began work on what became known as the Arlberg technique. After serving as a ski instructor for the Austrian army during the First World War, he returned to the Hotel Post. In 1920 he appeared in a documentary film based on the Arlberg technique; 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. Der weiße Rausch, 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.
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