Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/184590
Where did you grow up: I was born in Salzburg, Austria, and grew up in Kitzbühel, Austria. Kitzbühel is a small town that hosts the most challenging downhill ski race and is one of the top five ski resorts in Europe. INSIDE the Head of ... People would be most surprised that: I actually have a fear of heights. NILS STOLZLECHNER BY BROOKE HORTENSTINE BRUNO Your competitive sports bio: I started competing in downhill skiing when I was six years old. I won the Austrian downhill championships when I was 14 but decided to take up ski jumping — flying through the air at 60 mph certainly has its thrills. At 18, I injured a knee and was kicked off the Austrian team. Luckily, I had a United States passport and was able to join the U.S. Ski Team in 1980. Two years later, I made the World Championship Ski Team, placing fifth in the world at the championships in Innsbruck, Austria. At 23, I decided to retire and focus on my professional career. For fun, I took up windsurfing and entered a speed trail competition in California. While most competitors were professionals, I showed up with outdated equipment and ended up placing third in a field of 150 competitors. Seventeen years later, I learned to kitesurf in San Francisco — note that I had to be rescued more than 10 times by the U.S. Coast Guard. In July 2007, I entered a World Cup competition in Sylt, Germany. At registration, they asked me if I was entering my son. I ended up placing seventh out of 85 competitors. At that time, I was the only athlete in the world to finish in the top 10 in certified World Cup competitions in three different sports. Favored place for kiteboarding: San Francisco Bay under the Golden Gate Bridge. Airline you prefer: United Airlines flies to all of my surf spots, including Europe. Next travel locale: Rio de Janeiro to compete in the Kiteboarding World Championship Titles. Music you listen to before competing: Anything from Supertramp. Workout routine: One hour of daily cardio and 15 minutes of free weights at Gold's Gym. Whenever it's windy, kiteboarding on Lake Ray Hubbard — from Dalrock up to Rush Creek Yacht Club and back down; at least four times. Three things you do in your job that would surprise people: 1. You will find me in the restaurants on busy days busing tables. 2. I personally interview every associate that wants to work at the Omni Dallas Hotel. 3. If the kitchen gets busy, I will help out as a chef — I used to be one in Switzerland. Most spontaneous thing you've ever done: Being towed by a jet ski on a surfboard at Jaws — the big wave spot in Maui — while surfing a 40-foot monster wave. Tell us about your kiteboard company: When I was in San Francisco, I started building boards — it was fun to design my own ideas and cheaper than buying them. I was transferred to the Omni Hotel in Corpus Christi for the general manager position and secured my own shaping room. I spent many hours designing and perfecting the boards and eventually founded my company NJS Designs — njsdesigns.org. On my kiteboards, Damien LeRoy won the U.S. National Championship in 2008, Sean Farley won the Kiteboard Course Racing World Championship in 2009, and Kristen Boese won the World Cup in 2010. This year's board was tested on Lake Ray Hubbard and will be sold worldwide. While most of the industry test and build their boards in Hawaii, hiding in Dallas and developing the boards here is ideal, along with the perfect conditions in spring and early summer. Luggage that accompanies you: Dakine duffel bags — also the ones with rollers. First hotel memory: My grandparents' hotel, Gasthaus Stolzlechner, in Kitzbühel, Austria. We still have it, and my dad lives there, but it's now an apartment building. Guilty pleasure: A great French wine, like Château Lafite Rothschild, and some really stinky cheeses. Favorite hiding spot in the world: Haiku, Maui. Snow skis you snap on: I get my skis from people who are currently racing — usually Atomics. Wish list of what you would like to do next: Open more hotels — it's an unbelievable rush and gives you an opportunity to create great guest experiences. One word to describe yourself: Determined. One thing you'll never try again: Being towed by a jet ski on a surfboard at Jaws — the big wave spot in Maui — while surfing a 40-foot monster wave. Skiwear you sport: Always Spyder. Most important feature of a hotel: The staff. Without them, a great hotel can't be successful. W hen he's not overseeing 725 staffers, 1,001 guest rooms and up to 5,000 hotel visitors at any moment, general manager of the luminous and humming Omni Dallas Hotel, Nils Stolzlechner, trades his Hugo Boss pinstripes for a suit of another variety — one that is designed by Mystic and is immersible in the chilly waters of San Francisco Bay. As a professional kiteboarder, Stolzlechner and his custom boards travel the world in search of the perfect fusion of wind and water, as well as a top spot on the leaderboard. We stow away in his Hotels should banish: Guests that are noisy and wake up other guests at three in the morning. What do you routinely order from the three Omni Hotel restaurants: Texas Spice — BBQ pork ribs. Bob's Steak & Chop House — Prime "côte de boeuf" bone-in rib-eye. The Owner's Box — Cheeseburger with parmesan sea-salted fries. Your work uniform: Hugo Boss suits. San Francisco Bay competitor by weekend navigates his globe. Uniform for your summer hobbies: Flip-flops, T-shirt and Reef board shorts. Haiku, Maui Stolzlechner ski jumping Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Hugo Boss Stolzlechner kiteboarding in Corpus Christi Reef "IT'S LIKE I'M THE MAYOR OF A LITTLE CITY." —Nils Stolzlechner on his day job APRIL | PAGE 29 | 2012 NJS Design kiteboard