For the week of June 13 - June 19, 2001

Ski instructor Karl Baur dies at 65

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When it comes to greeting and entertaining the skiing public at the Sun Valley resort, no group of people is more important than ski instructors.

Karl Baur, in a photo taken six years ago. Express Photo by Jeff Cordes

For 33 years, Karl Baur was an important cog in the machine known as the Sun Valley Ski School. He was one of Baldy’s best and fastest skiers.

Among the legends of Baldy, Baur was known for shooting Christmas Bowl. Technically he was very knowledgeable. Clients returned to Sun Valley year after year, knowing they would have Baur as a teacher.

"Karl Baur was one of the pillars of the ski school," former Sun Valley Ski School director Rainer Kolb said Monday.

Baur, 65, died peacefully Friday, June 8, in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where he made his home. He was surrounded by family.

In recent years Baur suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.

A finish carpenter by trade, he had not been able to come to Sun Valley for the winter for several years. But his years as a ski instructor here, from 1960-93, were happy and fun-filled.

They were also very productive. Baur’s clients stayed with him and returned to Sun Valley for years. Kolb said, "He had a lot of private clientele. Because of Karl, many people came back to Sun Valley year after year."

Kolb added, "Karl was absolutely one of our best skiers—and he loved to ski fast. He didn’t care where he taught, whether it was private or group lessons. He did a great job for me for so many years, and he was a good friend."

A native of Germany, Baur emigrated from Bavaria to Vancouver in 1957. He spent his early years skiing for his hometown ski club—racing and ski jumping at every opportunity.

From 1959-60, he worked as a ski instructor at Mount Hood in Oregon.

When Baur passed his certified instructors’ exam, one of his examiners was the legendary Sepp Froehlich, who asked Karl to join the Sun Valley Ski School. He started in the winter of 1960-61.

For many years Baur taught hiring and instructors’ clinics. In fact, he ran the first race clinic at Sun Valley in 1976, the year of no snow and the year snowmaking was first installed on Warm Springs.

He was among a select group of Sun Valley ski instructors who logged more than 30 years on the job during the ownerships of Union Pacific, Bill Janss and Earl Holding.

They included Willi Helming, Don Thurber, Myrna Heiner, Jannette Burr Johnson, Konrad Staudinger, Bob Black, Jim Hitson, Andy Schernthanner, Johnny Iceland Gudmundsson and Baur.

An avid sportsman, Baur spent much of his time away from the ski slopes hunting big game in remote regions of British Columbia.

Baur will be missed by all the lives he touched. Survivors include his wife, Janet, and two daughters, Shannon and Jennifer, plus family in Germany.

Donations in his memory can be made to the Alzheimer’s Society, 1-800-574-1787.

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.