THE YEARS 1980-1989

1980

May: opening of the Eisgrat panorama restaurant – a masterpiece by architect Heinz Pedrini.
Operation of Eisjoch III lift starts; operation start of the Windachferner lift; drilling of Austria’s highest located spring at Eissee (2,700m); building works for Ochstallahn and Marchlahm avalanche galleries start;

1981

January: three weeks closed due to avalanche danger, thus building works of the parallel lift is delayed; enormous demand at Easter; building and operation start of the section I lift and the Gamsgarten double chairlift in early summer; Marchlahn avalanche galleries finished; Grabanock damn completed; Ochstallahm avalanche gallery finished – all without support of the public hand.
Number of persons transported by lift: 563,350.

1982

Year of recession in Austrian tourism – our sales volume rises by 10%. The investments made in 1979/80 proved to be right. Raffeine avalanche gallery finished.

1983

Initiative of the Wintersport Tirol AG against the building of a ÖBB power plant which would have ruined one of the most beautiful waterfalls of the valley. With legal support by Dr. Bernhard Heitzmann we succeed in having the big waterfalls of the valley placed under a protective order! May: operation of the Fernau sewage plant starts; first step of the realisation of a sewage system.
Persons transported by lift: 666,794.

1984

Building and operation start of the Daunferner double chairlift. First planning of snow-making facilities.
Employees: 120

1985

Excellent winter. Completion of the canalisation and the Fernau sewage plant. Building of the Jochdohle at Gaiskarjoch, 3,150m.
Transported persons: 752,751.Stubai bed nights: 1,664.826.

1986

Opening of the Gamsgarten restaurant. Building of the Daunferenr T-bar lift – the highest located building site of the Tyrol.

1987

Franz Wegscheider advances to the management. He is responsible for the finances of the company. Good results in spring. Flooding catastrophes in July and August. Massive damage to our road and in the area of the base station. 24 closing days due to flooding. Record result in December.
Persons transported: 701,591.

1988

Building: eight garages for snowcats, self-catering room, rooms for ski testing groups, enlargement of the Sportshop 3,000, new rooms for personnel. On All Saints Day the snow-making facilities start operating for the first time. Excellent result in autumn.

1989

Fantastic result in winter and spring (11,000 persons at Easter). Inreased marketing activities in Italy. Operation of the Rotadl four-seater chairlift on 1 November. Persons transported (entries): 982,486.