Josef Pepi Salvenmoser

An Austrian by birth, Pepi Salvenmoser played a pivotal role in the development of Canadian skiing through his extraordinary success as a national coach from 1954 to 1964.

Appointed as a temporary support coach for the Canadian women’s alpine team at the FIS World Championships in Åre, Sweden, in 1954, Pepi quickly demonstrated his talent as a first-class coach. His abilities led to his rapid promotion to head coach of the women’s alpine team.

Two years later, Lucille Wheeler won a bronze medal for Canada at the 1956 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy — the country’s first Olympic skiing medal. It was a breakthrough performance for the Canadian women’s team, which for the first time placed three skiers in the top 10 of the downhill event. Later that year, Joanne Hewson captured the women’s Arlberg-Kandahar race.

In 1957, when the national team was officially formed, Pepi prepared the women’s alpine squad for the FIS World Championships in Bad Gastein, Austria. The team posted its best-ever results, highlighted by Wheeler winning two gold medals — in downhill and giant slalom. A young Anne Heggtveit also signalled her potential with a seventh place in downhill and eighth in slalom.

At the 1960 Olympic Winter Games in Squaw Valley, Calif., Heggtveit became the second Canadian woman to win an Olympic skiing medal, capturing gold in slalom.

During this period, two other emerging Canadian talents, Nancy Greene and Betsy Clifford, benefitted from Pepi’s innovative training techniques and his emphasis on mental preparation. Greene went on to win giant slalom gold and slalom silver at the 1968 Olympic Winter Games in Grenoble, France. Clifford became world giant slalom champion at the 1970 FIS World Championships in Val Gardena, Italy — at age 16, the youngest female competitor to win a world championship medal.

Pepi remained with the Canadian women’s national alpine team until 1964 before retiring as the most successful coach in the program’s history.

Career Highlights

• 1954 – Appointed support coach for Canadian women’s alpine team at FIS World Championships, Åre, Sweden
• 1956 – Guided Lucille Wheeler to Olympic bronze, Canada’s first Olympic skiing medal, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
• 1957 – Coached Wheeler to two gold medals at FIS World Championships, Bad Gastein, Austria
• 1960 – Coached Anne Heggtveit to Olympic slalom gold, Squaw Valley, U.S.
• Mentored future champions Nancy Greene (Olympic gold and silver, 1968) and Betsy Clifford (world giant slalom champion, 1970)
• Head coach of Canadian women’s alpine team (1954–1964)

Note: The information gathered in this biography was compiled from a number of sources; it may not be inclusive of all accomplishments. Copyright © Canadian Ski Hall of Fame & Museum. For personal and/or educational use only. All rights reserved.