Rolf Lanz, the Swiss-born skier credited with spreading a love for the sport across East Tennessee, has died at age 88.
Lanz died Saturday in Knoxville, according to the Atchley Funeral Home.
Lanz came to America from Switzerland as a young man in the early 1950s, eventually becoming a U.S. citizen. He worked for a time as a hair dresser, but ultimately gravitated toward skiing.
In 1965, Lanz was hired as ski director of the Gatlinburg Ski Resort, better known today as Ober Gatlinburg. Over the years he also owned a ski school and ski sport and apparel shops in the area under his own name.
Whenever skiing season arrived or East Tennessee got a good snowfall, you'd inevitably see Lanz on TV talking about action on the slopes.
After more than 30 years directing ski operations at Ober Gatlinburg, Lanz retired.
Survivors include his wife Lee. The family will receive friends 4-7 p.m. Thursday at Beech Springs Baptist Church in Kodak, according to a death notice.
