The extraordinary life of Larry Adler will be celebrated by family and friends at his funeral on Friday. Photo: Larry Adler/Facebook.
The life of Larry Adler – a pharmacist turned alpine visionary who brought the spirit and sophistication of European skiing to Australian slopes – will be celebrated this Friday. He passed away on 14 June, aged 96.
From peeling potatoes in a Norwegian hostel to pay for his first ski lessons, to becoming Australia’s most respected ski boot fitter and founder of Larry Adler Ski & Outdoor, Larry’s journey was fueled by curiosity, craftsmanship and a lifelong love of snow.
It’s a story that’s been well chronicled in an oral history given by Nan Adler on behalf of the Adler family to the Thredbo Historical Society, in a wide-ranging interview conducted by Edie Swift in 2015, excerpts from which follow.
Born Dudley John Adler in Johannesburg, South Africa, he was affectionately nicknamed “Larry” after the renowned American harmonica player Larry Adler.
A trained pharmacist, he followed a traditional professional path – an early profession that remained part of his life even as his journey took an extraordinary turn.
Aged 27 and staying in a youth hostel in Norway, Larry experienced snow for the first time, so, determined to stay the winter, he peeled potatoes in exchange for lodging and ski lessons.
Sporting a beard to survive the Scandinavian cold, and lack of hot water in his youth hostel, he noticed an advertisement seeking extras for The Vikings, a Hollywood epic starring Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis and Vivien Leigh. He spent six months rowing longboats for the film and travelling with the production.
Having been invited to attend the opening of the film on Broadway, Larry took the opportunity to enrol in a ski instructor training course in Canada.
Larry would then spend eight years as a ski school director at Mt Tremblant in Quebec, teaching during the northern winters while practising pharmacy in Toronto in the off-season.
Then in 1960, fellow instructor Heli Summereau invited him to Australia to teach the southern season at Charlotte Pass, back when $30 would buy a week’s skiing, including accommodation, meals and passes.
It was there that Larry met Nan Craig, a young Sydney nurse who had come to learn to ski. She was his student. He was her instructor. A romance began on the slopes and continued across continents.
Larry and Nan married in London in 1964, honeymooned through Europe, and spent the summer on Jersey in the Channel Islands before returning to Sydney in 1965.
They settled in Collaroy, where they purchased a pharmacy and raised four children. Yet skiing remained central to their lives.
Larry would begin repairing skis for their friends in their garage.
Soon, customers were showing up at the pharmacy not just for prescriptions but for ski boot fittings, then gloves, goggles, socks and hats, which the Adlers now stocked near the dispensary.
In 1976, the Adlers formalised their passion by launching Larry Adler Ski & Outdoor, converting a former supermarket space beside the chemist into a standalone ski store.
Sceptics were baffled: a ski shop in a beachside suburb of Sydney? But the Adlers had vision and grit. They were, “young and had a dream,” as Nan recalled. That dream took off.
Larry became renowned across Australia for his boot-fitting expertise.
Drawing on his pharmacy background and an interest in podiatry, he worked closely with the Strolz family of Austria to master custom boot foaming and fitting.
His skills brought comfort to thousands of recreational skiers and professional athletes alike.
For many, a ski trip began not on the slopes, but in Larry’s boot room.
In 1991, the couple opened their dream store – a flagship boutique styled after a European lodge, complete with fireplace, Persian rugs, leather armchairs and vintage memorabilia.
They later expanded to Jindabyne, Sydney CBD, Chatswood and even Niseko, Japan.
Their children – Larry, Craig, Skye and Scott – grew up immersed in the family business and ski culture be it training, racing, working trade shows or school holiday shifts.
Even in retirement, Larry stayed connected dropping into the stores to greet regular customers, mentor staff or talk snow conditions and boot design.
He remained quietly proud of what he and Nan had built – not just a retail brand, but a trusted name in Australia’s alpine life.
His stores which still operate in Collaroy and Chatswood, as well as Jindabyne, continue to serve the skiing and outdoor community.
In announcing his father’s passing, son Larry wrote, “It didn’t matter who you were, Dad would always greet you with a warm smile, a cup of tea, and ask his favourite question: ‘Smile, if not, why not?’ It was his personal motto, and it perfectly captured the infectious joy he brought to every room and every chairlift ride. Even now, he would want us all to find a reason to smile through the tears as we remember a life so wonderfully lived.”
Larry Adler is remembered not only as a pioneering retailer and technician, but as a generous mentor, storyteller, and connector – someone who linked communities across oceans through a shared love of snow.
He is survived by his wife Nan, their children and grandchildren, and a business that continues to reflect their family values of passion, quality and care.
Funeral Details
Family and friends are warmly invited to attend the celebration of Larry Adler’s life on Friday 27 June at 10:30 am at St Peter’s Presbyterian Church, 234 Blues Point Road, North Sydney.
The funeral will also be livestreamed at www.annwilsonfunerals.com.au/upcoming-funerals
