Ludwig "Luggi" Leitner

Ludwig was the second Leitner, after Reinhard, to see the light of day on February 24, 1940, in Mittelberg.

His younger brother Adalbert, who lives in Canada, completed the trio.

With very little financial means but a lot of love, the "Agethle" (as the single mother was called) managed to raise the three sporty and always hungry boys. Unfortunately, Ludwig, as he was later called, never got to know his father Reinhard (who was from Stockach in the Lechtal), as he had fallen in the war in 1943.

From an early age, young Ludwig was fascinated by skiing. Day after day, he had fun with his brothers at the hill behind their parents' house.

With tireless enthusiasm, they skied down into the Gruaba and walked back up, again and again, until the sun went down.

The turning point came in the winter of 1948 when the Zafernalift began operating. Ludwig was there from the first day, and soon the locals took notice of his great talent.

After attending the local primary school in Mittelberg, he completed an apprenticeship as a retail salesman at the Sohler ski company in Wangen, which also allowed him time off for racing during the winter months. Whenever time permitted, he passionately spent the summer months on the Alpe Zügen in Baad.

Ludwig really made waves when, at the age of 17, he finished 6th in the downhill event at the World Championships in Bad Gastein, marking the beginning of a great career. In the early 1960s, the young man also had other thoughts, and so he got to know his neighbor Renate (Fritz) better in the legendary Alpenrose.

However, the ambitious man from Mittelberg kept a clear head and continued to focus on his hobby—and now also his profession—ski racing.

He won all the major FIS A races (now the World Cup) and crowned his career with a World Championship title in the alpine triple combination in 1964 at the Innsbruck Olympics, along with two bronze medals.

After fulfilling this dream, the wedding bells rang on November 21, 1965, in the parish church of St. Jodok in Mittelberg. In the same year, the newlyweds built the Hotel Luggi Leitner with a public restaurant. Renate quickly realized that Ludwig showed much more talent on the slopes than behind the bar. He wasn't particularly skilled at cashing in, and friends and acquaintances were usually invited. His generous heart and humility are still well known today.

In the winter of 1968, Ludwig ended his career at the young age of 28 after the Olympic Games in Grenoble. He then dedicated himself to the hotel and, especially, to his family, which was completed with the birth of Sandra on May 1. After the desired heir, Michael, was born in the fall of 1972, it was time to close the public restaurant.

From then on, Ludwig dedicated himself with growing enthusiasm to woodworking, alongside his family and house duties. Machines were gradually acquired until the garage was transformed into a professional carpentry workshop. However, friends and acquaintances who came to visit were still always welcome to take a break. Especially, topics like alpine farming, livestock breeding, stories from his exciting athletic life, and heated discussions on sports and local politics would often stir up emotions. But with a beer and a cigarette, they would quickly come to an agreement again.

In his generosity, Ludwig could almost never say no. It was not uncommon for the most important and best machines to be "lent out" for weeks and months, even though he urgently needed them for his own work. In the end, the world champion crafted the furniture for the guest rooms mostly by himself, following his own designs. He carved coffered ceilings with individual motifs, sometimes even with a hidden message, winking to those who noticed.

Even long after his athletic career, Ludwig's fame was still enormous. He was always willing to share his stories when it came to advertising in radio and TV shows.

From 2012, health problems started to appear, which Ludwig initially stubbornly ignored, but they began to cause more and more difficulties until a doctor's visit could no longer be postponed. Since the beginning of 2013, his strength gradually left him.

After a short hospital visit in early March, he started his final race on Earth on Thursday, March 21, and, according to God's will, crossed the finish line at 5:00 PM.

Ludwig loved his family, his life, his home valley—and especially: his Mittelberg