Stein Eriksen
Encyclopedia
Stein Eriksen (born 11 December 1927) is a former alpine ski racer
and Olympic
gold medalist.
, Norway. His parents were Marius Eriksen
(1886-1950) and Birgit Heien (1900-1996). Stein's father, Marius Eriksen competed in the 1912 Olympic Games as a gymnast
. His brother, Marius Eriksen, Jr.
, was an alpine skier and during World War II
became a fighter ace in the Royal Norwegian Air Force
. Stein Eriksen was the best slalom skier in Norway Championship in 1949 and took bronze in the slalom in the World 1950.
, which were held in Oslo
, Norway
. He also won a silver medal in the slalom
race. Eriksen was the first skier from outside the Alps
to win an Olympic men's alpine
gold medal. He also won three gold medals at the 1954 World Championships
in Åre
, Sweden
, and a bronze medal at the 1950 World Championships
in Aspen, Colorado
.
Some of his other accomplishments include the fact that he is credited with devising "aerials", a freestyle skiing event, and he helped revolutionize the world of alpine skiing, especially in America, where he has served as a ski instructor at many different ski schools. At Sugarbush, each Sunday afternoon, combining his gymnast background and his skiing, Stein would demonstrate a flip on skis. For his Olympic medals, Eriksen earned the Holmenkollen medal
in 1952 (Shared with Torbjørn Falkanger
, Heikki Hasu
, and Nils Karlsson
).
It is said that Eriksen was skiing's "first superstar", since he was handsome, stylish, and charismatic. Despite his fame, he maintained a very down-to-Earth personality. For example, he is quoted as saying, "Be tough, be confident. But you will never be a whole and happy person if you aren't humble".
in Vermont, and Aspen
in Colorado. He is currently director of skiing at the Deer Valley Resort in Utah, and also serves as host of the Stein Eriksen Lodge, a ski lodge in Deer Valley, Utah (the Lodge was named in honor of Eriksen, but is not owned by him). Stein is married to Francoise and has five children, Ava, Stein Jr., Julianna, Anja and Bjorn. He currently calls both Utah and Montana
home.
In 1997, Eriksen was honored by the King of Norway
. He was knighted with the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit for his contribution to Norway, the highest honor that the Norwegian government can give to people living outside Norway.
On 15 December 2007, Stein Eriksen celebrated his 80th birthday in Deer Valley.
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
and Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medalist.
Background
Stein Eriksen was born in OsloOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway. His parents were Marius Eriksen
Marius Eriksen
Emil Marius Eriksen was a Norwegian gymnast who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Barbu, Norway and died in Oslo. He was the father of Marius Eriksen, Jr...
(1886-1950) and Birgit Heien (1900-1996). Stein's father, Marius Eriksen competed in the 1912 Olympic Games as a gymnast
Gymnast
Gymnasts are people who participate in the sports of either artistic gymnastics, trampolining, or rhythmic gymnastics.See gymnasium for the origin of the word gymnast from gymnastikos.-Female artistic:Australia...
. His brother, Marius Eriksen, Jr.
Marius Eriksen, Jr.
Marius Eriksen was a Norwegian skier, fighter pilot, model and actor.Marius Eriksen was born on 8 September 1922 in Kristiania in Norway. His father, also called Marius Eriksen was a gymnast who competed for Norway at the 1912 Summer Olympics. His mother was Birgit Eriksen...
, was an alpine skier and during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
became a fighter ace in the Royal Norwegian Air Force
Royal Norwegian Air Force
The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF...
. Stein Eriksen was the best slalom skier in Norway Championship in 1949 and took bronze in the slalom in the World 1950.
Sports career
Eriksen won the gold medal in the Giant Slalom event at the 1952 Winter OlympicsAlpine skiing at the 1952 Winter Olympics
At the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway, the six alpine skiing events were held from Thursday, February 14 to Wednesday, February 20, 1952.The giant slalom made its Olympic debut, and the combined event was dropped as an Olympic medal event for four decades, until 1988...
, which were held in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. He also won a silver medal in the slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
race. Eriksen was the first skier from outside the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
to win an Olympic men's alpine
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
gold medal. He also won three gold medals at the 1954 World Championships
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1954
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1954 were held in Åre, Sweden, from March 1–7, 1954.Olympic champion Stein Erickson of Norway won three gold medalsÅre would host the event again in 2007.-Medals table:...
in Åre
Åre
Åre is a locality and one of the leading Scandinavian ski resorts situated in Åre Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 1,260 inhabitants in 2005. It is however, not the seat of the municipality, which is Järpen. 25% of the municipal industry is based on tourism, most notably the downhill...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and a bronze medal at the 1950 World Championships
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1950
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1950 were held February 13-18, 1950, on Ajax Mountain in Aspen, Colorado, U.S.A.These were the first World Championships held outside of Europe, and the first official world championships since 1939...
in Aspen, Colorado
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
.
Some of his other accomplishments include the fact that he is credited with devising "aerials", a freestyle skiing event, and he helped revolutionize the world of alpine skiing, especially in America, where he has served as a ski instructor at many different ski schools. At Sugarbush, each Sunday afternoon, combining his gymnast background and his skiing, Stein would demonstrate a flip on skis. For his Olympic medals, Eriksen earned the Holmenkollen medal
Holmenkollen medal
The Holmenkollen medal is Norwegian skiing's highest award for competitors. It signifies top placings in international championships and other international events, including the Holmenkollen events....
in 1952 (Shared with Torbjørn Falkanger
Torbjørn Falkanger
Torbjørn Falkanger is a retired Norwegian ski jumper who was active in the late 1940s and early 1950s.Falkanger earned a silver medal at the 1952 Winter Olympics in ski jumping and also won the Holmenkollen ski festival ski jumping competition twice...
, Heikki Hasu
Heikki Hasu
Heikki Vihtori Hasu is a Finnish Nordic skier who competed in the late 1940s and early 1950s who was born in Sippola....
, and Nils Karlsson
Nils Karlsson
Nils Emanuel Karlsson, known as Mora-Nisse is a Swedish cross-country skier. He was born in Mora, Dalarna.He won the Olympic gold medal in the 50 km at the 1948 Winter Olympics, a bronze medal in 50 km at the 1950 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, and a total of 37 gold medals in Swedish...
).
It is said that Eriksen was skiing's "first superstar", since he was handsome, stylish, and charismatic. Despite his fame, he maintained a very down-to-Earth personality. For example, he is quoted as saying, "Be tough, be confident. But you will never be a whole and happy person if you aren't humble".
Life in the US
Shortly after his success in the 1952 Olympics, Eriksen moved to America where he continues to live. He worked as a ski-instructor and ski school-director at various ski schools such as SugarbushSugarbush
Sugarbush can refer to:* Sugarbush Resort, ski resort* Common Sugarbush Protea, * Sugar bush, a forest stand exploited for maple syrup...
in Vermont, and Aspen
Aspen
Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...
in Colorado. He is currently director of skiing at the Deer Valley Resort in Utah, and also serves as host of the Stein Eriksen Lodge, a ski lodge in Deer Valley, Utah (the Lodge was named in honor of Eriksen, but is not owned by him). Stein is married to Francoise and has five children, Ava, Stein Jr., Julianna, Anja and Bjorn. He currently calls both Utah and Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
home.
In 1997, Eriksen was honored by the King of Norway
Harald V of Norway
Harald V is the king of Norway. He succeeded to the throne of Norway upon the death of his father Olav V on 17 January 1991...
. He was knighted with the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit for his contribution to Norway, the highest honor that the Norwegian government can give to people living outside Norway.
On 15 December 2007, Stein Eriksen celebrated his 80th birthday in Deer Valley.