Industry News
Marc Giradelli, one of the most successful ski racers of all time, celebrates his 60th birthday today, July 18, 2023.
The ski legend was born in Austria to Italian parents and Giradelli learned to ski aged five and was racing by the age of seven. He competed for Austria with great success in both alpine skiing as well as ski jumping until 1976. However, after a falling out with Austrian coaches, Giradelli competed for the Duchy of Luxembourg and was coached by his father for long parts of his career.
He won his first FIS World Cup in 1983 at the age of 20 and went on to claim a total of 46 World Cup victories. During his racing career, he was known by the nickname “Renegade”, not only for defecting the Austrian team but also for his wild ski style. Giradelli suffered two almost career ending crashes, but came back stronger both times to continue ski racing. His first serious crash happened in 1983 just two weeks after his first World Cup victory. He almost tore his entire leg off and flew to Dr. Richard Steadman, the leading knee surgeon in Colorado, who called the injury the worst he had ever seen.
Aside from his World Cup victories, Giradelli also earned a total of five Overall World Cup titles, as well as two Olympic and 11 World Championship medals. After retiring from racing, he invested in an indoor ski center in Germany and later started a ski clothing line and a retro ski series.
Marc Giradelli is the majority shareholder in the company that operates Bansko ski resort in Bulgaria and an honorary citizen of Bansko.
