Willy Bogner
Encyclopedia
Willy Bogner, Jr. is a former alpine ski racer
and a renowned fashion designer and inheritor of the Bogner clothing brand, originally set up as "Willy-Bogner-Skivertrieb" by his father, Willy Bogner, Sr.
.
at the 1960 Winter Olympics
in Squaw Valley. He led the competition in the men's slalom
after the first run, but fell during the second run.
That season, he won the prestigious Lauberhorn
downhill at Wengen
, Switzerland
.
In 1962, he became double world student champion in alpine skiing
's slalom and alpine combined
event.
His best result in the World Championships was a 4th place in the slalom (& 5th place in the combined) at the 1966 World Championships
in Portillo
, Chile
.
Willy Bogner, Jr. was a familiar face in the international ski
scene until 1967
, when he decided to concentrate his efforts on film-making. He returned in 1971 to launch his first ski collection, "Formula W". An American outlet in Newport, Vermont
was created in 1973 while a tennis
fashion line debuted the following year. A golf
fashion line was created in 1976. When his father died in 1977, Bogner returned to Munich
from America to assume control of the company. In 1983, a sunglasses
line was created.
He has worked as a cameraman in several films requiring complex ski footage. His most notable work in this field can be seen in James Bond
films from the 1960s through to the 1980s, specifically A View to a Kill
for which he won the prestigious Bambi Award
in 1985 and the Bavarian Film Award
, Special Prize in 1986.
He continues to be active within both the fashion and film aspects of his career. In 1998 he produced and presented his own weekly TV series, Willy Bogner's Snow Show, and since then he has also produced several specialist ski films, the most impressive of which are his IMAX
movies. Meanwhile, the Bogner brand continues to roll out seasonal collections and even boasts its own cosmetics range for men and women (Debuted in 1985 and expanded fourteen years later.).
Bogner received the "Bundesverdienstkreuz
" medal on May 30, 1996.
In 1999 he was awarded the Goldene Seidenschleife ("Golden Ribbon of Silk") to recognise excellence in enterprise.
Among the German athletes wearing the Bogner line at the 2006 Winter Olympics
were Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle
(cross country skiing), Martina Glagow
(biathlon
), Georg Hettich
(nordic combined
), Georg Hackl
(luge
), Anni Friesinger
(speed skating
), Viola Bauer
(cross country skiing), and Tobias Angerer
(cross country skiing).
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 a renowned fashion designer and inheritor of the Bogner clothing brand, originally set up as "Willy-Bogner-Skivertrieb" by his father, Willy Bogner, Sr.
Willy Bogner, Sr.
Wilhelm Bogner , better known as Willy Bogner, Sr., was a German Nordic skier who competed in the 1930s. He won a pair of medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships with a silver in the 4 x 10 km event in 1934 and a bronze in the nordic combined in 1935. Bogner, Sr...
.
Life and work
Just turned age 18, Bogner, Jr. competed for West GermanyWest Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
at the 1960 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1960 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1960 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held in Squaw Valley, California, U.S.A., from February 20–26, 1960.These were the last Olympics with times recorded in tenths of a second; times in 1964 were recorded in hundredths....
in Squaw Valley. He led the competition in the men's 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 :...
after the first run, but fell during the second run.
That season, he won the prestigious Lauberhorn
Lauberhorn
The Lauberhorn is a mountain in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland, located between Wengen and Grindelwald. Its summit is at an elevation of 8110 feet above sea level....
downhill at Wengen
Wengen
Wengen may refer to:*Wengen, a village and winter resort in Switzerland*La Val, a commune in South Tyrol, Italy with the German name "Wengen"*in Germany:**Wengen , a village in the municipality of Nennslingen in Mittelfranken...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
In 1962, he became double world student champion in alpine skiing
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...
's slalom and alpine combined
Alpine skiing combined
Combined is an alpine skiing event. Although not technically a discipline of its own, it is sometimes referred to as a fifth alpine discipline, along with downhill, super G, giant slalom, and slalom.-Traditional & Super-Combined:...
event.
His best result in the World Championships was a 4th place in the slalom (& 5th place in the combined) at the 1966 World Championships
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1966
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1966 were held in Portillo, Chile, from August 4–14, 1966.To this day, it remains as the only alpine world championship contested in the southern hemisphere...
in Portillo
Portillo, Chile
Portillo is a ski resort located from Santiago, Chile, near the city of Los Andes. It rises 2880 meters above sea level and its highest point reaches 3332 meters above sea level. Ski Portillo has 23 ski trails and 12 lifts....
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
.
Willy Bogner, Jr. was a familiar face in the international ski
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
scene until 1967
1967 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The first season of World Cup races began in early January in West Germany and concluded in late March in the United States. Jean-Claude Killy of France dominated the men's competition, winning each of the three disciplines and the overall title...
, when he decided to concentrate his efforts on film-making. He returned in 1971 to launch his first ski collection, "Formula W". An American outlet in Newport, Vermont
Newport (city), Vermont
Newport is a city in and the shire town of Orleans County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,005. The city contains the largest population of any government in the county, yet encompasses the smallest area....
was created in 1973 while a tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
fashion line debuted the following year. A golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
fashion line was created in 1976. When his father died in 1977, Bogner returned to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
from America to assume control of the company. In 1983, a sunglasses
Sunglasses
Sunglasses or sun glasses are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that...
line was created.
He has worked as a cameraman in several films requiring complex ski footage. His most notable work in this field can be seen in James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
films from the 1960s through to the 1980s, specifically A View to a Kill
A View to a Kill
A View to a Kill is the fourteenth spy film of the James Bond series, and the seventh and last to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Although the title is adapted from Ian Fleming's short story "From a View to a Kill", the film is the fourth Bond film after The Spy Who Loved...
for which he won the prestigious Bambi Award
Bambi (prize)
The Bambi - Deutschlands Wichtigster Medienpreis, often simply called Bambi Awards and stylized as BAMBI, are presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television "with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public that year",...
in 1985 and the Bavarian Film Award
Bayerischer Filmpreis
The Bavarian Film Awards have been awarded annually since 1979 by the State Government of Bavaria in Germany for “exceptional achievement in German filmmaking.” Along with the German Film Awards, these are the most highly regarded awards for filmmaking achievement in Germany.The Bavarian Film...
, Special Prize in 1986.
He continues to be active within both the fashion and film aspects of his career. In 1998 he produced and presented his own weekly TV series, Willy Bogner's Snow Show, and since then he has also produced several specialist ski films, the most impressive of which are his IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
movies. Meanwhile, the Bogner brand continues to roll out seasonal collections and even boasts its own cosmetics range for men and women (Debuted in 1985 and expanded fourteen years later.).
Bogner received the "Bundesverdienstkreuz
Bundesverdienstkreuz
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is the only general state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has existed since 7 September 1951, and between 3,000 and 5,200 awards are given every year across all classes...
" medal on May 30, 1996.
In 1999 he was awarded the Goldene Seidenschleife ("Golden Ribbon of Silk") to recognise excellence in enterprise.
Among the German athletes wearing the Bogner line at the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
were Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle
Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle
Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle is a German cross country skier from Reit im Winkl who has competed since 1998...
(cross country skiing), Martina Glagow
Martina Glagow
Martina "Molly" Beck , is a German biathlete. She now lives in Mittenwald in Bavaria. She was most successful in the 2002–03 season, when she was the first German to win the women's overall Biathlon World Cup...
(biathlon
Biathlon
Biathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...
), Georg Hettich
Georg Hettich
Georg Hettich is a German nordic combined skier and Olympic medalist....
(nordic combined
Nordic combined
The Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in both cross-country skiing and ski jumping.- History :While Norwegian soldiers are known to have been competing in Nordic skiing since the 19th century, the first major competition in Nordic combined was held in 1892 in Oslo at the...
), Georg Hackl
Georg Hackl
Georg Hackl is a German former luger who was three time Olympic and World Champion. He is known affectionately as Hackl-Schorsch or as the Speeding Weißwurst a reference to what he looks like in his white bodysuit coming down the luge at fast speeds.Hackl was born in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.He won...
(luge
Luge
A Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...
), Anni Friesinger
Anni Friesinger
Anna Christine Friesinger-Postma is a German speed skater. Her father Georg Friesinger, of Germany, and mother Janina Korowicka, of Poland, were both skaters; Jana was on the Polish team at the 1976 Winter Olympics. Anni's brother Jan is a speed skater, too...
(speed skating
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
), Viola Bauer
Viola Bauer
Viola Bauer is a retired German cross-country skier who competed from 1995 to 2007...
(cross country skiing), and Tobias Angerer
Tobias Angerer
Tobias Angerer is a German cross country skier, and skies with the SC Vachendorf club. He graduated from the Skigymnasium Berchtesgaden in 1996. His occupation is "Sports Soldier"...
(cross country skiing).