Quick Facts
| Intro | Swiss alpine ski racer |
| A.K.A. | Erika Reymond-Hess, Erika Reymond |
| Is | Skier Athlete Alpine skier |
| From | Switzerland |
| Type | Sports |
| Gender | female |
| Birth | 6 March 1962, Wolfenschiessen |
| Age | 59 years |
| Star sign | Pisces |
Biography
Erika Hess (born 6 March 1962) is a former alpine ski racer from Switzerland. She is one of the best female skiers ever, dominating the field in the 1980s with 31 World Cup victories (22 in slalom), four slalom titles (1981–83 and 1985), and two overall titles (1982, 1984). She also won six World Championship gold medals between 1982 and 1987, as well as bronze medal in the slalom at the 1980 Winter Olympics at age 17. She missed another medal on February 9, 1985, when she was in the lead after the first leg of the Slalom Race at the "Stelvio" course at Bormio but failed to finish the second leg.
Hess was born in Wolfenschiessen. Her first World Cup start was at the age of 15 in Berchtesgaden, West Germany, on January 25, 1978, and her first podium was on December 6, 1979, at Val-d'Isère, France. She retired at age 25 following the 1987 season with 31 World Cup victories, 76 podiums, and 146 top tens in 165 starts. She won six World Cup Slalom Races in a row from January to the season finish in March 1981.
She was awarded with the »Skieur d’Or« (»The ski racer in gold«, later named "Serge Lang Trophy" - named after Serge Lang - an award given by "The Association Internationale des Journalistes de Ski", an international Consortium of journalists competent for ski sports) on November 22, 1982 (5 points ahead to Phil Mahre). Several statistics say that she did win the title in the Slalom World Cup 1985-86, but she is placed 2nd. She, and Roswitha Steiner did gain 110 points, but her Austrian opponent did win 4 slalom races in that season (Erika only 2), therefore the higher number of wins was decisive.
Her cousin Monika Hess (she is two years younger than Erika, born May 24, 1964) also was a ski-racer. Erika is married to Jacques Raymond (her trainer), the couple and three sons are living at Saint-Légier-La Chiésaz. Henceforward, Erika is organizing races and training camps for upcoming ski racers.
World Cup victories
Season titles
| Season | Discipline |
|---|---|
| 1981 | Slalom |
| 1982 | Overall |
| Slalom | |
| 1983 | Slalom |
| 1984 | Overall |
| Giant Slalom | |
| Combined | |
| 1985 | Slalom |
Individual victories
| Season | Date | Location | Race |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 13 January 1981 | Schruns, Austria | Slalom |
| 21 January 1981 | Crans-Montana, Switzerland | Slalom | |
| 31 January 1981 | Les Diablerets, Switzerland | Slalom | |
| 3 February 1981 | Zwiesel, West Germany | Slalom | |
| 15 March 1981 | Furano, Japan | Slalom | |
| 24 March 1981 | Wangs–Pizol, Switzerland | Slalom | |
| 25 March 1981 | Wangs-Pizol, Switzerland | Giant Slalom | |
| 1982 | 13 December 1981 | Piancavallo, Italy | Slalom |
| 21 December 1981 | St. Gervais, France | Slalom | |
| 3 January 1982 | Maribor, Slovenia | Slalom | |
| 20 January 1982 | Bad Gastein, Austria | Slalom | |
| 20 January 1982 | Bad Gastein, Austria | Combined | |
| 1982 World Championships | |||
| 21 March 1982 | L'Alpe d'Huez, France | Giant Slalom | |
| 21 March 1982 | L'Alpe d'Huez, France | Slalom | |
| 1983 | 8 December 1982 | Val-d'Isère, France | Giant slalom |
| 17 December 1982 | Piancavallo, Italy | Slalom | |
| 9 February 1983 | Maribor, Slovenia | Slalom | |
| 1984 | 1 December 1983 | Kranjska Gora, Slovenia | Slalom |
| 11 December 1983 | Val-d'Isère, France | Giant Slalom | |
| 14 December 1983 | Sestriere, Italy | Combined | |
| 15 January 1984 | Maribor, Slovenia | Slalom | |
| 22 January 1984 | Verbier, Switzerland | Combined | |
| 29 January 1984 | St. Gervais, France | Giant Slalom | |
| 17 March 1984 | Jasná, Slovakia | Giant Slalom | |
| 1985 | 19 March 1985 | Park City, UT, USA | Slalom |
| 1985 World Championships | |||
| 22 March 1985 | Heavenly Valley, CA, USA | Slalom | |
| 1986 | 12 December 1985 | Sestriere, Italy | Combined |
| 15 December 1985 | Savognin, Switzerland | Slalom | |
| 11 March 1986 | Park City, Utah, USA | Slalom | |
| 1987 | 5 December 1986 | Waterville Valley, NH, USA | Slalom |
| 21 December 1986 | Val Zoldana, Italy | Slalom | |
| 1987 World Championships |