Erwin Stricker

Erwin Stricker, born in Austria, relocated to South Tyrol, his parent’s home country, at the age of five and became a member of the Italian national ski team in 1969. He achieved excellent results in all disciplines and got the nickname “Cavallo Pazzo” (Crazy Horse) due to his aggressive style of skiing. During his career, which ended in 1979, he developed several technical innovations for skiing, like curved ski poles and an aerodynamic helmet. Later on he was active as a businessman in several fields, running a business renting skis and bicycles, initiating winter fairs, and helping to popularize skiing in China and Russia. Shortly after his 60th birthday and his last trip to China he died from cancer.