Hahnenkamm Races mourn “Shovel Toni”
He was an indispensable member of the piste team on the Steilhang slope for 15 years. Toni Real, President of the Liechtenstein Ski Association, has sadly died following a mountain accident. His passion for ski racing knew no bounds.
It was one of the most extraordinary relationships between the world’s greatest ski race and a senior official: year in, year out, Toni Real, President of the Liechtenstein Ski Association, travelled to the Hahnenkamm Races. But not to celebrate in the grandstands – instead, he worked on the Steilhang slope as part of the piste team preparing the Streif. For 15 years, he worked with tireless energy and a deep love for the sport in freezing temperatures, wind, snow and rain, on extremely steep terrain. Now the 61-year-old has died following a tragic mountain accident.
Toni Real could, of course, have followed the Hahnenkamm Races comfortably from home on television or among the fans in the finish stadium. But from 2010 onwards, the landscape gardener chose a different path. That year, standing among 50,000 cheering spectators on the Rasmusleitn, he asked himself: “Why am I not on the other side of the fence?” The thought gained momentum after Marco Büchel’s retirement in the same year: “If no Liechtensteiners are skiing down the Streif anymore, then at least one Liechtensteiner should help make sure the piste is perfectly prepared.”
Shortly afterwards, Toni Real applied to join the piste team – and was accepted. From 2011 onwards, he spent two weeks before each Race Week in Kitzbühel, helping with work on the Steilhang section of the course. Incidentally, the humorous and friendly Liechtensteiner did not earn his nickname ‘Schaufel-Toni’ (Toni the Shoveler) from his day job as a gardener, but from his great love of shovelling snow on the Streif.
Since 2022, there has even been a “Team Real” at the Hahnenkamm Races: his son Luca joined him, having previously been part of the Liechtenstein ski squad until the age of 16. In 2025, father and son worked together for the last time. In July 2025, Toni Real was seriously injured during a mountain tour. He has now succumbed to those injuries.
Michael Huber, Chief Organiser of the Hahnenkamm Races, expressed his deep sorrow: “Toni was an integral part of the Hahnenkamm family – far beyond Kitzbühel and his home country of Liechtenstein, he was a tireless ambassador for ski racing. His passion for the sport, commitment and sense of humour were truly exceptional, making him a valued member of our team. He will be greatly missed. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family and loved ones. The memory of ‘Shovel Toni’ will always live on at the Streif.”
Photo © K.S.C./alpinguin
