Because the hype became too much for him after winning Olympic gold in 1976, Heini Hemmi went fishing. His Valbella was always a source of peace and quiet. Until the moment Roger Federer started building his vacation home next to him.
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- Because the hype surrounding Heini Hemmi became too much after his Olympic victory in Innsbruck in 1976, he went fishing.
- First on a mountain stream, then in Alaska. At some point, he turned his hobby into his profession. Today, his son Gianin runs "Hemmi Wildlachs" in Valbella.
- The peace and quiet came to an end in 2011 when Roger Federer started building his vacation home right next to the Hemmis. "Busloads of tourists came to see it," says Hemmi in the Olympic talk show "Legends for Eternity" and raves about Federer as a guy and neighbor.
5,000 fan letters a week, car-gram lessons, marriage proposals and other frivolous offers - Heini Hemmi was the focus of public interest after his 1976 Olympic victory in Innsbruck. Even though he enjoyed the affection and also profited financially from it: At some point, it became too much. "I needed something where I could find my feet and switch off," says Hemmi in the Olympic talk show "Legends for Eternity" on blue.
On the recommendation of his father-in-law, he ended up fishing, usually in a mountain stream. "You can really come to rest there. The water rushes and you have to find out how and where you can outwit the fish," says Hemmi. He relaxes in the process.
Importing salmon as a business model
However, the mountain streams were soon no longer challenging enough for him. The waters became bigger, more attractive, more turbulent - until he ended up in Alaska. "I've been there many times." Often with big catches in his luggage. In 2010, however, the quantities that could be exported as a private individual were restricted - to a maximum of 20 kilograms of fish.
So Hemmi developed a business model - and has been importing salmon from Alaska commercially ever since. "It's the best salmon you can import," he says. The Hemmis smoke the imported fish themselves - his son Gianin has been responsible for "Hemmi Wild Salmon" since 2020.
Father Heini helps out, of course, for example in the store or behind a stand at Christmas markets, where many people still recognize him, not least of course the older generation. "It's amazing how many people still know me. My skiing days were 50 years ago."
"Roger is a completely normal guy"
He is no longer the most popular resident in Valbella. Roger Federer has lived right next door to the skiing legend for years. "I've also sold Roger fish," says Hemmi. The tennis king is a very pleasant neighbor. "Roger is a really likeable, super guy. Completely normal. When he drove past in his car, he sometimes stopped for a chat."
The two sporting legends have never skied together. "Roger had to give up skiing during his active years and we've never met on the slopes since he retired," says Hemmi.
Federer's children, however, went to the ski school in Valbella, which is run by Hemmi's brother. However, the Olympic hero himself does not teach.
Despite being good neighbors. But Hemmi says that it wasn't possible to pop over to Federer for a coffee and a chat: "Not even for me, everything is closed off. But that's necessary and a good thing."
When Federer's property was still under construction, buses even drove up from Appenzell - with fans who wanted to see where the 20-time Grand Slam winner would one day live. A hero worship that not even Hemmi, the ladies' man of yore, experienced.
