The ’70s
In 1972 in Sapporo, Bernhard Russi and Roland Collombin scored a memorable double in the Olympic downhill. At the world championships in St Moritz in 1974, Fabienne Serrat, a future member of the Swiss Ski School Villars, won two gold medals.
In terms of equipment, plastic gradually replaces leather in the production of ski boots, and the first “stoppers” are integrated into ski bindings. Monoskis make their appearance and “snowboarding” is invented in California.
In Villars, tourist development would be somewhat slowed down by the global oil crisis. The construction of Europe’s motorway network, the development of airlines and the arrival of high-speed trains are bringing about profound changes in the world of tourism. The length of stays decreases, often being limited to weekends or school vacations. Competition from other ski resorts is increasing. Shop owners, hoteliers, and of course, the Swiss Ski School must react and gather around a strong tourist office, managed by André Willi, known as “the colonel”.
It was in 1974 that Michel Daetwyler, a young retiree from the cirque blanc, took over the management of the Swiss Ski School Villars. During his twelve-year term of office, Michel will successfully meet the new challenges facing the Swiss Ski School Villars.
As soon as he arrived, Michel developed the different group classes, including competition classes. He adds three new levels to update the old range of tests: the Mini Test, the Villars Test and the Parallel Test. In 1975, you had to spend 10 francs for a morning of group lessons, while an hour of private tuition cost 25 francs.
Michel creates the association for the maintenance of cross-country and hiking trails, which acquires a machine for the preparation of cross-country ski trails. The Swiss Ski School Villars is also developing this sector. Another novelty is the offering of “artistic” ski lessons, and by the end of the decade, the Swiss Ski School Villars will offer monoski lessons.
Michel Daetwyler quickly came up with the idea of setting up a day-care centre in Villars. In December 1977, the Swiss Ski School’s day-care was inaugurated on the premises of the Palace pool. Marlyse Salvoldelli, appointed manager of the new facility, remembers the immediate success of the daycare centre: “We welcomed up to 40 children a day. Not skiing myself, the children were supervised by the Swiss Ski School’s instructors. My main concern was to not lose any children, as the Palace slope was crowded and there was no secure snow garden for children yet.
Entertainment was guaranteed thanks to the beginner adults from Club Med that the “Ski G.Os” couldn’t always control…”
