Otto Furrer

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Otto Furrer (born October 19, 1903 in Zermatt ; † July 26, 1951 on the Matterhorn ) was a successful Swiss ski racer , cross-country skier , military patrol runner and mountaineer in the 1920s and 1930s and is considered a co-founder of the Swiss winter sports resort of Zermatt.

Life and sport

Otto Furrer received his mountain guide license in 1925 and became a pioneer of ski tours in high alpine mountains . He founded the Zermatt Ski School as early as 1935 and headed it until 1951. He was also a member of the technical commission of the Swiss Ski School Association.

Otto Furrer became known primarily because of his sporting successes. In 1932, for example, he won the world championship title in alpine combined and four other medals at alpine skiing world championships . Furrer was, as it was at the time, an all-round athlete and, in addition to alpine skiing, also ran cross-country skiing and military patrols. Otto Furrer proved that he was also successful in these sports by winning the bronze medal in the Swiss team with Fritz Kuhn, Hugo Lehner and Anton Julen in the military patrol race and by taking 21st place in the cross-country skiing competition over 18 km at the Olympic Games in St. Moritz 1928.

In 1951 he had an accident on the south ridge of the Matterhorn, triggered by a tear in the rope on Tyndall Pic.

Greatest successes

winter Olympics

Alpine World Ski Championships

Other competitions

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Furrer, Otto
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss winter sports enthusiast, co-founder of the Swiss winter sports resort Zermatt
DATE OF BIRTH October 19, 1903
PLACE OF BIRTH Zermatt
DATE OF DEATH July 26, 1951
Place of death Matterhorn