An old hand of the sector, Peter Thürl, reveals that Pierre Ryser, the first secretary general to have led the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry, died last Sept. 22 from a heart attack in his native Switzerland. According to Thürl, who knew him well, Ryser was largely forgotten by former friends and other people in the industry following his retirement in 1991, after 27 years in the post. Before joining the World Federation under the chairmanship of the late Armin Dassler in 1978, Ryser led the Swiss sporting goods industry association, SPAF, and the Swiss Ski Pool.