Sport Leitner from 1929 to 2024

It was the youngest son of the Leitner merchant family in Ehrwald who, on November 2, 1929, took the bold step of shaping his own future and opening his own business together with his wife Maria. Even then, the young entrepreneur Walter Leitner had the vision that Ehrwald would develop into a sought-after sports tourism destination thanks to its ideal location.

The Second World War was a difficult time for Sport Leitner. Walter Leitner was drafted and the business had to make way for the demands of military service. Money had little value and food was rationed, which made bartering necessary.

Walter Leitner returned after his American captivity and began to look for things to sell. Ehrwald, now a British Army vacation resort after a brief French occupation, attracted the first English tourists and laid the foundations for a tourism-oriented future. On January 1, 1968, Gerd Leitner took over the management of the company, supported by his wife Elley. Over time, the entire first floor area of the old house was converted into retail space, while retaining the building’s characteristic Art Nouveau style. As the number of guests grew, the ski rental business became increasingly important and made a decisive contribution to achieving the earnings targets for expansion.

Being part of INTERSPORT since 1973 has sustainably promoted our business development, as a result of which Sport Leitner has been recognized as one of the best INTERSPORT stores. Gerd Leitner was a member of the Supervisory Board and Management Board of INTERSPORT Austria for many years.

Leitner opened the Ehrwald Ski School in 2000 to improve the range of services on offer to guests in Ehrwald. Under the management of Lisa Leitner, the school quickly developed into a highlight of winter tourism in Ehrwald.

Since 2016, Sport Leitner has been breaking new ground and has taken the opportunity to establish itself as a specialist store for hikers and open a new sustainable chapter in the company’s history.

In 2016, Sport Leitner opened two new locations on Hauptstraße. A large ski rental store and a store for trendy outdoor clothing were opened.