Toni Karg, State-certified Ski Instructor & Head of the Ski School Ofterschwang
Once there was a young man, Franz Tröndle was his name. In the 30ies he was mad about skiing and a „real character“, you know what I mean. Already in 1932 he used to instruct the „Prussians“ and natives in the art of skiing. Franz Tröndle is seen as the forefather of the ski instructors of Ofterschwang. No ski-lifts, no snow cat, no high-tech equipment – only nature, silence and a rather modest equipment. Wooden skis like nowadays exhibited in museums, sheep´s wool from head to foot and a red pointed cap, that´s how you can imagine Franzl. When it had
snowed heavily duringthe night you could see Franzl with a scampish smile and shining eyes in the morning. Then there were endless powder snow runs and he was proud to be the first one to make the „maiden run“.
But it also meant a lot of work for Franzl. In the crisp cold he had to tread a run to make it easier for the beginners to plow through the snow. But then when the sun came up over the mountain and the snow cristalls were shining like diamonds, nothing could stop him – the peak of the Ofterschwanger Horn was calling. After a solid breakfast he started instructing the beginners: by building up confidence, taking away fear, showing skiing techniques, his students soon made their first steps and were able to glide on these unusually long feet.
After having managed this, all shouldered their skis and starting from Alpe Eck climbed up in serpentines the peak of the Ofterschwanger Horn. The sweat was dropping into the fresh snow and the hair showing out under the pointed cap soon froze in the cold air. But when the group reached the peak, all efforts were forgotten. They were rewarded with a moving panoramic view of the mountains from the peaks of the Rubihorn to the Wilden Kaiser and a solid meal which included some important tips for the much-longed-for run down the powder snow of the untouched slopes of the peak of the Ofterschwanger Horn.
After this great experience Franzl and his group got together with a zither or concertina and they celebrated until late into the night, singing and telling the most fabulous tales, just ski instructors´ yarns. Sometimes someone even unburdened his heart with Franzl under the seal of secrecy. That meant that Franzl was all in one: father confessor, psychologist and adviser in any situation.
The general development of the ski schools and especially in Ofterschwang could not be stopped anymore. In 1951, during the international ski school congress in Zürs, all alpine countries were striving for a standardized skiing technique of all Middle European ski schools. The first curriculum was issued and the the upswing began. Albert Roth took the sceptre in Ofterschwang and starting in 1954 was head of a small group of ski instructors together with Sepp Mayr.
But only in 1968 with the construction of the ski-lifts in Ofterschwang they officially founded the ski school of Ofterschwang under the leadership of Sepp Mayr.
That means that Toni Karg, who took over the ski school from Sepp Mayr, can look back on a 40 year long tradition. Together with the first years of Franz Tröndle the ski school of Ofterschwang looks back on a 76 year long tradition of ski instructors and thus propably is the oldest ski school in the Allgäu.
Nowadays…. well nowadays ski school manager Toni Karg does similar jobs like Franzl or Sepp but it feels different. It has nothing in commom with a slow, hard climb to the peak and only one descent.
