Crack, vision, fly, kick, hop - these were the names of the “Sarner” skis. Famous for its fast coating and its design in orange-white-light green they are still popular collectors' items today.

It was the time of bent car roofs overloaded with skis and the time of stunt skies, when the first ski-factory of Southtryol was born in 1973 in Sarnenthein. Within a year of massive advertising campaigns and strong commitment, the company was so successful that Sarner skis didn't expand only within Europe but also exported to the USA and Japan. This success brought job opportunities and an economic boom to the valley. Local racers have been involved to test the latest ski models on all kinds of slopes. Kids were sponsored by receiving the skis for slalom and giant slalom and new apprenticeships opened up for young people.

But from 1978 it steadily went downhill - despite the great order situation, high interest rates and the lack of profitability left a continuously growing financial hole behind. In 1979 the dream of the big ski manufactory of Sarental valley burst and Sarner ski was closed. Today the building is occupied by a cleaning shop and consortium. Still today a few Sarner Skis can be found in the Oslo Ski Museum and the “Deutsches Museum” in Munich.

2007 - 28 min