Steve Rieschl (1937-2025)
The Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame and our community lost another great ski icon. We regret to inform you of the passing of Stephen Reinhold Rieschl. Steve passed on Saturday, April 26, at the age of 87, after fighting the good fight. His family imagines him polka dancing and ski jumping in heaven. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m. on June 14, 2025, at Clearview Community Church in Buena Vista, Colorado. Interment will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
Steve first came to Colorado in 1955. Under Coach Sven Wiik, he led Western State College to 2 top 5 NCAA finishes. Steve was a member of the 1960 Olympic team and captained the U.S. Nordic Ski Team at the 1962 World Championships. After competing, he worked for 18 years as an examiner for the Professional Ski Instructors of America. He founded the first Vail Cross-Country Ski School in 1968 and authored the book Ski Touring for the “Fun of It.”
Steve was born on July 16, 1937, to Raymond and Evelyn (Winkelmann) Rieschl in Minneapolis. Steve’s father began teaching him to ski when he was 3 ½ years old, and by age 11, Steve was skiing competitively. When he was 13, he traveled to Steamboat Springs for his first national ski tournament, which led to his lifelong love of the mountains and Colorado.
Steve has been a Colorado resident since 1955, when he attended Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado. He was a member of the WCS Ski Team and was coached by and competed under fellow Hall of Famer Sven Wiik. While at WSC, he coached a local ski team and helped build Cranor Hill, a local slalom and jump hill. His athletic achievements include competing on state, national, and international levels, and his contribution ranges from Nordic to alpine. He coached two Colorado-based ski teams for the Junior Nationals. Steve started coaching in Gunnison, and he went on to coach in Summit County, Aspen, and Steamboat Springs.
Steve was instrumental in creating a Nordic Instructor Certification Program, which began under the auspices of the U.S. Coaches Association and later transferred to the Professional Ski Instructors Association. For 18 years, he was an examiner with PSIA. He founded the Vail Cross-Country Ski School in 1968, starting with one instructor, which quickly grew to 14. When teaching in Summit County, he created the “Ski to School” program, coaching and building the sport of skiing in the area, and was very active in the Frisco Gold Rush citizen race.
As a competitor, Steve was a member of the 1960 Olympic team and captained the U.S. Nordic Ski Team at the 1962 World Championships in Zakopane, Poland.
He led the first Vail Cross-Country Team on a trip to Aspen, which became the foundation for the trail system to the 10th Mountain Division Huts of today.
He wrote a weekly column for five years, helped produce two nationally distributed films on ski touring, and contributed to major ski magazines. He is the author of “Ski Touring for the Fun of It,” which was published by Sports Illustrated.
He represented Garcia Ski Corporation in cross-country skiing, presented clinics, made many personal appearances promoting the sport, and produced 15 television shows on ski touring tips, which ran on national television for three years.
Steve was awarded the Halstead Trophy for outstanding contributions to Colorado skiing in 2003.
Read more about Steve and his accomplished life by clicking the button below or watch his Hall of Fame tribute video featured here.
About the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame:
Founded in 1975 and located in Vail, Colorado, our mission is to celebrate Colorado snow sports by telling stories that educate and inspire others to seek adventure. The priceless artifacts we collect and display tell the story of the birth, rise and explosion of skiing and snowboarding in Colorado. The Museum features displays including Climb to Glory about the 10th Mountain Division, Vail’s DNA, The Colorado Snowboard Archive, and The Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame, among many others. Learn more and consider supporting the Museum by becoming a member: www.snowsportsmuseum.org.
Media Contacts:
Colorado Snowsports Museum:
Jen Mason | Dana Mathios
jen@snowsportsmuseum.org | dana@snowsportsmuseum.org
(970) 476-1876