From ski racer to one of the German-speaking music superstars: Hansi Hinterseer’s career takes many turns. But he always remained the approachable one, the Kitzbühler with the “fur boots”, a sunny boy. Why? “You haven’t kissed me yet!”
The personified sun lamp. The eternal sunny boy and life artist. The primal force of naturalness. Hansi Hinterseer had one of the most extraordinary careers in the entertainment business. And actually always had “only” and above all “Hansi” in his luggage. His greatest asset was, is and remains himself. This Friday, the man who dared to do a lot in a “playful” and “bearish” way and became rich and famous as a result is celebrating his incredible 70th birthday.
Summary of a (professional) life: Six victories in the Ski World Cup, a World Cup silver medal, one-time winner of the Giant Slalom World Cup, third in the overall and slalom World Cup, two-time professional world champion, countless gold and platinum records, sold-out tours in German-speaking countries and abroad In addition, TV presenter, actor, etc., etc. But Hansi Hinterseer has never been able to cope with numbers, data and facts alone. It always remained a total work of art that was always more important than its “individual parts”. If the power of personality alone can achieve great things – Hinterseer, born on February 2nd, 1954, whom everyone around the world calls “Hansi” for the rest of his life, would be one of the best examples of this.
Sunnyboy from the Seidlalm
And like so many stories, his began modestly: Growing up with his grandparents on the Seidlalm directly on the Streif, the young Hansi says he learned early on what it means to be, above all, content, grateful and happy. A not untypical rural Tyrolean childhood from the somewhat delayed post-war period. Going to school on skis, a barren, idyllic childhood with the greatest possible freedom. Despite modest financial resources, Hansi, the illegitimate son of Olympic slalom champion Ernst Hinterseer, was practically born with skiing. Incidentally, the relationship with the father is said to be very tense today. A rapid but relatively short World Cup career followed, which he ended again in 1978 at the age of just 24. Incidentally, rumored disagreements with coaches and sporting leadership hurt her. “Hansi” didn’t want any more. Because he always had his own mind. Everyday darling, but not everyman’s guy – that was the theme of his life so far.
Hansi Hinterseer in Kitzbühel. In classic outfit. Getty Images / Klaus Pressberger
This was followed by a move to America, to what was then the “professional tour”. Formative, professionally and personally. The home-loving Hansi, far from home. After two world championship titles and many celebrity acquaintances, Hinterseer finally hung up the boards. The married father of two daughters remained publicly present from the mid-1980s, primarily as a co-commentator of ski races on ORF. And he also remained – to this day – an ambassador for himself. A constant advertising figure. Hansi by profession.
From a purely realistic perspective, the professional peak in such a case seems to have already been passed, but for Hansi the great avalanche of success was just beginning to roll. And from then on he would overshadow everything, including his sporting achievements. The big turning point in his life came in the summer of 1993: an accordion serenade for the birthday of the music producer and then Hinterseer friend Jack White in Kitzbühel was the initial spark for his musical career. “Three days later he offered me a record deal, which I didn’t want to hear about at first. It was only after three weeks and repeated urging from Jack White that I let myself get involved,” Hinterseer once said about his beginnings. Soon there was success. “I couldn’t get along anymore,” said the celebrant.
That’s how you know him: charming, always with a smile on his face. APA / APA / Expa/johann Groder
“You haven’t kissed me yet”
The first TV appearance as a singer with the debut single “You haven’t kissed me today” in 1994 in the “Musikantenstadl” ultimately marked the start of a career that was often ridiculed by critics, but was supported all the more frenetically by his fans. In 30 years as a singer, he has racked up gold and platinum albums in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and in countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark. Since then, a new Hinterseer album has been released almost every year – and it almost always ends up at least in the upper charts. There are also sold-out tours through many of the largest halls, winning multiple awards such as the “Golden Tuning Fork” and the “Crown of Folk Music” as well as the German Echo music prize in 2004.
Kitzbühler family man Imago / Daniel Scharinger
Over the years he managed to develop from the singer “Hansi” to the all-round entertainment great “Hansi”. With personality shows such as “Herzlichst Hansi Hinterseer” or “Servus, Hansi Hinterseer”, the entertainer, who prefers to travel through impressive mountain landscapes, ensured ratings in the millions on the main Saturday evening of ORF and German public broadcasters for many years. The annual fan hikes with more than 10,000 Hansi fans from all over the world in his hometown of Kitzbühel achieved cult status. As part of the “Hansi Hinterseer Open Air” broadcast on television from the Kitzbühel tennis stadium, the fan hike ensured maximum screen presence. Both the fan hike and the TV open air (today Andreas Gabalier, among others, gives concerts there) have been a thing of the past since 2011 – the result of a conflict with those responsible for tourism and politics in his hometown. There was probably a soul wound left behind that still gaps today. Not to mention his hometown of Kitzbühel – it reveals that behind the always radiant Hansi there is also a deep, vulnerable person.
As in every career, Hansi’s stumbling blocks and smaller setbacks increased over time – especially in the last ten years. True to wisdom: Anyone who stands at the summit has to make their way back at some point. In 2013, after ARD left, he lost his ORF show, which he presented for 18 years under different names. In 2017, however, the format celebrated a resurrection, although not with the usual frequency. Hinterseer is currently “off the air” again.
Parallel to his music and TV career, the passionate fur moon boots wearer also developed into a ratings winner as an actor – with the help of film producer Norbert Blecha. From the year 2000 onwards there were a whole series of modern local films with Hinterseer in the lead role. The film titles changed marginally – “Where the mountains are”, “Where the home is”, “Where the hearts beat” – but “The Hansi” always remained the same. The last film with him in the lead role to date was in 2014 – it remains to be seen whether there will be a comeback in this field.
Hinterseer is currently no longer at the highest peak of his career. But according to us, he is on a very high plateau: Despite new superstars and shooting stars, the Tyrolean has been able to remain at the top of the pop and popular world to this day. He remained a real “guy” in the midst of many a streamlined, interchangeable, over-coached “competitor.”
For Hinterseer, who has now become a grandfather, his rock remains his family: wife Romana, daughters Jessica and Laura. “I am a happy person,” he said in the APA interview. He, who has “grabbed happiness by the bootstraps,” continues to breathe the mountain air of life.
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