Michael Horn - Broadcaster, "Voice of the Hahnenkamm"

Michael Killisch von Horn, known in the skiing world as Michael Horn, died February 16, 2019 after a brief illness, at age 78.

Best know abroad as the “Voice of the Hahnenkamm,” von Horn was a local official, serving on Kitzbuehel’s town council, as deputy mayor, and as a leader of the chamber of commerce and tourism office. He served a term in the Austrian Parliament in 1988-90, representing the the center-right Austrian People’s Party. He held a degree in economics from the University of Innsbruck.

Born in Berlin in 1940, von Horn was brought to Austria as an infant. In 1955, at age 15, he began promoting tennis tournaments, then began announcing the Hahnenkamm races in 1963. Fluent in seven languages, he was named official announcer at the 1964 and 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck, the 1982 FIS Alpine championships at Schladming and the 1985 Nordic championships at Seefeld. He worked for ORF, the Austrian broadcaster, calling World Cup races in Austria, Italy and France. He called World Cup races in Aspen for ten years, and did the 1989 Alpine Championships at Vail. He served as chairman of the Kitzbuehel Sports Club from 2012 onward.

In 2013, von Horn was honored by ISHA with its Lifetime Achievement Award for Broadcasting.