Lives

FIS XC official

John D. Lindstrom
Passing Date: November 5, 2018

John Douglas Lindstrom, 84, longtime U.S. cross country representative to FIS, died November 5, 2018 in a tractor accident on his farm in Bonsall, California. Lindstrom was raised on a dairy farm in Braham, Minnesota, and earned a BS in agriculture at the University of Minnesota in 1957. He then...

Hunter Mountain ski school director

Karl Plattner
Passing Date: October 28, 2018

Karl Plattner, the Austrian ski racer who became long-time chief of the Hunter Mountain ski school, died  Oct. 28 at age 91. A native of Innsbruck, Plattner competed for the Austrian National Ski Team before emigrating to North America in 1954. After teaching stints at Mt. Tremblant and Boyne...

Hero of World War II heavy-water raid

Joachim Rønneberg
Passing Date: October 21, 2018

Joachim Holmboe Rønneberg, the leader and last surviving member of a 1943 mission that destroyed the heavy-water production facility in Vemork, Norway, died October 21 at age 99. At age 20, Rønneberg was serving in the Norwegian army when, in April 1940, the country was overrun and occupied by Nazi...

Skiwear executive

Steve Crisafulli
Passing Date: October 18, 2018

Stephen W. Crisafulli, whose colorful career spanned management of the Profile, Slalom, Bogner and Marmot brands, died October 18 at age 78. Crisafulli grew up in New York’s Long Island suburbs and earned a BA at Dartmouth College in 1961 and an MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business in 1962. He...

Racer, coach, Rossignol exec, baker

Gérard Rubaud
Passing Date: October 8, 2018

Gérard Rubaud, the artisanal baker who helped steer Rossignol to a dominant position in ski racing and in the North American ski market, died October 8 following a long illness. He was 77 years old. Born in Aix-les-Bains in Savoie, Rubaud dropped out of school at age 16 to ski full time. He took an...

10th Mountain Division veteran

Joe Crimmer
Passing Date: September 13, 2018

10th Mountain Division veteran Joseph Paul Crimmer, of Whitesboro, New York, passed away September 13, weeks short of his 98th birthday. Crimmer grew up in Utica, New York and enlisted in the 87th Mountain Regiment. He served in the Aleutian invasion and earned a Bronze Star during the Italian...

Swiss journalist, Olympic official

Karl Erb
Passing Date: September 5, 2018

Karl Erb, the leading sports commentator on Swiss television for two decades, died September 5 at age 92. Erb grew up in Zurich and began writing about sports for a variety of newspapers beginning in 1946. He covered Formula 1 racing, soccer and equestrian events, but became best known for...

Wolf Creek Pass pioneer

Charles Elliott
Passing Date: August 19, 2018

Charles Elliott, who helped to launch skiing at Wolf Creek Pass, died August 19 at age 104. Elliott grew up in the San Luis Valley and taught himself to ski, on homemade boards, at age 21, hiking up Wolf Creek Pass in 1934. With the help of four separate ski clubs on both sides of the pass – in San...

Aspen ski instructor, architect, lodge builder

Charlie Paterson
Passing Date: August 8, 2018

Charles G. Paterson, whose varied career made him an Aspen institution, died August 8, 2018 at age 89. The son of Jewish parents, Stefan and Eva Schanzer of Vienna, Karl Georg Schanzer grew up skiing and hiking in the Vienna Woods. After the 1938 Anschluss, Eva committed suicide. Stefan Schanzer...

Nordic official, Vail pioneer, retailer

Dick Bohr
Passing Date: August 5, 2018

Richard H. Bohr, who set up Vail’s original financial systems and, as a successful ski shop entrepreneur, helped to found one of the first buying groups, died August 5 following a brief illness. He was 97 years old. Dick grew up in Boston, skiing cross country on the neighboring golf course. He...