Mike Wiegele, who influenced and shaped an entire generation of skiers and ski racers, as a competitor, coach, pioneer and entrepreneur, has died at the age of 82.
The Austrian-born Wiegele, moved to Canada in his early 20s in 1959 to initially work as a carpenter but quickly reconnected with the ski industry; first as a ski instructor in Mont Tremblant, Que., and eventually to Alberta, where he started a pro shop and ski school in Lake Louise, coaching future national team skiers Jim and Ken Read, Chris Kent, Bobby Allison, Mike and Bill Irwin and Dianne Lehodey.
Wiegele and his wife, Bonnie, later founded the Bow Valley Quikies (Banff Alpine Racers), growing from seven racers initially to 500 within five years, and today is one of Canada’s largest ski clubs with three skiers currently on the national team: Erik and Jeff Read and Trevor Philp.
“My coach, a friend to the ski world, a ski legend, an honoured member of Canada’s Ski Hall of Fame, Mike came to Canada and touched so many with his infectious enthusiasm for skiing,” Ken Read stated on social media. “He inspired athletes, he motivated parents and volunteers and patiently moulded multiple Canadian champions over several decades.”
Read commented on the incredible impact and influence that Wiegele had on the sport of alpine skiing in Canada, including planting the seeds for future generations of young ski racers.
“I recall when I was 14, he arrived at our house and collected my older brother Ron and I, to go off for a hike to the Bow Glacier in early September, to “check it out” for a ski camp,” Read reminisced. “Two weeks later, the athletes of the Lake Louise Ski Club gathered at Num-ti-ja Lodge on the shore of Bow Lake, for a 10 km hike up to the alpine hut beside the glacier and we put in two days of slalom. It was hard, but it was magic, to experience skiing on a glacier in the pre-season. His philosophy was to ski every day you could, from season start to season end. Every day on the snow was an opportunity.”
During the 1970s, Mike and Bonnie went on to start a heli-ski outfit out of Blue River, B.C., purchasing land and developing what is today one of the most recognizable and largest (1.2 Million acres) heli-ski operations in the world.
Wiegele, at the time, was searching for better snow and ultimately a better ski experience. With the support of “Gramdma” Molly Nelson, an amateur meteorologist who had recorded snowfall, precipitation and wind for the previous 30 years, the location was chosen for the operation in the Cariboo and Monashee mountains.
“Everyone at Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing extends our deepest sympathies to the Wiegele family, most notably Mike’s wife Bonnie, their daughter Michelle and their grandson Charlie,” the company said in a post on social media.
“He had an unparalleled passion for skiing, was a fearless entrepreneur and was a tireless and innovative advocate for safety in the mountains. His industry leadership spans 50-plus years, leading to numerous national and international commendations.”
CALL ME CRAZY: The Legend of Mike Wiegele
Mike Wiegele: Milestones
1938 – Mike Wiegele was born in Feistritz, Austria and grew up on a farm in nearby Lading Kärnten. Mike’s passion was skiing and racing and competed in both Europe and Canada during the 1960s.
1960/61 – Wiegele was told that if he wanted to make a living as a professional skier, he’d have to move to Quebec. He took a job at Mont Tremblant, working for legendary ski-school director Ernie McCulloch.
1965 – Opened the Lake Louise Ski School, became the Director and started a program – he called “World Cup Preparation Training.” He coached a number of national team racers including several national team athletes – Ken Read, Jim Read, Chris Kent, Bobby Allison, Cary Mullen, Mike Irwin and Bill Irwin. Read, became North American’s first World Cup Downhill Champion and throughout his career he won five world titles and two Olympic titles.
1967 – In his spare time he would explore the nearby mountains, searching to find the deepest, lightest, powder snow possible.
1970 – Mike started taking guests out on daily ski trips into the Cariboo Mountains. The first test flight was in March, in a Bell 47 helicopter with Gary Foreman (owner of Yellowhead Helicopters), to Canoe Glacier on Mount Sir Wilfrid Laurier – the highest peak of the Cariboo Mountains.
1970’s – Mike pitched a prototype of the first powder ski to Fischer Skis, but the company wasn’t convinced of its marketability – everyone thought they were too fat and “ugly.” Wiegele didn’t give up on the idea and in the early 90’s he tried again, with Atomic.
1976 – Bonnie and Mike started the Banff Quickies ski club in 1976. When athletes moved to the higher levels of competition, introduced the Banff Alpine Racers as a high performance compliment. Bonnie also started the Banff Gymnastic Club, which grew to 55 competitive gymnasts within the first two years and still continues today.
1980 – The first Powder 8 World Championships are held in Blue River and the first guest chalets are built next to Eleanor Lake, in Blue River.
1990 – Mike founded and developed the Canadian Ski Guide Association (CSGA) to train ski guides for the mechanized ski industry.
2000 – Elected to the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame. Inducted into the Canadian Honour Roll of Canadian Skiing for outstanding contributions to the growth and development of skiing in Canada by the Canadian Ski Instructor Alliance (CSIA).
2003 – Awarded Austria’s prestigious Gold Medal (“Goldenes Verdienstzeichen”) by Austria’s Ambassador to Canada, the honourable Wendelin Ettmayer.
2015 – Awarded by the Canadian Rockies Ski Racing Hall of Fame in the Honoured Builder category.
2019 – Thompson Rivers University awards Mike with an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree.
About the Author: Gordie Bowles
