Kitzbühel mourns: slalom legend Chuck Ferries died at the age of 85

Kitzbühel mourns: slalom legend Chuck Ferries died at the age of 85

On April 28, 2025, the ski world and especially the municipality of Kitzbühel say goodbye to a legend. Chuck Ferries, the only slalom winner from the USA in the famous Kitzbüheler Hahnenkamm race, died on April 17, 2025 at the age of 85. This message was announced by the Kitzbüheler Ski Club via Instagram, and his achievements remain unforgettable.

In 1962 Ferries won the slalom race on the Ganslernhang, a triumph that has not yet been exceeded by any other US ski racer. His name is honored on the table of honor of the Hahnenkamm races, as a reminder of his outstanding contribution to sport.

A look at the history of Kitzbühel and Sun Valley

The death of Chuck Ferries falls into a time when the history of skiing focuses on. An example of this is the return of the Ski World Cup to Sun Valley, Idaho, in March 2025, after more than 47 years. The last time competitions were held there in 1977, in which the legendary Ingemar Stenmarks won the victory.

Sun Valley, with less than 2000 inhabitants and almost at 2000 meters high on the soon mountain, was founded in 1936 by William Averell Harriman as a winter sports resort. Harriman was inspired by the 1932 Winter Olympics and sought to bring European ski areas to America to win tourists for his railway company.

The connection between Kitzbühel and Sun Valley

The first Sun Valley International Open took place in 1937, with Dick Durrance being the first winner. Sigi Engl, who won the departure in 1941, was the first Kitzbüheler to be included in the Hall of Fame of the US skiing. The races of the Harriman Cup, which were revived in 1947, saw them secured by celebrities such as Stein Eriksen and Andrea Mead Lawrence.

Kitzbüheler athletes dominated from the 1950s, including greats such as Christian Pravda and Toni Sailer. The cities of Sun Valley and Kitzbühel were officially became sister cities in 1967. Even if the Ski World Cup only took place in Sun Valley in 1975 and 1977, the connections between these two skiors continued to strengthen.

In recent years, ski and snowboard cross races and the US SKI championships in Sun Valley have returned. The ski elite will be there from March 22nd to 27th, 2025, which again illustrates the importance of this region in skiing. The memories of Chuck Ferries and his achievements will remain alive in Kitzbühel and beyond, while the ski community is preparing for new challenges and important races.

The ski world mourns the loss of Chuck Ferries, whose unsurpassed victory shaped the US Ski history 63 years ago and left a lasting impression.