Fred Bosinger celebration of life

The entire ski industry was saddened with the news of the passing of Alfred Gottlieb (Fred) Bosinger last week.  Fred was a mentor to many and a significant influencer on the ski industry and racing community.

A service will be held January 15, 2018 at 4pm at Mt. Norquay.

Born in Switzerland, Fred began skiing at the age of 11 – apparently in his youth he was often found skiing down the street, rather than the local ski hills. In the 60s, Fred moved to Montreal to work for Mueller lifts and later Expo ’67. His love of skiing brought him to Rossland, BC in 1972 to manage Red Mountain. Hosting the Canadian Championships in 1972 at Red Mountain drew Fred into the organizational world of the sport.  In the early 80’s Fred and Margaret moved their young family (Pete, Rob, and Anna) to Banff. Where they became integral pillars in the community.

Fred joined Sunshine in 1983 as the Maintenance Manager, and later grew to be general manager and Vice President. Fred was an instrumental member of the Sunshine family, who was critical in transforming Sunshine into the resort it is today. Among his many notable accomplishments were hosting and staging of the 1985 & 1986 F.I.S Worldcup Women’s Down Hill and Super G events. The Sunshine World Cup races were essential for building the volunteer base that was required for the 1988 Winter Olympic Games.

A very competitive skier and racer himself, Fred championed the CWSAA Competitor Pass program from 1987 to 2010.  He served with distinction as a CWSAA director, and in 2004 was honored with the CWSAA Jim Marshall lifetime achievement award.

Fred retired in 2005, but stayed active in the ski community. He was a volunteer for ski racing at all levels (from Nancy Greene to the Olympics).

In 2016 Fred was inducted into the Canadian Rockies Ski Racing Hall of Fame, and just last month was honored at the Lake Louise World Cup with the 2017 Winterstart Award.

Fred’s passion for skiing was contagious. He will be sorely missed by his many friends.

Pictured above: Dave Gibson presents Fred Bosinger (with wife Margaret) the 2004 CWSAA Jim Marshall Award.

Headline picture: Fred Bosinger waves hello during the 2017 CWSAA Awards Banquet.

 

Thank you to Sunshine Village for their contributions to this tribute, with additional history from the CWSAA Jim Marshall Award archives.