Karl Martitsch

Karl Martitisch was born in Ratnitz, Austria, in 1917 and was a member of the Austrian National Ski Team for twelve years as a “four way” skier competing in all four events, downhill, slalom, cross-country and ski jumping. In his twenty-five years of national and international competition he won approximately 360 trophies and prizes.

Among his most significant competitive accomplishments:
1936
Junior Slalom Champion of Austria

1937
Runner-up in Combined Downhill and Jumping events at the Austrian Junior Championships

1946
Nordic Champion of Austria Universities Champion of Austria in Nordic Combined
3-Way Combined Champion
4-Way combined Champion

1947
Bronze Medal, Ski Jumping event, Universities World Championships

1948
Competed for Austria in the 1948 Winter Olympic Games, St Moritz, Switzerland, in the Nordic Combined events

1950
Competed in the World Championships, Lake Placid, New York State in Nordic Combined events

1946 to 1949
Austrian Universities Representative for Ski Sports

In 1951, he settled permanently in Canada employed as a civil engineer and was instrumental in the construction of Canada’s first 70m ski jump at Hiawatha Park, Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. It was during this time that he first became active in the Canadian Ski Association. In 1963, he represented Canada as a member of the Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS) and served on the FIS Subcommittee for Ski Jumping Hills. He became a member of the FIS Jumping Committee in 1969.

He was also an FIS Ski Jumping Judge and officiated at major competitions the world over. In 1974, he was selected by the FIS to serve as a Technical Expert for Ski Jumping to assess the suitability of Lake Placid, New York, as a contender for the 1980 Olympic Winter Games. Five years later, he was nominated by Canada and elected to the FIS Council serving all skiing disciplines in the capacity for 13-years.

He held various positions on the Jumping and Nordic Boards while, at the same time, serving on both the Board and Executive of the Canadian Ski Association. He has played a major role in the design and construction of numerous ski jumping and recreational sports facilities in North American including:
1980
Both 86m and 114m ski jumping complex at Lake Placid, New York State, site of the Xlll Olympic Winter Games

1988
The 30m, 50m, 89m and 144m complex at Canada Olympic Park, Calgary, Alberta, site of the XV Olympic Winter Games

1995
The World Class 90m and 120m ski jumps at Thunder Bay, Ontario, site of the World Nordic Championships

Other sports-related projects in which he was involved included those in Revelstoke, BritishColumbia; Banff, Alberta; Mont Ste Anne, Quebec; Ironwood, Michigan, USA and Anchorage, Alaska, USA.

Please Note: The ski information gathered here is compiled from a number of sources; it may not be inclusive of all accomplishments.
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