Franz X. Gabl was born in Austria in 1921. He was an avid downhill skier and mountain climber who found great satisfaction in racing and competition. After Nazi Germany annexed Austria in 1938 Gabl found himself drafted into the army and sent to the Russian Front from 1941 to 1945. After becoming a prisoner of war in a Russian-controlled camp Gabl escaped and made his way back to his hometown of St. Anton in 1945.
Having survived the harrowing experience of World War II, Gabl went on to win a Silver Medal for Downhill Skiing at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland. After competing for a number of years he found a job in British Columbia as a ski instructor. Gabl then went on to become the head coach of the Canadian Olympic Ladies Ski Team in 1952 and the Men's Ski Team in 1956. After settling in Washington State, Gabl became instrumental in initiating Whatcom County's annual Ski-to-Sea race in 1973. Upon retirement Franz X. Gabl settled in Bellingham, Washington.
From the guide to the Franz X. Gabl Papers, 1917-2000, (Western Washington University Heritage Resources)
