"Silver Badge of Honor of the Austrian Ski Federation" for Solden's Jakob Falkner

For over 40 years, Managing Director Jakob Falkner has been at the helm of the Sölden mountain lifts. Now, the visionary has been awarded the "Silver Badge of Honor of the Austrian Ski Federation".

Visionary and Sölden mastermind

No matter who you ask about the beginnings of the Ski World Cup in Sölden, his name always comes up: Jakob "Jack" Falkner. The managing director of the Sölden mountain lifts has been the organizing committee chairman since the very beginning and is the driving force behind this event. At this year's TT Gala in the Hotel Central in Sölden, the visionary and tourism pioneer from the Ötztal valley was awarded the Austrian Ski Federation's Silver Medal of Honor for his outstanding contributions to skiing.

Jakob Falkner is a visionary and pioneer who has achieved incredible things for domestic skiing.

Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV) President Roswitha Stadlober

Jakob Falkner on ...

…the Sölden spirit : “I’m not saying this because it needs to be said, but because it’s true: The organizing committee has been the key to success from the very beginning. We have a fantastic team, many of whom are still passionately involved after more than 30 years. Enthusiasm and dedication – that has always been there. Whether it was the mountain lifts, the tourism board, the municipality, or the ski club – personal sensitivities were put aside. The focus was always on OUR Ski World Cup – and that Sölden spirit is still palpable. For that, I want to say thank you!”

…personal highlights at the World Cup: “For me, it was the races themselves, especially because big stars like Hermann Maier, Bode Miller, Ted Ligety, Marcel Hirscher, and Marco Odermatt have repeatedly won in Sölden. Lindsey Vonn also celebrated her first giant slalom victory here. I personally will never forget Anita Wachter's huge-league win at the World Cup premiere. Ultimately, though, it's the whole package that makes Sölden so special. That includes the legendary fan club parade, packed restaurants, and the great atmosphere in the town.”