Horst Bulau

Horst Bulau was one of Canada’s most accomplished ski jumpers, with a career that stretched from 1978 until his final retirement in 1992. A four-time Olympian, he first appeared on the Olympic stage at Lake Placid in 1980 as the 1979 World Junior Champion. Although he left with modest results, Horst went on to compete in Sarajevo (1984), Calgary (1988) and Albertville (1992), producing three top-10 Olympic finishes. His seventh-place showing in the large hill at Calgary 1988 remains the best Olympic finish by a Canadian ski jumper. 

During his more than decade-long presence on the World Cup circuit, Horst competed in 129 World Cup events. He amassed 13 victories and 26 podium finishes, consistently ranking world-second or third for much of his career. In overall World Cup standings, he was second once (1983) and third twice (1981, 1982).

Born Aug. 14, 1962 in Gloucester, Ont., Horst was raised in a family of four children after his father, a decorated World War II veteran, moved from Germany with Horst’s mother to Canada. Horst began skiing at age two, and by age five he was competing in alpine events. He entered his first national ski jumping competition in 1975 in Thunder Bay and won it. 

Off the hill, Horst was widely respected for sportsmanship and his role as ambassador for the sport. He was twice awarded the John Semmelink Memorial Award (1979, 1983) for sportsmanship and international representation. The Sports Federation of Canada named him Athlete of the Month three times — in March 1981, January 1982 and March 1983 — and he earned multiple excellence awards both nationally and provincially. 

After his 1988 retirement, Horst briefly coached, then made a comeback to compete at Albertville in 1992. He cited challenges adapting to the newer “V” style of ski jumping and ended his competitive career after those Games. Following his athletic career, he worked as a sales executive in the automotive industry in Toronto. 

He has been inducted into multiple halls of fame: Canadian Olympic (1993), Canadian Ski Hall of Fame (1994), Ottawa Sports (1998) and Canada’s Sports (2014). 

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• 1979 — 1st, 70m, Junior World Championships
• 1981 — 1st, 90m, World Cup, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany; 1st, 90m, World Cup, Skuibakken, Norway; 3rd overall, World Cup standings
• 1982 — 1st, 70m, World Cup, Sapporo, Japan; 1st, 90m, World Cup, Thunder Bay, Ont.; 1st, 90m, World Cup, Oberstdorf, Germany; 3rd overall, World Cup standings
• 1983 — Multiple World Cup victories including Thunder Bay, St. Moritz and Lahti; 2nd overall, World Cup standings
• 1984 — 2nd, 70m, World Cup, Cortina, Italy
• Career totals — 13 World Cup victories; 29 World Cup podiums

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.