Hans Nogler

An Italian, Austrian and German alpine skier, Hans, brother of Sophie Nogler, competed at the 1948 St. Moritz Winter Olympics in the downhill and combined representing Austria. Nogler was an early hero of Italian Alpine skiing, winning several national titles, in Italy, Austria, and Germany. His greatest win might have come at the 1951 Harriman Cup in the United States, when he defeated Italy’s Zeno Colò to win the combined title.

Nogler started competing at the national level in Italy in 1937 and later had to struggle with Fascist forced Italicization in the South Tyrol. For a time his family was required to change their name, and he took the name Hans Nano. For many years, it was not known that Hans Nogler and Hans Nano were the same athlete in skiing results. During World War II he was forced to move north to Innsbruck and he fought with the German Army, being wounded on the Russian Front.

After World War II, and his victory at the Harriman Cup, Nogler settled in Sun Valley, Idaho, where he worked as a skiing instructor. In 1956 he returned to Italy, living in Wolkenstein (Sëlva), where he opened the Sun Valley Hotel, which still exists as of 2020.