Erich Windisch started skiing in his native Germany at the age of three and won his first race at age seven. For five years, he was a member of the German National Team in ski jumping and Nordic Combined, winning nine divisional and national championships. In 1949 Erich was instrumental in the evolution of ski jumping, changing the forward arm movement for balance, to a quiet aerodynamic position of arms alongside the body. This technique is still in use today. His best jump was 337 feet at Oberstdorf in 1950. Also, in 1950, he held the world record in water ski jumping.
Después de la guerra, él enseñó a esquiar a las tropas de montaña del tercer ejército de los E.E.U.U., para mas tarde convertirse en el director de la escuela de esquí en Schneefernerhaus en Zugspitze cerca de Garmisch.
Following the war, he taught the Mountain troops of the 3rd US Army, and later was Director of the Ski School at Schneefernerhaus on Zugspitze near Garmisch.
En 1957, Erich se trasladó a Colorado siendo nombrado co-director de la “Willy Schaeffler, Arapahoe Basin Ski School”. Durante ese tiempo introdujo la técnica de giros cortos por pivotamiento, mas conocida por todo el mundo como “wedel”, técnica que pronto fue adoptada por la asociación profesional de instructores de esquí norteamericana (PSIA), instauro los títulos de profesor en Europa en 1948 y creo en 1957 la “Rocky Mountain Ski Instructors Association”. En 1965, fue seleccionado como uno de los cinco demostradores del equipo de la “PSIA” que tomaría parte en el congreso mundial de “Intereski” que se celebro en Badgestein (Austria), así como en numerosas demostraciones por varias estaciones, impartió asimismo numerosos “clinics” a componentes de la PSIA.
In 1957, he moved to Colorado and became co-director of the Willy Schaeffler, Arapahoe Basin Ski School. While there he made an immediate impact by introducing the short-swing (wedel) technique that was soon adopted by the Professional Ski Instructors Association (PSIA). He became a fully certified ski instructor in Europe in 1948, and since 1957, in the Rocky Mountain Ski Instructors Association. In 1965, he was selected to represent PSIA as one of five demonstrators for the Interskie Congress in Badgestein, Austria, and continued on the PSIA demonstration team for several seasons. He also has run numerous clinics for different divisions of PSIA.
Erich ha sido profesor durante más de 50 años, formo parte del tribunal examinador de la “Rocky Mountain Ski Instructors Association” durante 20 años y tambien ejerció como vicepresidente. Durante todo ese tiempo Erich siguió participando en numerosas competiciones, ganando nueve títulos nacionales y 11 locales en “Rocky Mountain.”, hasta el momento de su fallecimiento fue supervisor de la “Vail/Beaver Creek Ski School” habiendo sido nombrado recientemente por el “Colorado Ski Country USA” como "instructor del año". Erich Windisch, falleció el 14 de Febero de 2007 a los 89 años de edad en Vail (Colorado) donde enseñó a esquiar durante 39 años .
Erich has been teaching for over 50 years, and was on the Rocky Mountain Ski Instructors Association examining board for 20 years, also serving as Certification Vice President. Erich still participates in Alpine Masters competition where he has won 9 National and 11 Rocky Mountain Championship titles. He was supervisor of the Vail/Beaver Creek Ski School, and recently honored by Colorado Ski Country USA, as the Ski Instructor of the Year. Windisch, who was 89 when he died Feb. 14 at Vail Valley Medical Center, helped thousands of students in a 39-year teaching career at Vail.
Fuente/Source:
www.vailtrail.com
