Toni Matt

Anton (Toni) Matt (November 21, 1919 – May 17, 1989)

Austrian-American ski pioneer, champion racer, 10th Mountain Division Veteran.

Matt was born in St. Anton, Austria. He came to North Conway, New Hampshire in 1938 after becoming Junior National Champion in the Austrian Alps. He was a protege of Hannes Schneider who became known as "The Father of American Skiing". Schneider's Austrians spread across America developing the ski industry post WWII.

Matt's most renowned feat came on April 16, 1939, when in the Third "American Inferno", a top-to-bottom race of Tuckerman Revine on Mount Washington, New Hampshire, he "schussed" (straight skiing) the steep and infamous Headwall. His time for the 4 mile race was 6 minutes 29.2 seconds, with an estimated top speed of over 90 MPH. cutting the existing course record in half.

Matt was the US Downhill Champion in 1939 and 1941, winning 30 Downhill races Nationally.

He served during World War II as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division. Matt was part of the August 1943 Aleutian Islands Kiska Invasion

Force of 34,000 plus Canadian and American troops. His 87th Regiment was the only major U.S. force specifically trained for mountain warfare.

By his service, Matt became a US Citizen.

Matt retired from ski racing in 1951 following a fractured leg. He recovered, and went on to direct ski schools at Big Mountain (founder) in Whitefish, MT,

Catamount Ski Area, Egremont, MA, and Whiteface Mountain, Lake Placid, NY, where he was a race official for the 1980 Olympic Alpine Events.

Lifelong friend and fellow Austrian, Herbert Schneider (son of Hannes Schneider), said that Matt was "an especially gifted ski instructor."

Lowell Thomas, famous broadcaster and ski enthusiast, called Matt "The Babe Ruth of Skiing".

Matt coached the US Men's ski team, 1949–50.

He was inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame in 1967.

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Wikipedia