Vreni Schneider celebrates her 60th birthday today. Photographer Eddy Risch followed Gold Vreni up close throughout her fantastic skiing career and beyond. "She was uniquely uncomplicated," says Risch to blue Sport and reveals which photo shoot she still turned him down for.
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- Happy birthday, "Gold-Vreni". Our biggest Swiss ski star of the 80s and early 90s Vreni Schneider is celebrating her 60th birthday today, Tuesday. There will be a Vreni Schneider museum in her home town of Elm in 2025.
- For blue Sport, photographer Eddy Risch (65) remembers the extraordinary time with the modest skier from Elm in the finish area and beyond. Despite all her successes, she always remained the little girl from Elm, the daughter of a shoemaker, says Risch.
- Once, however, even the uncomplicated Elm girl turned him down. Here Risch reveals why.
On December 19, 1984, the headline on the front page of "BLICK" read: "Vreni from Elm beat all the stars". She was 20 years old when she won her first World Cup.
Vreni from Elm" quickly became "Gold-Vreni" - the biggest Swiss ski star. Three-time Olympic champion. Three-time world champion. Three-time overall World Cup winner. But despite all her successes, winning 55 World Cup races, she always remained "Vreni from Elm". "Vreni was a superstar in skiing, but the word star doesn't fit her at all. She was far too grounded, far too decent, far too modest for that. She always remained the little girl from Elm, the daughter of a shoemaker," says Eddy Risch.
"Is everything okay Eddy? Or do you need something else?"
Risch should know. The 65-year-old from Liechtenstein accompanied Schneider throughout her career and beyond as a long-time photographer for "BLICK" and "Schweizer Illustrierte". "I've probably never photographed a sportswoman or sportsman as often as Vreni. With the exception of Martina Hingis." According to Risch, nothing could be more uncomplicated than Vreni Schneider. Whether after a victory or defeat in the finish area, at a summer training camp in Turkey or Spain or even in Senegal, where he once accompanied Schneider, who was involved with "World Vision".
Schneider always waited in the finish area until the very end, he says, "and before she left, she came over and asked: "Eddy, is everything okay or do you need anything else?" There were a lot of uncomplicated people in the ski circus back then, but Vreni was exceptional."
Vreni Schneider also turned Risch down once
Once, however, the Elmer woman also turned the photographer down. She didn't want to take part in the sports calendar for 1994. "The idea was to stage the athletes a little differently, a little more provocatively. Vreni said: 'That's not me, I don't feel comfortable there'. She was also clever and didn't let herself be tempted to do things she didn't want to do. So we didn't manage to get a photo."
Soon, some of Riesch's best Vreni photos will be on display in Elm. The Glarus village is planning a museum for its most famous inhabitant and he has already been contacted about it. "I'm sure it will be great," says Risch happily, "Vreni is a collector and hunter and has kept lots of memorabilia from her career."
Vreni Schneider, who can still be seen regularly on the ski slopes in Elm, is celebrating her 60th birthday today, Tuesday. Risch wishes her all the best. "Happy birthday, dear Vreni. It was a wonderful time with you in the World Cup."
We all join in this congratulations from the bottom of our hearts. The 80s and early 90s with "Gold-Vreni" were fantastic and will remain unforgettable for all Swiss ski fans who experienced them. If anyone deserves her own museum, it's "Vreni from Elm".
