Towards professional recognition
The profession of ski instructor transitions from a supplementary activity to a full-fledged profession. With the return of tourists, more and more instructors are looking to make a living as ski teachers. Until now, the season ended with the return of the warmer days, as soon as activities could resume in agriculture or construction. From now on, the season would last as long as the tourists were there, and the ski school’s activities would gradually shift from the Palace to Bretaye, particularly in spring, when snow becomes rare.
Another major innovation for the time is the introduction of skiing lessons for children. Instructors have to adapt their teaching methods to new learners. At the end of the decade, this led to the hiring of auxiliary instructors to supervise the children.
While these female instructors were readily accepted by their male colleagues, who were reluctant to teach skiing to small children, the same could not be said for Jacqueline Bertinotti, the canton’s first female ski instructor. Her arrival did not fail to spark scepticism among most of these gentlemen. Jacqueline was soon joined by Claudine Langel, Anita Kern and Michèle Cantova. Andrée Olloz followed in 1962. These pioneers, “true sportswomen and excellent comrades”, were quickly adopted and unanimously appreciated by their male colleagues, even the less feminist ones…
