The program started by floder, ballet skiing and moguls races where we just remember some of the then most famous athletes of the Italian freestyle: Petra Moroder (humps, for many years the only prominent athlete in this sport in Italy, whos biggest success was winning the silver medal at the World Cup of bumps in Altenmarkt, Austria in 1993, plus some other podest placings). Mahlknecht Peter (bal
let, several podium finishes in the World Cup and Italian Natioal Champion in ballet). Hansi Schenk (humps, the first Italian to win a FIS World Cup in Tignes (FRA) in 1983). Ivan Mahlknecht (humps, finished in the top 10 Olympic demonstration race of the Olympics in Calgary 1988, and also many good placings in the World Cup freestyle). Andreas Schenk (humps, Italian Jump Champion in 1982 on Terminillo, + excellent placings in World Cup moguls and winner of two European Cup races in Cologne (LAT) in 1984). Miki Valt (jump, a former national alpine ski athlete, capable of inventing something absurd about skiing and organizer of the Italian Championships in freestyle in Selva in 1995). They, along with other former alpine ski national team athletes, have written pages of history for many years (also called “Old School Freestyle”). During the 90's, a new technique was developing overseas and in the scandinavian countries, the “New School”(freeride, halfpipe, big air, slopestyle and ski cross). In 1997 in Val Gardena appeared the first twin-tip skis; this new tool started a burning passion in some wild young freeriders who were later the founders of the Crazy Canacks first and then of the Freeride Club Val Gardena. The Crazy Canacks, an acrobatic group of the Ski School Selva, whose first and only president was Dietmar Insam alias Didi, attended from 1999 to 2006 to more than 100 performances such as ski shows and big air shows. In November 2002 there was also the foundation of the Freeride Club Val Gardena, whose purpose is to bring more and more young skiers to succeed in this wonderful winter-sport. The founders were Dietmar Insam (Chairman), Günter Perathoner (Vice Pres.) Ivan Avi, Florian Perathoner and Oswald Runggaldier. Later on also Lukas Senoner, Markus Thaler, Armin Senoner and Andreas Kondrak aggregated to the club to set the first council. Many of this athletes were and are participating in national and international races and contests, reaching excellent results. We also remember with great pleasure the participation of Phil Larose (US Open winner of that year and 2. at the X-Games in Aspen) to the Big Air Show in Selva in Dec.2002. Also worth mentioning is the participation of Didi and Günter Perathoner at the INTERSKI in Crans Montana (Switzerland) in January 2003 in the category freestyle (some kind of World Congress of the ski-instructors which takes place every four years like the Olympics). Each year the club participates in ca. 30 or more torchlight- and ski shows with their athletes performing amazing jumps and stunts, which often leave the audience in awe and disbelief. Since several years our promising young freeriders are part of the most important European ski companies’ proteams.
