The Uncle in the US
Christian Pravda's greatest success, winning the downhill race at the 1954 World Championships in Åre, became a stumbling block in his career: a promotional photo showing him carrying his Rossignol winning skis had somehow found its way into the media. That was enough to strip him of his amateur status, which was customary at the time. No amount of pleading or begging helped.
As a result, he lost his amateur status and was no longer eligible to compete in the Olympic Games or World Championships. This meant that his chance of winning another Olympic medal was gone.
In 1955, he emigrated to the USA and became a multiple professional world champion. Kitzbühel's sister city, Sun Valley, was to become the home of the now professional racer.
As a ski instructor, Christian Pravda taught quite a few prominent figures, including US President Gerald Ford, the Rockefeller family, the Shah of Persia, and many others.
But also in his sports career he was hard to beat: From 1966 to 1968, he won three consecutive world championship titles.
In the early 1970s, “Christa” returned to his hometown Kitzbühel and built an apartment house on Schattberg, which is located opposite our family home.
Generations around the
Globe
Both my parents, who were also ski instructors, were members of the famous Praxmair dance troupe. They performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and the Royal Albert Hall in London, and traveled halfway around the world with the dance troupe.
My mother Fini in particular made a name for herself as a yodeler. In various ski films from the 60s and 70s, such as Jan Boon's “Melodie auf Ski,” you not only see my father skiing, but you also hear my mother singing and yodeling.
My brother Klaus Sulzenbacher also has an international career to his name. Already at an early age he was faced with a difficult decision: on one side of the Hahnenkamm was the classic Streif ski race course, on the other was the lure of the newly built ski jump on the Schattberg. So, at a young age, he decided against alpine racing and opted for ski jumping and, subsequently, cross-country skiing.
With four Olympic medals in Nordic combined, Klaus won more precious metal than any other successful skier from Kitzbühel before him. He also won two Overall World Cup titles, World Championship gold with the team, and World Championship silver in the individual competition.
Alpine and high-profile
I may not have any Olympic medals, and I can't yodel either. But as the son of this house, I too decided to pursue a career in skiing and trained as a state-certified ski instructor and ski guide. With the ski school SkiArt my instructors and me are committed to pass on the SkiArt philosophy and our alpine way of life to our guests.
Since 2008, I have also been working as a rafting, canyoning, and outdoor guide. After many seasons in Italy and Switzerland, I have now established myself in the Kitzbühel region in the summer season as well.
Furthermore, I have been working as a tour guide across Europe for more than 25 years, which has given me a wealth of background knowledge about countries and people and suits my communicative nature very well. For decades, I have been fully dedicated to guest services—whether sporting or cultural—in all their various facets.
My brother Klaus was also born in this house. He was faced with a difficult decision in young age: On one side of the house was the the Hahnenkamm with its classic Streif race course, on the other was the temptation of the newly completed ski jump.
At a young age, he decided against alpine racing and opted for ski jumping and, subsequently, cross-country skiing. With four Olympic medals in the Nordic combined, he won more precious metal than any other successful skier from Kitzbühel before him.
Dazu kommen zwei Gesamt-Weltcupsiege. Ich habe zwar keine Olympia-Medaillen und ich kann auch nicht jodeln. Aber als Sohn dieses Hauses habe auch ich mich für eine Ski-Karriere entschieden und ging durch die Schule des staatlichen Skilehrers und Skiführers.
Schon alleine durch diesen anspruchsvollen Hintergrund
fühle ich mich verpflichtet, diese Ski-Philosophie und alpine Lebensart in allen Facetten weiterzugeben.
