A president is working on the Steilhang
The Real family from Liechtenstein loves skiing and Kitzbühel, amply demonstrated by the fact that Toni has assisted the piste team on the Steilhang course section for 14th years now. "Toni the Shoveler's" rise to presidency of his home country's ski association has not diminished his enthusiasm for the Hahnenkamm Races.
The kind of passion with which Toni Real loves and pursues ski sport is by no means an everyday occurrence. This year, the Liechtenstein native has travelled to Kitzbühel for the 14th time (!) to work with the piste team on the Steilhang course section for almost two weeks. And as if that wasn’t unusual enough, Toni Real upped the ante again in 2023 and became President of Liechtenstein Ski Association. This role involves working with his small team to find successors for legends such as Tina Weirather, Marco Büchel and - Tina's mother - Hanni Weirather-Wenzel. " We currently have Marco Pfiffner, Nico Gauer and Charlotte Lingg in the Ski World Cup. In total, almost 40 athletes belong to our association," says the sports official, who everyone calls "Toni the Shoveler".
This year, Toni Real will be working on the Steilhang for ten days together with his son, Luca. "During the races, I'll be at the finish line, cheering the racers on to make sure they cross it quickly and safely. OC Chief Michael Huber is very proud of his section assistant in his new role: "Toni's heart is in the right place, he's a true ski racing enthusiast". Kitzbühel also has a dedicated fan base in Liechtenstein that travel to the Hahnenkamm Races every year. "And with Toni, we now also have a genuine diplomat on the mountain, should we ever need anything in terms of ski politics," smiles Michael Huber and wishes "Team Real" all the best for Race Week.
Photo © K.S.C./alpinguin
