Have you ever wondered how Rowmark runs so smoothly? Or who is behind all of the organization and planning it takes to run a ski academy? Look no further. Paul Rechberger is Rowmark’s new team manager, and he handles things like budgeting, accounting, finances, operations, and marketing, but he also spends a lot of time directly connecting with Rowland Hall faculty so athletes can succeed both in the classroom and on the hill. In this article, I am going to dive into who Paul is and how he got to Rowmark.

Hailing from Linz, Austria, Paul has been skiing his entire life. Even though Linz isn't really a “ski region,” as Paul mentioned, his family would often make the ~1 hour commute to the nearest mountain. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, who Paul nonchalantly told me was “on the Austrian Ski Team,” Paul joined a ski academy at age 10.  When he was younger, he was often inspired by watching ski racing on TV, like the Olympics, World Championships, and the world-famous Hannenkamm Race in Kitzbuhel, Austria. Paul told me he “always wanted to study abroad,” so when he was 19, he moved to the United States to attend Castleton University to continue his ski racing career at a collegiate level and also dive into his studies.

During his time at Castleton, Paul was the two-time USCSA National Champion in 2018 in the Slalom and Combined disciplines, a feat that is the goal of many young ski racers. Looking back, Paul said that the skiing and competition were very good, and he had to work hard in order to succeed in both academics and skiing, but says he has absolutely “no regrets” from his experience at Castleton. 

After Castleton, Paul went on to coach collegiate athletes at Clarkston University until the team manager job opened here, which he was very excited for because he feels his “strengths are in [the] professional world,” and management is “what he went to school for.” So far, this has proved to be true as Rowmark is running as smoothly as ever. After only about a month of being in the office, Paul has already highlighted the "liveliness" and “energy” he's seen so far, and he can’t wait for what's to come this ski season.

Additionally, Rowmark athletes like senior Vivian Turner have expressed excitement about Paul’s new role, from which he “genuinely cares about our [athletes’] wellbeing” and “really wants to see us [athletes] succeed.”

After just a month, Paul has become a friendly face around Rowland Hall and in the Rowmark office, but outside of the office, he enjoys challenging friends to tennis or pickleball games as well as running and hiking. Paul is excited to hit the slopes this season, but be sure to watch your back around him on a powder day, as he said he has “no friends on powder day.”