The European Ski Holiday story …
Adventure as a heritage, a unique pursuit shared by many European neighbours.
Before skis were used for sport, fun and holidaying, they were used for work and transportation. The oldest known versions have been found in cave and rock drawings in Sweden, these charcoal pictures show us that the ski is well over 4500 years old!
The people of Norway have been largely credited with developing skiing into a sport. In the early 1700’s they invented the Telemark and the Christiana turns as methods of controlling downhill descents.
By the turn of the 1900’s many other European countries were joining in the fun, and in 1924 the world saw the first Winter Olympic Games held in 1924 in Chamonix (45 minutes from La Clusaz) France.
As skiing was taken to the more demanding terrain of the Alps technique and equipment adapted. (Telemark turning was adequate for the flatter terrain of Norway, but lacked the control needed for the steeper slopes of the Alps). This lead to the birth of Alpine skiing.
Alpine ski equipment gave more control to the skier, allowing him/her to negotiate steeper slopes and ski at faster speeds. The disciplines of downhill and slalom came about with this new equipment.
By the 1930’s skiing had become a hugely popular European pastime, (with the invention of ski lifts!) The ski industry began in earnest after the WWII, when France, Austria and Switzerland developed the first Alpine Ski Resorts.
During the past 60 years different schools of thought have grown up around skiing, with advocates for different techniques and disciplines: Giant Slalom combined aspects of both previous disciplines where as Super G made a hybrid of Giant Slalom and Downhill.
While the debate still rages on about which is the premier skiing discipline, one thing is for sure: the growth in popularity of all forms of skiing, and the fact that they are sports that can be enjoyed by the whole family, young and old alike, has meant that each skiing discipline has grown.
The legacy left to us by skiing’s long history is that each winter brings us an increasing number of ways to enjoy winter, and to race against each other on snow.
But of course skiing in Europe is not just about the skiing! Especially in France and here in La Clusaz; It’s all about the ambiance, the cheeses, the cured meats, the wines, the fairy-tale villages, the liquors, spectacular views and all things Français!
La Clusaz - a potted history
1920 - First skiers arrive in La Clusaz
1926 - Tourist and sports comittee formed
1935 - Construction of the first “Teletraineau” - a sled pulled on a rope!
1948 - Construction of the first teleski on Cret du Loup
1955 - Construction of the Beauregard cable car.
1991 - Snowlife arrive in La Clusaz
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