Tag: Austria

Ski Trip to Austria 1971

ski club patch
Ski Club patch

51 years ago – February 1971 – a group of IHS students who were members of the Ski Club went to Innsbruck, Austria. Yes, Irvington High School in NJ had a Ski Club! I’m not sure if there were only seniors on this trip but there were certainly a lot of the class of ’71 representatives.

For many of us, it was a trip of “firsts.”  It might have been our first trip out of the country. It might have been our first trip on a jet. And not any ordinary jet but the brand new Boeing 747 in the Lufthansa fleet.

747

I don’t know the exact price of the trip but I know that I pulled $400 from my bank account to pay for everything. I had been working every school day and every weekend and vacation since freshman year because I knew I would have to pay for my college on my own, so that withdrawal was a big decision. Of course, now that price wouldn’t cover airfare or hotel!

I discovered when we arrived that some of my classmates had never really skied!

Our club advisors were two teachers, Mr. Reitz and Mrs. Canovas – and I believe one parent (Mr. Murray?).

Here are some photos from the trip we have collected. My photos are almost all sightseeing shots. Thanks to Vita Venturi, Maureen Cooney, Mike Emanuele, John Sanclaria and David Collins for their contributions of photos with some people in them!

Do you have some photos hidden away in an album? You can add them to our Facebook group or email them to the IHS71 email and we will add them in a future update.

  • In the air
  • Vita, Nancy
  • Flying into Munich
  • Airport Vita & Mary Linda

Getting there… (slideshow)

Our hotel homes in Innsbruck were the Hotel Grauer Bär (Gray Bear)  and the Roter Adler (Red Eagle).

Grauer Bauer – Gray Bear
Roter Adler – Red Eagle
  • Vita, John s, Mike E. with a nice camera – so where are your photos?
  • Maureen
  • Elaine F
  • Cuckoo clock souvenir? An that hat?
  • Grauer Bauer – Gray Near
  • Roter Adler – Red Eagle
  • Red Eagle
  • Marco roomed with Ken R. Surely, Marco is studying a centerfold map of the city.
  • Ken and Marco stocked up on snacks

Hanging out… hotels and bars

  • Dave’s lift ticket
  • Cable cars to the top were something new
  • Some people actually did ski.
  • Where are the trails? You made your own trails.
  • Mike’s ski badge

On the slopes

  • Innsbruck
  • Innsbruck
  • street and Nordkette
    Out the hotel window with the Nordkette in the distance
  • clock tower
  • Alpine clock, Mike with Alpine hat and ?
  • Red Eagle?

Innsbruck

  • trolleys!
  • John Sanclaria
  • Lori M, Mary Linda
  • KFC – they served beer!
  • candle and wax figures
  • newsstand
  • out of the hotel window
  • Brewery visits in Munich
  • Concert poster
  • and advertisements
  • A concentration camp entrance

Sightseeing in the area including Munich (München)

Austria map
We flew to/from Munich and skied north & south of Innsbruck. (I know we went south because at one point I met Italian border guards.)

Do you have something to add to the Innsbruck story? Leave us a comment.