Stein Eriksen emerged as one of the world’s top skiers, winning a gold medal in the giant slalom and a silver medal in the slalom at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway.

Stein Eriksen was born in Oslo, Norway in 1927. Both of his parents were zealous nordic skiers. This is one of the reasons the young Stein began skiing as soon as he could walk.

Shortly after the Nazi’s invaded Norway, Stein’s parents went to St. Anton am Arlberg in the Tyrol to “find out what this downhill skiing taught by Hannes Schneider was all about.” They were “bitten by the downhill bug” and passed it to Stein.

During World War II, skiing came to a virtual standstill in Norway. It was forbidden because the Nazi’s feared large gatherings would ignite the always smoldering nationalism. However, during this time Stein and friends were determined to keep physically fit. Occasionally they organized slalom races in some hidden forest glade near Oslo.

After the war, Stein was named to the 1948 Norwegian Olympic Team at St. Moritz, Switzerland, placing 29th in the slalom. In the 1952 Olympics at Oslo, Norway, Stein won the silver medal in the slalom and the gold medal in the giant slalom.

Stein had offers to turn professional but he would not until after the 1954 F.I.S. World Championships at Are, Sweden. This was one of his proudest moments as a competitor, winning three gold medals in the slalom, giant slalom and combined – making Stein the first alpine skier in the world to win triple gold at a world championship.

Immigrating to the United States in 1953, Stein gained experience in ski school management during 1954-1956 at Boyne Mountain, Michigan. From 1956-1958, he served as ski school director for Heavenly Valley, California. Stein later moved to Snowmass, Colorado and served as director of skiing and ski school director. He then spent four years at Sugarbush, Vermont, serving as ski school director. Before joining Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, Stein was lured to Aspen, Colorado where he was ski school director and owned his own sport shop.

Now serving as host of Deer Valley’s famous Stein Eriksen Lodge and as director of skiing, Stein attends special events and activities at the resort and enjoys photo sessions and skiing with Deer Valley guests.

Stein now splits his time between Park City and a home in Montana with his wife, Francoise, sons, Bjorn and Stein Jr. and daughters, Julianna and Ava.

Stein Eriksen was elected to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in 1982.