 Poster: A snowHead
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Scottish Alpine racer Stuart Fitzsimmons, who learned to ski on the dry ski slope at Hillend before progressing onto snow at Cairngorm and eventually competing at World Cup level and in the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, has died aged 62. 
Konrad Bartelski has posted this tribute on social media:
Stuart “Fitzi” Fitzsimmons was born on the 28th December 1956 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
It was on the plastic Dendix brushes of the dry slopes of Hillend, where Fitzi first learned to ski.
Thanks to the generous support of a local benefactor, Mike Kenneth, Stuart managed to progress his unbridled natural talent and to eventually ski on snow in the Cairngorm. In the late 60’s Fitzi quickly became one of Scotland’s most talented and competitive ski racers and there by paved the way for every aspiring future skier in the country; by being the first ever dry slope skier to compete at the highest level in the World Cup and in the 1976 Innsbruck Olympic Winter Games.
Always such a cheerful character, he was also hugely determined and I remember when he seriously damaged his back whilst downhill training in Haus in Ennstal, he just checked himself out of hospital, as he was so keen to get back on to his skis. Nothing could quell his boundless enthusiasm.
When he retired from racing he continued to follow the World Cup circuit with a TV camera.
And again Fitzi was a pioneer in this field too. Way before the lightweight Go Pro style cameras were invented, Fitzi used to ski down the icy, fast and rough downhill courses with a huge, heavy camera in his hand and an even bigger Digi Beta recorder on his back. Always superbly close to the action, the dramatic and innovative images that Fitzi captured, helped put Ski Sunday on the map.
More recently, when ever I was traveling and meeting old friends on the World Cup circuit, such as Ingemar Stenmark and Franz Klammer, they would always ask me “How’s Fitzi?” His huge smile and happy face added a welcome sparkle to the World Cup circuit.
First thing this morning I received the very sad news that Fitzi passed away last night.
The world has just lost one of the most memorable people and one who with I was fortunate enough to share such great times.
My sincere thanks to Fitzi for making us all smile and laugh so much.
Konrad
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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This is falling off the front page too quickly. Nice tribute, thanks for sharing it. What a talent, imagine if he had grown up in the hills?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Stuart Fitzsimmons. British Champion Three times.
Winter Olympian 1976 (3 events)
I remember one evening in 1976, Christmas, Hillend, floodlit, with 2 feet of new snow all over the mat, completely covering it.
I skied to the mid station, and who was there but Fitzi...? Except he was on only one ski!
The other leg was sticking out straight ahead of him, encased in plaster from toe to hip.
I said "Right Fitzi, I'll be able to beat you to the bottom now!".
So off we went. After about 4 seconds, a whooping Fitzi came flashing past me, on his one good leg, and kept on absolutely straight lining all the way to the bottom, plastered leg out front. This sort of thing was completely normal for him.
Other legendary behaviour, not commented upon in the PlanetSki article was his skill of skiing with a TV camera on his shoulder. Down the side of the slalom course. Backwards. Keeping up with the competitor.
It was said that he invoked the ire of Alberto Tomba, who claimed Fitzi had put him off, whilst doing his BBC Ski Sunday cameraman thing!
Fitzi went to school in Liberton, Edinburgh, where I now live. In his class at school were two other top sportsmen. One played professional football, another, Jimmy Dolan competed for Britain in Canoe Slalom. There must have been something in that School Milk!
Here's the link to Tomba's protest to the BBC!
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/skiing-tombas-camera-trouble-1562183.html
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Incredibly sad to read that Stuart had died. Though never in the same league as him, I was lucky enough to train with him and Peter Fuchs (also gone) in Les Collonges in 1970. Two really fantastic people that it was an honour to have known. RIP Stuart. I often wonder how well you did the last time we met on that canoe race down the Clyde.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| SkiPresto wrote: |
Fitzi went to school in Liberton, Edinburgh, where I now live. In his class at school were two other top sportsmen. One played professional football, another, Jimmy Dolan competed for Britain in Canoe Slalom. There must have been something in that School Milk!
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Liberton was a fantastically sporty state school - although the teachers strikes which stopped most extra curricular activity put the kybosh on most of that except skiing in my time there.
I left Liberton in 1985, and it was one of the top football producing teams in Scotland at the time, with 3 or 4 in the years around my year who went on to be professionals with varying degrees of success. One of our gym teachers was also a part time professional footballer.
Some ex pupils -
Eammon Bannon (Dundee Utd, Hearts, Scotland) was a product of that time.
In Rugby, Bruce Hay was an ex pupil who was a Scotland International
Another ex pupil, Allan Wells was an Olympic Gold medallist at 100m.
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Stuart actually attended Gracemount school. I know because I was in the School Ski team with him. We won the Boyd Anderson trophy 4 years in a row - mainly due to him. He was a lovely boy & a very talented one. His older brother was also a talented skier.
Jim Dolan was also at Gracemount, he was a champion canoeists.
RIP Stuart - He will be sadly missed.
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