Toni Matt
Encyclopedia
Anton Matt (b. ca. 1920 in St. Anton
, Austria
; d. May 17, 1989 in Pawling, New York
) was a ski racer.
Matt's most renowned feat came in 1939, when in the third "American Inferno," a top-to-bottom race of Tuckerman Ravine
on Mount Washington
, New Hampshire
, he simply schuss
ed the steep and infamous headwall. His time for the 8-mile race was 6 minutes 29.4 seconds, with a top speed of 85 MPH.
Matt had moved from Austria to the United States in 1938. He entered the Inferno on April 16, 1939, only his second time on the mountain. His schuss of the headwall was unplanned; he intended to make a few turns and then tuck. However, visibility was poor that day, and he didn't realize that he had not yet reached the Lip, the steepest part of the approach to the headwall. By the time he realized his error, it was too late to turn. Years later, he said that when he reached the floor of the headwall, at the transition from steep to relatively flat, he felt lucky to be "nineteen, stupid, and have strong legs".
Matt was the US Downhill Champion in 1939 and 1941. He served during World War II
as a lieutenant in the 10th Mountain Division and was posted to the Aleutian Islands.
Matt married Stella V. LoPresti (May 8, 1920-January 22, 2008) ca. 1944. They settled in Whitefish, Montana
and raised five children: Marydeth, Carol (Zubiel), Richard, Tracy, and Francee (Quinlan). They later moved to Pawling, New York.
Matt retired from ski racing in 1951 following a badly fractured leg, which took three years and surgery to fix. He then taught and coached skiing. Instructor Herbert Schneider said that Matt was "an especially gifted ski instructor." He was inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame
in 1967.
Matt died on May 17, 1989 in Pawling, New York, apparently of a heart attack. At the The Big Mountain
in Whitefish, Montana, a wide and steep trail is named for him.
St. Anton
Sankt Anton am Arlberg is a village and ski resort in Tyrol, western Austria, with a permanent population of approximately . It is situated at above sea level in the Tyrolean Alps, with Aerial tramways and chairlifts up to . It is also a popular summer resort among trekkers and...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
; d. May 17, 1989 in Pawling, New York
Pawling (village), New York
Pawling is a village in Dutchess County, New York, USA. The population was 2,233 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area...
) was a ski racer.
Matt's most renowned feat came in 1939, when in the third "American Inferno," a top-to-bottom race of Tuckerman Ravine
Tuckerman Ravine
Tuckerman Ravine is a glacial cirque sloping eastward on the southeast face of Mt. Washington, in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Although it draws hikers throughout the year, and skiers throughout the winter, it is best known for the many "spring skiers" who ascend it on foot and ski down...
on Mount Washington
Mount Washington (New Hampshire)
Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at , famous for dangerously erratic weather. For 76 years, a weather observatory on the summit held the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, , on the afternoon of April 12, 1934...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, he simply schuss
Schuss
In alpine skiing, a schuss or schussboom is a straight downhill run at high speed, contrasting with a slalom, mogul, or ski jumping.Schuss was also the unofficial mascot of the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France, featuring a cartoon character wearing skis. Ever since then, every Olympic Games...
ed the steep and infamous headwall. His time for the 8-mile race was 6 minutes 29.4 seconds, with a top speed of 85 MPH.
Matt had moved from Austria to the United States in 1938. He entered the Inferno on April 16, 1939, only his second time on the mountain. His schuss of the headwall was unplanned; he intended to make a few turns and then tuck. However, visibility was poor that day, and he didn't realize that he had not yet reached the Lip, the steepest part of the approach to the headwall. By the time he realized his error, it was too late to turn. Years later, he said that when he reached the floor of the headwall, at the transition from steep to relatively flat, he felt lucky to be "nineteen, stupid, and have strong legs".
Matt was the US Downhill Champion in 1939 and 1941. He served during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as a lieutenant in the 10th Mountain Division and was posted to the Aleutian Islands.
Matt married Stella V. LoPresti (May 8, 1920-January 22, 2008) ca. 1944. They settled in Whitefish, Montana
Whitefish, Montana
Whitefish is a city in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 5,032 at the 2000 census. It is home to a ski resort on Big Mountain called Whitefish Mountain Resort. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer hails from Whitefish....
and raised five children: Marydeth, Carol (Zubiel), Richard, Tracy, and Francee (Quinlan). They later moved to Pawling, New York.
Matt retired from ski racing in 1951 following a badly fractured leg, which took three years and surgery to fix. He then taught and coached skiing. Instructor Herbert Schneider said that Matt was "an especially gifted ski instructor." He was inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame
National Ski Hall of Fame
The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum is located in the City of Ishpeming in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the birthplace of organized skiing in the United States...
in 1967.
Matt died on May 17, 1989 in Pawling, New York, apparently of a heart attack. At the The Big Mountain
Whitefish Mountain Resort
Whitefish Mountain Resort is a ski resort located at The Big Mountain in northwestern Montana, located west of Glacier National Park in the Flathead National Forest...
in Whitefish, Montana, a wide and steep trail is named for him.
External links
- Photo of Toni Matt skiing from the New England Ski Museum
- Photo of Toni Matt and Luggi Foeger from the New England Ski Museum
Further reading
- Jeffrey R. Leich (1999), Over the Headwall, A Short History of Skiing in Tuckerman Ravine. New England Ski Museum. ASIN B0006RN50E