Edi Scholdan was a figure skater

Figure skating

Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...

 and figure skating coach.

Scholdan was born in Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

 and, as a competitor, represented Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

 at the 1933 World Figure Skating Championships

World Figure Skating Championships

The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...

. However, he became better known as a coach; he worked at the Broadmoor Skating Club

Broadmoor Skating Club

The Broadmoor Skating Club is a figure skating club based in Colorado Springs, Colorado that has long been a major training center for the sport of figure skating. Founded in 1939, it was originally known as the Pikes Peak Skating Club, and was based in the Broadmoor World Arena on the grounds of...

 in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...

 beginning in 1945. His students included 1956 Olympic champion Hayes Alan Jenkins

Hayes Alan Jenkins

Hayes Alan Jenkins , an American figure skater, led men's skating for 4 years, 1953-56. He won four consecutive World Figure Skating Championships from 1953 to 1956. He also won the gold medal in the 1956 Winter Olympics, after placing 4th in the 1952 Winter Olympics. His brother David Jenkins...

 and his younger brother David Jenkins, who won his own Olympic title four years later. Other students included James Grogan

James Grogan

James Grogan was an American figure skater. He won the bronze medal at the 1952 Oslo Olympics. He won four silver medals at the United States Figure Skating Championships and at the World Figure Skating Championships...

 and Ina Bauer

Ina Bauer (figure skater)

Ina Bauer is a German retired competitive figure skater. She is the 1957-1959 German national champion. She twice placed fourth at the World Figure Skating Championships, once in 1958 and once in 1959...

.

In 1961, Scholdan and his 13-year-old son were among those killed in the crash of Sabena Flight 548

Sabena Flight 548

Sabena Flight 548, registration OO-SJB, was a Boeing 707 aircraft that crashed en route to Brussels, Belgium, from New York City on February 15, 1961, killing the entire United States Figure Skating team on its way to the 1961 World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia.The flight, which...

, which was carrying the entire US Figure Skating

United States Figure Skating Association

U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating on ice in the United States. It is recognized as such by the United States Olympic Committee "USOC" under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act and is the United States member of the International Skating...

 team to the 1961 World Figure Skating Championships

World Figure Skating Championships

The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...

. Scholdan was to have attended that event as the coach of Gregory Kelley

Gregory Kelley

Gregory Kelley was an American figure skater who competed in men's singles. He won the junior title at the United States Figure Skating Championships in 1959 and finished ninth at the 1960 World Figure Skating Championships after the top three U.S. skaters skipped the event. In 1961 he won the...

 and ladies' runner-up Stephanie Westerfeld

Stephanie Westerfeld

Stephanie "Steffi" Westerfeld was an American figure skater.She earned a place on the United States' world team for the 1961 World Figure Skating Championships after she finished second at 1961 U.S National Championships....

. He was 50 years old at the time of his death.

In Scholdan's honor, the Professional Skaters Association's annual awards are called "EDI awards". Scholdan was president of that organization from 1950 - 1954 and was inducted into the inaugural class of their Coaches Hall of Fame in 2001.