North Conway, NH – A ski industry icon, Herbert Schneider, known affectionately by his nickname “Zip”, died of natural causes on Sunday at Maine Medical Center in Portland, where he was taken on Friday after traveling from St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria, only days earlier. He was 92.

At age 15,  Schneider accompanied his father Hannes (1890-1955), another recognized skiing great, in relocating from the family’s native Austria to the Mount Washington Valley of New Hampshire after Cranmore ski area Harvey Dow Gibson won the elder Schneider’s release from Nazi imprisonment. A ski guide in his home country, Hannes Schneider was a pioneer of what was known as the Arlberg skiing technique, and brought his ski instruction to Cranmore and trained members of the famed 10th Mountain Division during World War II.

Herbert Schneider continued his father’s skiing legacy, including a stint as owner and operator of Cranmore. The family still owns and operates a guest house in St. Anton am Arlberg.

“Herbert had a full life and his influence, dedication, hard work and optimism influenced the ski resort lifestyle we all enjoy today,” Cranmore’s current general manager, Ben Wilcox, wrote in a letter published in the Conway Daily Sun newspaper following Schneider’s death over the weekend. “In addition to carrying on the tradition of the Hannes Schneider Ski School and his role in the 10th Mountain Division, Herbert was a pioneer in the ski industry through his support of modern snow grooming and the installation of snowmaking in the late 60s and early 70s at Cranmore. During his tenure as Cranmore owner and operator he was instrumental in the development of new ski terrain and lifts at the mountain. Herbert hosted the Volvo International Tennis Tournament in the 70s and 80s at Cranmore and this event put the Valley on the map.”

The Schneider family’s legacy carries own in the Meister Cup ski race, held annually in spring at Cranmore.