Last at Van Deer: Ski Boot Genius Passes Away

The ski world had to bid farewell to Hubert Immler this week. The 64-year-old native of Vorarlberg passed away on Tuesday after a serious illness.

Immler shaped the Ski World Cup for several decades with his ski boot expertise.

Former ÖSV overall World Cup winner Anita Wachter, who ended her career in 2001, remembers. "It didn't matter what time it was. He was an inventor who helped me a lot with his knowledge. He was the ski boot pope," Wachter is quoted by "Krone".

Many Ski Stars Taken to a New Level

Immler started as a ski tester for Kästle in the 1990s, later working with Lange. In 1996, he joined Atomic and developed the ski boots with which Lasse Kjus and Bode Miller won the overall World Cup. Later, he was also active for Nordica/Technica and Head, where he helped advance athletes like Reinfried Herbst and Didier Cuche, among others.

Most recently, Immler worked for Marcel Hirscher's company Van Deer.