Skiing with proper downhill racers is a real eye opener for sure !

I used to race a bit but was never into DH, but I was “reasonably good”

I had the good fortune to ski a fair few times with Uli Spieß, as he was a good friend of my boss in Mayrhofen.

(EX World Cup DH winner a Val D’isere and the first person to jump the “camel bumps” at Val Gardena)

Seeing him ski the Ahornabfahrt was just incredible ! He was long retired from racing, but was still incredible to see the sheer power and control on the ex Mayrhofen World Cup Downhill run.
Straight lining almost everything, top to bottom. Something like 6KM and 1300m vertical drop.

He’s one of the only people I ever saw beat the cable car (run leaves from top station and arrives at the bottom station)
The others were also DH racers, but about half his age !

I skied a few times with Peter Habeler too, who was also an incredible skier to watch, even though his background was mountaineering.

Happy days !

Wow, I remember Spiess clearing the camel bumps!! His mum used to run the ski school didnt she? My first ski lessons were on the Ahorn and they took us down that black (I think) down to the village in our first few days – scary!!

Double wow with Habeler – some tales to tell I am sure. I bet he was still really fit!! Seemed a bit more level that Messner but never sure what Nanga Parbat did to him?

Happy days indeed!!

Skiing with proper downhill racers is a real eye opener for sure !

Skiing with a paralympic level sit-skier is even more of an eye opener! Scary fast!

I skied a few times with Peter Habeler

[Jaw hits floor]

Wow! He’s totally awesome (almost as awesome a mountaineer as Messner). You are one lucky dude.

Uli ran the main ski school and Ricki (his mum, and former Olympian !) ran the Kinder side of the school
Such a nice guy, awesome family too.

When I first went to Mayrhofen I was 18 and Peter Habeler was a big hero of mine. So to find myself a few years later in a circle of friends which would regularly see me having a few drinks with him or skiing with him was surreal to say the least.
And yes, he’s as fit as a butchers dog still, and he must be almost 70 now I would think.
Proper legendary mountain man.

I think we need an seperate thread for those of us of (more advanced?) years to reminisce nostalgically!!

Ulli Spiess
Messner and Habeler
Whillans and Brown (on the other thread)
Konrad (another Val Gardena link!)
203 atomic arcs or blizzard firebirds!!!

I was young when I went to M’hofen and Ulli was still racing – his pictures were all over the place. From that holiday onwards I always wanted a red jumper with bands around the arm and a pair of atomics or blizzards. I used to draw the snow baskets with the Austrian emblem on my books at school. They were really cool!!

I think we need an seperate thread for those of us of (more advanced?) years to reminisce nostalgically!!

I agree !

(But I’m 40 , that’s not all that “advanced” in years is it 😉 )