Thredbo’s oldest resident and Australia’s oldest living Olympian Frank Prihoda recently just turned 99 years old! To celebrate this truly inspirational Thredbo local we are proud to rename ‘The Tors’ run ‘Frank’s Face’.
Starting from Australia’s highest lifted point, this intermediate run is in great company. ‘Frank’s Face’ cements Thredbo’s deep European roots, sitting between the run ‘Sasha’s Schuss’, named after Frank’s sister, and ‘Karel’s T Bar’, named after Frank’s brother-in-law and Sasha’s husband Karel Nekvapil. “It’s a family affair,” jokes Frank.
‘Frank’s Face’ is the perfect homage to this mountain pioneer’s huge impact on Thredbo. Fleeing former Czechoslovakia and its communist regime, Frank bravely emigrated to Australia in 1948. Falling in love with Australia’s alpine area, he went on to start one of Thredbo’s very first ski-lodge businesses and was integral in developing skiing in Thredbo by helping import the famous Arlberg technique (the blueprint of many ski schools worldwide).
Frank is a skiing legend in his own right, competing for Australia in the 1956 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina as an alpine downhill skier. Frank has also recently been awarded the Snow Australia Medal, a new award recognising Australians at the very highest level of winter sport.
One of the Thredbo Historical Society’s honoured Faces of Thredbo, Frank Prihoda is a big part of this mountain’s history.
Head to www.thredbo.com.au for more information!