RIP Hans Kuwall, Skiing Pioneer

It's with sadness that SIN reports the passing of Hans Kuwall a pioneer in British snowsports, coach, instructor, ski centre manager and more.

Here's Hans at Hillend ski centre [turn the soundtrack off] 

Karl Fuchs, having founded the Austrian ski school at Straun House in Carrbridge near Aviemore needed more ski instructors and he mamaged to obtain a work permit for Hans, then a trainer in the Arlberg region.

Hans worked for Karl for a season and then having married Barbara, a housekeeper at Straun he opened another ski school at the Carrbridge hotel. It's fair to say that Karl Fuchs was not impressed and for many years referred to Hans as 'the rat'.

Hans was a founder member of BAPSI, later BASI, the British Association of Ski Instructors, training and examining many who went on to positions of influence in British Snowsports. Many will remember wet days at Cairngorm when Hans would observe candidates instructors in his role of director of national ski teacher training. 

Perhaps Hans' longest lasting achievement started in 1963 at a ski show in London's Earl's Court. He was a member of a team of Scottish instructors who competed against an English team on a ski slope made from plastic matting.

Bsuinesman George Boyd Anderson who had made his fortune as a rubber-planter in Malaysia and Edinburgh councillor Herbert Brechin approached  Kuwall and outlined a plan to run a pilot dry ski slope project in the Pentland Hills. A 50m test slope was opened in March 1964 on the east side of Buiselaw, after Boyd Anderson came to a gentleman’s agreement with the captain of the Lothianburn Golf Club.

Kuwall offered instruction there two days a week, teaching both primary and secondary-school children, and the response was so positive that it was soon decided that a longer slope was required. In the winter of 1964-65, the slope was moved to its current location and in 1965 it was lengthened to 200m, before being officially opened to the public on 8 December. Hillend was the training base of many members of the British ski team.

Hans was inseparable from Hillend for many years and a strong case can be made that without the success of the slope the British snowsports scene would be very much diminished.

RIP Hans.