Women's tour staffer Brupbacher to retire

After being closely involved with the FIS Alpine World Cup in various roles for some 25 years, Switzerland’s Fredy Brupbacher is retiring as FIS World Cup Support on the women’s tour. Having worked with Kurt Hoch for 15 years and with Atle Skaardal for the last two years, Brupbacher attended his 500th FIS World Cup event in Zwiesel, Germany, in March.
AFTER BEING closely involved with the FIS Alpine World Cup in various roles for some 25 years, Switzerland’s Fredy Brupbacher is retiring as FIS World Cup Support on the women’s tour. Having worked with Kurt Hoch for 15 years and with Atle Skaardal for the last two years, Brupbacher attended his 500th FIS World Cup event in Zwiesel, Germany, in March.
    A member of the Swiss national team from 1956-63, he participated in the 1960 Olympic Winter Games in Squaw Valley and the 1958 FIS World Ski Championships in Bad Gastein in giant slalom and downhill. After his sporting career, Brupbacher built and managed his own marketing agency, specialized in buying and selling rights for FIS World Cup races internationally, among other activities.
    Brupbacher, who will turn 70 in November, is planning to put his long experience to use in the marketing, sponsoring and organizational areas in other sports that involve possibly less travel than the FIS Alpine World Cup tour.
    “I will surely miss the close contact with the athletes. After so many years on the road together, I had developed quite deep relationships and become almost like of father for many of them,” he commented. “And in my role as equipment controller, I have to say that I was so impressed that all the ladies had beautifully clean socks, always!”
    There will be a farewell celebration for Brupbacher at the 2007-08 season-opening event in Sölden, Austria, in October.