Brian Stemmle

Brian Stemmle, born October 12, 1966, in Toronto, Ont., was one of Canada’s most resilient and recognized alpine skiers. A member of the Georgian Peaks Ski Club, he joined the Canadian Alpine Ski Team in 1985 and quickly rose through the ranks. Within two seasons he was ranked 7th in the world in downhill, a rapid ascent that marked him as one of Canada’s best speed specialists.

Stemmle’s career was forever defined by both triumph and tragedy. In 1989, while racing on the infamous Hahnenkamm course at Kitzbühel, Austria, his skis caught in the netting on the Steilhang section, resulting in a horrific crash. He suffered a broken pelvis, massive internal injuries, required 25 blood transfusions, and was placed in a five-day induced coma. Recovery demanded months in hospital and 18 months of daily rehabilitation. Against all odds, he returned to the World Cup circuit, a comeback hailed internationally as one of ski racing’s great stories.

He went on to compete in four Olympic Winter Games — Calgary 1988, Albertville 1992, Lillehammer 1994, and Nagano 1998 — the only Canadian alpine skier to appear at four Games. His best Olympic result was 12th in super-G at Nagano. On the World Cup circuit, he earned three podium finishes, 15 top-10 results, and stood second in the 1996 downhill at Garmisch-Partenkirchen. In 1990, he also won gold in downhill at the Pan American Winter Games in Las Leñas, Argentina.

Stemmle officially retired in 1999 after 14 years on the national team. Following his racing career, he became a respected colour commentator for CBC and Rogers Sportsnet, bringing his insight to alpine skiing and other sports. He was inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame in 2002, his story remembered as one of courage, perseverance, and loyalty to Canadian skiing.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• 1985 – 3rd place, Super G, FIS World Cup, Furano, Japan
• 1987 – 3rd place, Downhill, FIS World Cup, Val Gardena, Italy
• 1988 – Olympic Winter Games, Calgary, Alta. (DNF, Downhill)
• 1989 – Survived near-fatal crash, Kitzbühel, Austria
• 1990 – Gold medal, Downhill, Pan American Winter Games, Las Leñas, Argentina
• 1992 – Olympic Winter Games, Albertville, France (23rd, Downhill)
• 1994 – Olympic Winter Games, Lillehammer, Norway (26th, Super G)
• 1996 – 2nd place, Downhill, FIS World Cup, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
• 1998 – Olympic Winter Games, Nagano, Japan (12th, Super G)
• 1999 – Retirement after 14 years on the Canadian Alpine Ski Team
• 2002 – Inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame

Note: Information compiled from several sources; may not include all accomplishments. © Canadian Ski Museum & Hall of Fame. For personal/educational use only. All rights reserved.