Identity area
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Person
Authorized form of name
Lang, Serge
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Description area
Dates of existence
June 6, 1920 - November 21, 1999
History
Serge Lang was a French alpine skier known for founding the Alpine Skiing World Cup. He began conceiving of it in the mid-1960s as a means of increasing the international profile of alpine skiing, which was then a largely central European sport. The first unofficial World Cup season began in January 1967; that spring it became an official FIS (Federation Internationale de Ski)-sanctioned event. Lang continued to guide its growth over the coming decades, serving as president of the FIS Alpine World Cup committee from 1973 to 1986.
Lang was also a journalist who covered alpine, cycling, and other sports, including the 1948 Winter Olympics, for publications such as Blick, La Suisse, 24 Heures, and L’Équipe. It was he who coined the name 'Crazy Canucks' for the Canadian skiers Dave Murray, Steve Podborski, Ken Read, Dave Irwin, and 'Jungle' Jim Hunter. He founded the Association of International Ski Journalists in 1961 and wrote several books about ski racing and the World Cup, including “21 Years of World Cup Ski Racing” and the annual “Ski World Cup Guide.” His children and grandchildren have carried on the family tradition of involvement in the World Cup and the Tour de France bicycle race.
Places
France
Legal status
Functions, occupations and activities
Sports journalist
Alpine skier
Founder of the Alpine Skiing World Cup
President of the FIS Alpine World Cup committee (1973-1986)
Founder of the Association of International Ski Journalists (1961)
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Authority record identifier
FR-LS001
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Dates of creation, revision and deletion
March 6, 2019