Erich Sailer, the Austrian-born coach who transformed American ski racing from the unassuming slopes of Minnesota’s Buck Hill into a powerhouse of international talent, has died at the age of 99. For more than half a century, Sailer was a constant presence on race courses across the United States, molding young athletes with a fierce passion for the sport and a sharp eye for technique. Widely regarded as the most influential junior ski coach in U.S. history, he trained an estimated 25,000 athletes during his career, including Olympians Lindsey Vonn, Kristina Koznick, Julia Mancuso, Sarah Schleper, and Resi Stiegler.
Sailer immigrated to the United States in the 1950s and quickly made his mark. In 1956, he pioneered summer ski racing on the American continent with training camps at Oregon’s Mount Hood and later Montana’s Beartooth Pass. Together with Pepi Gramshammer and Anderl Molterer he established what was to be known as the Red Lodge International Ski and Snowboard Camp. These programs, drawing hundreds of aspiring racers, set new standards for ski development in the U.S.
But his greatest legacy is the ski racing program Sailer started at Buck Hill, Minnesota. Arriving at Buck Hill in Burnsville in 1960, Sailer transformed what locals jokingly called “Buck Bump” into one of the most respected ski racing programs in the country. Within a year, his team had gone from never winning a race to sending athletes to Junior Nationals. Over time, Buck Hill produced 15 U.S. Ski Team members and multiple Olympians.
Sailer’s work earned him a long list of honors, including U.S. Ski and Snowboard’s Development Coach of the Year, the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Ski Coach of the Year, the Tom Reynolds Lifetime Achievement Award, and induction into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2005. Colleagues and athletes often referred to him as the “Yoda of Ski Coaching,” a mentor whose influence extended far beyond technique to instilling confidence, resilience, and love for the sport.
Among those mourning his loss is Lindsey Vonn, one of Sailer’s most accomplished protégées. In a heartfelt Instagram post, the Olympic champion wrote:
“Erich was more than my ski coach. More than my father’s ski coach. Erich was my family. There is no doubt that I would not be the person or skier I am today without him. The entire ski racing community would not be the same without him. He single handedly did more for skiing than any other coach in America and perhaps the world… Today we mourn but also must celebrate Erich. He would want us to be on the mountain, doing what we love to do; ski.”
Vonn reflected on her final conversations with Sailer this summer, noting how his belief in her still carried the same warmth and passion decades after she first trained under him. Sailer never doubted for one second that his protege would stage a successful comeback to ski racing after her knee replacement.
Kristina Koznick eched Vonn’s feelings, writing: “There are no words. My heart is broken, yet I have never felt more grateful. You were my coach. You were my mentor. You poured your heart and soul into me. I was so blessed to know and love you Erich. The ski racing was just frosting on the top. All the wins were filled with joy because you helped me get there. A big piece of me feels missing without you here. I don’t remember my life on earth without you in it. It won’t be the same without you…but I will see you again someday. I can’t wait. I love you!!!”
Erich Sailer is not only recognized and remembered for his coaching achievements, but also for his continued dedication to growing skiing across the USA.
Erich Sailer is survived by his wife Ursala, children, grandchildren. His legacy endures in every racer who learned to love the sport under his guidance—proof, as he often demonstrated, that greatness can come even from the smallest of hills.
