Eriksen is survived by his wife of 35 years, Francoise, son Bjorn, three daughters, Julianna, Avaand Anja and five grandchildren. I was sad to learn that he has passed, but glad that he had such a long life. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 1982, one of the many awards and accolades he received in his lifetime. Matt Schudel has been an obituary writer at The Washington Post since 2004. But it's my dream to come back. In this file photo, 1952 Olympian Stein Eriksen, then 81, was eager to take to the slopes again in his 38th winter in Utah. After winning three gold medals at the World Championships in Sweden in 1954, he immigrated to the United States, working in Colorado, Vermont, California and Michigan before helping to develop Park City Mountain Resort. He made turns look so easy and so elegant. My next 40 + years I did my best to look like you. Stein Eriksen, credited with helping to usher in modern skiing with his graceful style, died Sunday at the age of 88. Eriksen died at his home in Park City on Dec. 27. For most of us, even the great ones, skiing seemed to be a muscular, difficult thing, skiing writer Nicholas Howe wrote in 1990, recalling that he first saw Mr. Eriksen in action in 1953. His death was confirmed by Deer Valley Resort, where Eriksen served as director of skiing for more than 35 years. Skied with Stein, after he put on a visit skiing presentation with his famous ski flip. He will be missed by all of us that had the pleasure of knowing him. Stein Eriksen loved the Lodge, and it will forever be my mountain home. RIP. Eriksen, the Norwegian great who helped usher in modern skiing with his graceful style, died Sunday, Dec. 27. Eriksen was married to Gerrysue Eriksen then to Franoise and had five children: Julianna Eriksen, Ava, Stein Jr., Anja and Bjrn. In this file photo, 1952 Olympian Stein Eriksen, then 81, was eager to take to the, Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune He would often put his gymnastic skills on display, performing flips, aerials and tricks, to promote skiing and ski areas. Store norske leksikon), "Red Dog Reddish hired as Sun Valley mentor", Stein Eriksen, skiing pioneer, dies at 88 in Park City home, Olympic champions in alpine skiing men's giant slalom, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stein_Eriksen&oldid=1095303237, Alpine skiers at the 1948 Winter Olympics, Alpine skiers at the 1952 Winter Olympics, Sports-Reference template missing archive parameter, Articles using sports links with data from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 June 2022, at 16:08. Ski and Snowboard Assn., said in a statement that Eriksens legacy will live on in the ski racers of today and in the sport he loved so much.. To think, my whole life, he told the Deseret News in 2002, all Ive done is play around in the snow!. Christian Eriksen collapsed in the 43rd minute during Denmark's Euro 2021 opener with Finland. One word says it all, Stein. Stein was the first skier from outside the Alps to win an Olympic men's Alpine gold medal. Eriksen celebrated his 80th birthday December 2007 in Deer Valley. He was way too smooth for World Cup," Jansrud joked. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Stein Eriksen skiing at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, in 2005. . In the late 1960s, Mr. Eriksen came to Utah, where he helped transform Park City into a popular center for winter sports. God Bless and thank you for your great contribution to the sport. ", "The winners serve to define the standards of the ski industry," said World Ski Awards Managing Director Sion Rapson, "inspiring others to raise the guest experience and stimulate new demand. He could perform all sorts of stunts on skis, including somersaults an early prelude to the tricks in freestyle skiing. He didnt have to do it, but he smiled kindly, briefly put his arm around my shoulders for the photo and left me feeling very happy. "Stein was an icon before he got here, so it raised perceptions of Park City by leaps and bounds," said Clark Parkinson, who was an instructor at Park City when Eriksen arrived. His influence in the ski industry and at this resort was infinite and hislegacy will always be a fundamental aspect of Deer Valley. 1952 Olympian Stein Eriksen. "He was a real friend and will be missed.". The thrill of competition kept Eriksen on the racing circuit until he earned an unprecedented three gold medals at the 1954 F.I.S. He was 88. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Why on one occassion there were just two of us on the lift in mid-February I cannot explain. I grew up skiing at Boyne Mt Michigan. On one of these occasions, I had responded to a report of an injured skier in Ontario Bowl (a steep, double black diamond glade). We hope Heaven has powder days every day! Widely acknowledged at the time as the worlds greatest skier, Mr. Eriksen retired from competition in 1954. Then speedy defibrillation following his cardiac arrest ushered him back to the land of . Mr. Eriksen often spent summers in Montana, where he enjoyed fly-fishing. "At the hospital, they kept saying I'd receive more and more flowers. He died Sunday at his home in Park City, Utah. The midfielder's wife, Sabrina Kvist Jensen, was seen in tears and being consoled by Danish players after she rushed down to the pitch. [11] He died on 27 December 2015, sixteen days after his 88th birthday, in his Park City, Utah home.[12]. Stein, you had the grace on the slopes to make us all want to put our legs together like the old style and vadel down the Deer Valley corduroy. Ski legend Stein Eriksen at age 81 in his home in Park City in 2009. Photo He was 88. In 2018 on December 11Eriksen's birthdaythe former Utah Governor Mike Leavitt named the day Stein Eriksen Day. He was 88. He also won a silver medal in the slalom event. Named after Norwegian Olympic Gold Medal skier Stein Eriksen, the Lodge is known as a premiere year-round destination. From 1956to 1958, he was ski school director for Heavenly Valley, California, having previously served inthe same position at Boyne Mountain, Michigan from 1954 to 1956. Four days later, he added a silver medal in the slalom. He then climbed the ranks of ski instructors at Boyne Mountain in Michigan in 1954, eventually landing a management position before heeding the siren call to head west and retire from competitive skiing. His distraught teammates formed a circle around the Inter Milan ace, with some in tears. So sad. He had served as the Director of Skiing at Deer Valley for over 35 years, allowing his signature warmth, charisma, and appreciation for skiing to shape the resorts ethos and brand. He was director of skiing and a ski school instructor at Snowmass, Colo. He taught skiing at Sugarbush, Vermont. Tribune file photo | It's unclear what caused Eriksen to randomly collapse. Despite his near-death experience, free agent Eriksen has no intention of hanging up his boots. Eriksen died in December of 2015 at 88 years old. Stein Eriksen was born in Oslo, Norway in 1927. I asked him are you Stein Eriksen and he replied yes. 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He also won a silver medal in the slalom. In 1997, Eriksen was honored by the King of Norway. He nodded and we proceeded. I am Herb Riemenschneider. He was 88. Eriksen was holding the newest addiition to his family, Chloe, a Bishon Frise.Eriksen died Sunday at 88. With a solid Utah connection and an Olympic legacy, Stein forever shaped our sport. "It was weird because I didn't expect people to send flowers - because I died for five minutes. So stylish and graceful on the slopes, the Olympic champion helped usher in modern skiing. "His influence in the ski industry and at this resort was infinite and his legacy will always be a fundamental aspect of Deer Valley.". So stylish and graceful on the slopes -- he could even perform impressive tricks -- the Norwegian great helped usher in modern skiing. Photo by Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune A private memorial will be held for family, followed by a later celebration of Eriksen's life. History comes alive His somersaults were epic -- and a prelude to the tricks in freestyle skiing. I recognized him immediately. Check out the trailer for Die Hart 2: Die Harter, the series starring Kevin Hart, Nathalie Emmanuel, John Cena, Ben Schwartz, and Paula Pell. In 1981 Edgar Stern hired Eriksen on as the Director of Skiing while making moves to establish Deer Valley Resort. Then I made the mistake in mentioning that his Swedish hockey team was doing great in the winter Olympics.he just smiled at us. As an up-and-coming racer, Jansrud was once invited to Eriksen's house -- along with the rest of the Norwegian team -- and regaled with story after story. His piercing blue eyes and signature Norwegian sweater were as impressionable as his passion for skiing. Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune Christian Eriksen collapsed on the 43rd minute of the Euro opener game against Finland Credit: AFP. As one of the most recognized names in the ski world, Stein Eriksen has been synonymous with skiing style and elegance for more than 60 years. Colorado is and was a great state. Hes a legend, Norwegian World Cup racer Kjetil Jansrud said. Montreal Quebec Canada. Born in Oslo, Stein trained as a gymnast and skier, and became Norway's slalom His influence in the ski industry and at this resort was infinite, and his legacy will always be a fundamental aspect of Deer Valley, said Bob Wheaton, Deer Valleys president and general manager. All rights reserved. "It's a goal, it's a dream. He was loved by many here in MN. He rose to prominence at the 1952 Winter Olympics in his hometown when he captured gold in the giant slalom and silver in the slalom. longtime director of skiing at Deer Valley Resort, in, Leah Hogsten | 2001 Tribune file photo . Eriksen lived in the U.S. for the last six decades, holding one position after another at various ski resorts. In 1948, both brothers were members of Norways Olympic ski team. Mayor Jack Thomas and the Park City Council in the spring indicated 'Stein Eriksen Day' would be declared in December. Stein was phenomenaldefinitely the most stylish tail-roper Id ever had! Two years later, he won three gold medals at the world championships in Are, Sweden. Stein off the bowl wall, was pure ,and style. A crowd gathered at the entrance of Snow Park Lodge to honor Eriksen, with then-Gov. Photo by Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Its caused me to search my old photo albums where I found the photo he kindly allowed me to have taken with him at the base of a ski slope in the late 70s. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the Stein Eriksen Youth Sports Opportunity Endowment. The family had a tennis court at home, and Stein Eriksen competed in gymnastics and skiing from an early age. Although he was from Norway, Eriksen lived in the U.S. for the last six decades, holding one position after another at various ski resorts around the country. Details of that event have not yet been released. The Stein Eriksen Ballroom is the largest on-site venue and offers panoramic views of Deer Valley Resort's mountains. We first met Stein at Sugarbush, and really tried to use his comma position. Where gravity was concerned, Stein seemed to have choices not open to the rest of us.. "I guess that's why he went to the U.S. and got on the pro (tour). Locals' Knowledge By As an instructor, Mr. Eriksen was known for his disciplined approach and his engaging personality. When helmets became more and more prevalent, the folks at Deer Valley presented Eriksen with one that featured his hair painted on it. Powder People In 2001, Olympian and world champion skier Stein Eriksen and his wife, Francoise, posed next to the newly unveiled bronze statue of Eriksen titled "Come Ski With Me." 2015, at his home in Park City, Utah. Locals' Knowledge Eriksen rose to prominence at the 1952 Winter Olympics in his hometown of Oslo when he captured gold in the giant slalom and silver in the slalom. At the 1952 Oslo Games, Eriksen won the giant slalom by almost two seconds. City Hall at the time noted Eriksen's contributions to Park City's rise as a mountain resort. Wow. Stein, you are my biggest hero! Advertisement. He was director of skiing and a ski school instructor at Snowmass, Colorado. He was ski school director at Heavenly Valley. Eriksen said he was grateful for the continuing attention. As a show of respect, the torch outside the Deer Valley lodge bearing Eriksen's name was extinguished. [11] He died on 27 December 2015, sixteen days after his 88th birthday, in his Park City, Utah home. 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