It is with great sadness that the Adler Kitzbühel say goodbye to Konrad “Conny” Staudinger, who died on October 12, 2025 at the age of 98.
Konrad Staudinger was an extraordinarily versatile athlete, the likes of which hardly exist today. Whether on skis, with a tennis racket, on the soccer field or on the golf course. Staudinger always impressed with his talent, commitment and fairness. He was the city tennis champion, founded the first children’s tennis school in Austria in 1966 and was a part of the Kitzbühel and international winter sports scene as a ski instructor for decades, including as a long-time trainer in the American Sun Valley, where he also taught 6-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin her first swings.
However, Staudinger was particularly closely connected to ice hockey and therefore also to our club. He was a defining figure for the Kitzbühel ice hockey club in the 1950s and part of the team that celebrated great success in the 1955/56 season with 17 wins in 21 games. A highlight of his career was taking part in the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where he represented the Austrian team as one of five Kitzbühel athletes. Staudinger wore the Austrian national team jersey 33 times, was the flag bearer at the 1953 World Cup in Zurich and also took part in the 1957 World Cup in Moscow. With his fighting spirit, his camaraderie and his tireless sporting spirit, he was a role model for many generations of Kitzbühel players.
Even after his active career, Konni Staudinger remained close to the sport and his friends. His modesty, humor and optimism made him a valued conversation partner and popular person, on and off the ice.
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