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On the Friday, the club room was tidied of unnecessary clutter and the old dining room next door was cleared and decorated by an indomitable force of mostly female DHO volunteers

Amateur Inter Club Championship Races 2011

Mostly Liz Moore with by the “no-shows”. These included 5 with instructors from the Swiss members of the Mackintosh family who Ski School acting as guides and keeping contributions from were out in Wengen to celebrate the 80th everyone under control. Others decided that Ingie Christophersen, birthday of Douglas Mackintosh, eldest son the train offered a less energetic and warmer Lizzie Davies, Cleeves Palmer of our ex-President Chris Mackintosh and return to Wengen. himself an ex-Olympic skier in 1956. and Freddie Whitelaw Douglas participated and his Mac team The following day the magnifi cent weather progressed to the 2nd round, but no further. continued and a Super G was set to start at A buffet was organised in the dining room the race start hut and continued and drinks prepared in the club room. That evening, everyone took the train up down to fi nish rather lower than the GS of In the evening the competitors, helpers to Kleine Scheidegg and the entire station the previous day, but still just above the and assistants gathered for “The buffet was fi lled to bursting. As dusk fell, the Hundschopf. Captain’s meeting”, and after a short view from the restaurant of the Eiger, Monch introduction from Liz Moore, once people and was quite magnifi cent. It was a Once the results were tabulated and protests knew where and when to congregate the truly magical occasion. heard, we all went down to the open air bar following day, the party began. outside the Brunner Hotel where the How the staff coped with everyone presentation of the prizes took place. After On the Saturday, everyone congregated at expecting their food at the same time we will all had been presented, the competitors rather the Lauberhorn race track start hut at about never know, but one extremely successful reluctantly started on their way home. 9.00 am. This was the GS and eventually weapon in their armoury was to keep the close to 130 skiers went down the drink fl owing continuously (which it did). It had been the most fantastic weekend. Lauberhorn course to the fi nish some way The team of volunteers led by Liz Moore had short of the Hundschopf. By 12 noon it was Various speeches were made, some a trifl e performed so well and delivered such a well over and most repaired to the restaurant at inaudible and the fi nal speech was made by oiled performance that we could not help but the top for food or a drink (or both) before Max D Amstutz, the author of the recently feel that it was close to perfection. It might then progressing to the race track side of the published book “The Golden Age of Alpine have been a little bit like a Swan, serene Bumps where a non-serious parallel slalom ”. He drew particular attention to the on the surface but paddling like hell was organised. Some racers didn’t fact that had started here and underneath, but if so, we could see no participate because no points were awarded special mention was made of that greatest of evidence of frantic paddling. What her team in the championship for this competition, but early British racers, Chris Mackintosh. did was an enormous credit to the DHO, and it was enormous fun and various volunteers Eventually the party came to an end and refl ected well not only on our club, but the came from the DHO to fi ll the gaps created about 30% of the participants skied down to village of Wengen as well.

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Cleeves Palmer, Chairman of (Cleeves is the inventor and “father” of the AICC races, we were delighted to have him as both a guest and a competitor)

individual histories and traditions, will allow AICC Races us not only to strengthen the bonds that exist, Ingie, but also we can learn from each other with Introduction by the gaining of new ideas that will enrich Chief of Race amateur ski racing in the years ahead. Following the successful races in Mürren Cleeves Palmer and Cortina over the last three years, it was 4th Amateur Inter-Club Championship I look forward to our journey to Gstaad in the turn of the DHO to host the AICC races. The DHO and their Wengen friends ensured 2012 and I very much hope that they pass on a happy 4th edition of this championship, the baton to SAS (Schweizerischer A mixture of racing, socialising and blessed by new snow and beautiful sunshine, Akademischer Skiclub) for the 2013 reminiscing, young racers hot off the FIS the organisers, helpers and of course the championship. circuit, middle aged house-wives who racers could not have been luckier. Racing always hankered after a bib on their bosom, on the Lauberhorn piste was a tremendous and old fogies who were still itching to feel, privilege and I know that it was much and look, like Bode Miller or Herman enjoyed by the racers that I spoke to, even Maier. This must be the happiest and most though the fi nish gate of the GS was rather exhilarating way to fulfi l all those dreams, interesting… amongst like-minded wanna-be racers, in the perfect setting which is the Lauberhorn piste, As Beat Hodler said at the 2nd against the backdrop of the Eiger, the Mönch Championship “What we have in common and the Jungfrau. is a love for skiing and the mountains and an inextinguishable passion for ski-racing. The week-end kicked off with the Team But in the coming together for a team Captains Meeting in the DHO Club room, championship there is something additional. accompanied by generous amounts of It is the sharing of such an adventure, the Prosecco followed by a buffet supper in sharing of our passion with old and new the old Eiger dining room. The Ladies who friends – one says in German ‘shared sorrow lunch (and ski) did us proud –they might is a half sorrow and shared fun is double not have made the food but they certainly fun’…” wonderful words that epitomise our bought it and displayed it with their own coming together every year. hands, DHO hospitality at its best and most generous. There is no doubt that the annual coming together of our clubs, all of whom have very Ingie Christophersen

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At the Lauberhorn start hut, Sarah Hoyle, Maureen Fanshawe and Ingie Christophersen

The . The crowd gathered at the Käseschnitte mit Ei und Rösti did us proud bottom of the start hut ramp and the clicking – posh food, beautifully served. We had Lizzie Davis of cameras was audible – you would have speeches and hurrahs and the young skied thought that Bode Miller and Herman Maier down with torches accompanied by Wengen was one of the really were there. ski teachers and the oldies went back down on the train. backroom girls When you’re ready darling, was the order to start. Not quite World Cup procedure but Super-g. The word instils fear and butterfly who made it all then nor were the shapes of the competitors tummies. The atmosphere was depressed World Cup shapes. Bibs rode up over shiny and quiet – no posing, no bravado, just happen cat-suited convex tummies and must have nervous twitches and heavy breathing. Last year in Cortina SC 18 Club treated us been difficult for the gate-keepers to see. The photo crowd was absent, nursing its to a superb Gala Dinner in their magnificent There was a lot of huffing and puffing and own nerves. Club House. This year we wanted to do rubbing of thighs and posing and posturing something different but equally impressive, and in general behaving as if one had done But oh what fun once they were down and warm and convivial. this before and was only resuming where one drowning a glass of Prosecco and telling had left off 40 years earlier. every one how they had exceeded the We showed off our lovely new DHO Club- sound barrier. room on the Friday night but we eventually The giant slalom was followed by the had bookings for 180 people at the Gala parallel slalom – and team spirit and Prize-giving, more hurrahs and the DHO Dinner so a larger venue was required. Liz competitiveness was rife. Holding racers is the best and our local Wengeners the most Moore came up with the idea of the event to back before the start signal was abandoned wonderful and how could anything be held at Kleine Scheidegg in the Station – most of them were half way to the first gate be improved upon even one nano-iota. Buffet Restaurant, with the option of skiing even before the starter had reached 2. down after dinner by moonlight. Roll on Gstaad We caught the last train up to Scheidegg and On the night, we all made it to the last the Alpen glühnen was just magnificent and scheduled train up to Kleine Scheidegg for magical. Scheidegg buffet, whose culinary the start of the dinner at about 7.00pm. prowess I thought reached no further than

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The restaurant looked lovely in the early was held on the Bumps piste in the after- evening light. The glasses sparkled and the noon. The DHO had great success overall blue and white DHO colour scheme was with the fastest female time of the day as picked up in the napkins and candles. well as many other excellent results. In the fun parallel the men‘s team from Arlberg Through the window the magnificent and won, which was wonderful as they were new mighty Eiger North Face was seen in the to the event. pink setting glow of the sun. Certainly no Old Master oil painting could have made a After the fun parallel everyone had to rush better back drop. back to their hotels to get ready to catch the last train up to Kleine Scheidegg for the The restaurant did us proud and came up Gala dinner which was held at the Bahn- with a delicious menu of Salad, Pork in a hof Buffet. There were 180 in total for the Mushroom Cream Sauce with Rosti and a Trio dinner that was beautifully presented by the of puddings all washed down with local wines. restaurant. Michael Woodhall gave a speech Liz Moore celebrating and refuelling (in the absence of Max Davies our President) when it was all over Karl Näpflin started the speeches by welcoming everyone to Wengen . welcoming everyone to Wengen. He was followed by our Vice President, Liz Moore’s Karl Näpflin from Wengen Tourismus also Mike Woodhall, who thanked all the welcomed the teams on behalf of Wengen. volunteer organisers and introduced our Contribution Our guest speaker was Max Amstutz, author guest speaker Max D.Amstutz who talked The AICC originated with the Kandahar of The Golden Age of Alpine Skiing, who about the development of skiing in the . Club in Mürren. The first event was therefore spent a great deal of his childhood in Max also signed copies of his book, hosted and held by them in March 2008. Mürren. Having returned to the Berner The Golden Age of Alpine Skiing. It was already decided 4 years ago that DHO Oberland he told me that he found Wengen would host the event in Wengen in March and the DHO totally charming! Time to ski down. About a third of the 2011. Of course at that time it seemed years revellers had opted to ski down by the light away, with plenty of time to organise it! After dinner, the majority of the diners took of a tiny crescent moon. So off they set with a special train, very kindly sponsored by their local ski instructor guides and glow In March 2010 we started planning and the Jungfrau Railways, back to Wengen. sticks on their helmets for the return journey. organising, setting up the programme of However 60 racers skied down from Kleine A few people had had to cover their dinner races and social events. Suddenly 2011 was Scheidegg to the village, guided by Ski jackets with ski clothes; others had been upon us and it was a reality! teachers from Wengen Ski School. Sadly more circumspect and had not worn such there was no moonlight, but with the expert finery! Wengen is an ideal place to run such an help of the ski leaders and a few torches event and with the enthusiasm and everyone returned safely to Wengen! It was Max Davies, our President, had negotiated enormously hard work of so many a wonderful thing to do and it was made so with the Jungfraubahn and they had laid on a wonderful members and locals the DHO much easier for us on the organising special train to take down those not opting to hosted an excellent weekend. committee to have the help of the piste ski. For quite a lot of the ride down we were preparers and the Ski School. able to wave to the skiers from the warmth We had 34 teams from 11 different clubs of our comfy seats. coming from France, , On Sunday 6th March, we held a Super G England, Italy and Austria. They all arrived and again it was on the Lauberhorn Race Everyone arrived back safely and early in Wengen on Friday 4th March. The team piste with the finish just before the enough to enjoy a bit of Wengen village Captain’s meeting was held in the DHO Club Hundschopf! Another gloriously sunny day night life before a still early night prior to Room followed by a buffet supper for all the with all racers at the finish given a Sunday’s Super G race. teams. The Fuchs family kindly let us use the congratulatory glass of prosecco! room behind our Club Room, which made it possible to host approximately 140 people! This time the DHO had the fastest female With the help yet again of DHO volunteers, and male time of the day! There were also who must be the best in the world!, the many other excellent finishes. All results can evening was a great success. be found on the AICC and DHO website.

Saturday 5th March was a beautiful day with glorious sunshine and excellent snow. The Giant Slalom was run on the Lauberhorn DHO men (46-60) race piste in the morning and the fun parallel

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Prize giving was held outside the Brunner we are always interested in new volunteer stepped in she seems to have caught the Hotel with the DHO gaining many podium amateur racers! racing bug! As Ingie says put a start number places. The winning overall teams (GS & SG on any keen skier, place them in the start Combined results) were: In the light of the DHO racing success at gate and the thrill of hurtling down the hill this event we are now trying to organise between gates will do the rest and make Female 18/45 GOLD; some amateur racing days during the next them come back for more!! Alexandra Moore, Vroni Famiglietti, winter season. The first occasion will be Claudia Gassmann, Grace McCutchan Wed 28/Thurs 29th December when the We would particularly like to thank Ingie Male 18/45 SILVER: young DHO race trainees will also be in the Christophersen, Sarah Hoyle and Lizzie Karl Ungar, Mark Gassmann, village, so they can show us amateurs how Davis for all their hard work and Kari Näpflin, Ryan Regez it should be done! We will try to repeat this organisation. Along with Susie Davies, Female 46/59 SILVER: during the week before the McMillan Cup Cynthia and Ian Perkins, Tony Davis, Sheridan Killwick, Maureen Fanshawe, i.e. week beginning 23rd January as well as Diane and Robin Paterson, Gilda Prest, Tessa Lawrance, Helen Whittet the few days before the AICC. We are also Christina and Brian Phillips, Phillip and Female 60+ GOLD: trying to organise an evening of drinks and Wendy Hill they were a great team! Sina Cova, Sally Ireland, snacks in at the end of November Liz Moore, Linda Fairbrother at a venue still to be confirmed. This will be Thanks must also go to Kieran Stevens for Male 60+ BRONZE: aimed mainly at members who would like to being so patient and producing an excellent Jean Daniel Gluck, Richard Hackett, participate in the Amateur Racing! AICC brochure as well as a life sized pop up Robert Goodwin, Martin West display that arrived in Wengen in time for Please do not hesitate to contact me with any the races! GIANT SLALOM RESULTS (GS) queries on the above GOLD: Alexandra Moore 18/45; Liz Moore 0041 794213194 SILVER: [email protected] Vroni Famiglietti 18/45; Sina Cova 60+ BRONZE: Sponsors, Sheridan Killwick 45/59 helpers and SUPER G GOLD: Vroni Famglietti 18/45; supporters – our Ryan Regez 18/45; Sina Cova 60+ Jean Daniel Gluck 60+ grateful thanks Max D Amstutz SILVER: Alexandra Moore 18/45 Our main sponsors were Highland Spring, Maureen Fanshawe 45/59 Raiffeissen Bank in Wengen, Wengen Sally Ireland 60+ Tourismus, Brechin Management, Ingie Max D Amstutz’ BRONZE: Liz Moore 60+ Christophersen, Jungfrau Railways, Wengen Ski School and Chalet Traumli. speech The weekend was a wonderful combination Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends, of great sporting spirit, enthusiasm, harmony Thanks must go to Christoph Egger, Heinz and sunshine! von Allmen and their team of course setters, It is not only a great honour for me to speak timers and piste preparation. They worked to you on the occasion of tonight’s Gala The racers who participated and contributed tirelessly throughout the whole weekend to Dinner here at the Kleine Scheidegg, but also to DHO’s success put up a wonderful make sure everything on the mountain ran a great personal pleasure. It gives me the performance. We are honoured now to have smoothly and safely. opportunity to recall the glorious times of the quite a number of Wengen residents taking emerging art of alpine skiing a century ago, up DHO membership and as a result racing David and Debbie Manns came out from when British and Swiss alpine ski pioneers for us. Thanks also to the older ones who England to do the race calculations. This is joined forces and, against great odds, aimed came out before the event to train as well a thankless task and heaven help them if the to make downhill racing and slalom accepted as the younger generation who took time results are wrong! Thanks too to Mike Lowe, by the FIS and the Olympic Committee. off work or University to make the AICC in our headgatekeeper and all the volunteer Wengen such a terrific event. DHO gatekeepers including Sarah and Cara It also gives me the opportunity to recall my Robinson who came our especially for this early childhood in Mürren, when as a small Next year, Eagle Ski Club from Gstaad event. Cara is now a confirmed new racer boy of five in 1934 I started my career as a will be hosting the event on 9/11 March. At as we suddenly had to fill a spot in our skier, alternatively sobbing and having fits of present it is limited to 4 teams per club but 2nd18/45 female group and having bravely rage because my skis obstinately refused to

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obey my wishes. I have to admit that I never the famous Kandahar races, since the Robert made the grade. I left Mürren too soon, of Kandahar Challenge Cup was awarded built my career far away from the Alps there for the first time. By the way, on 3 and became a so-called citizen skier, never April this year, a historic memorial race will achieving more than average skills. But I still take place in Crans Montana to celebrate the remember Sir and Christopher pioneering event of 1911 organised by the Macintosh from my early days in Mürren. local World Cup Committee. They were heroes that I admired greatly. I wanted to become a famous sportsman like they were, but alas, that remained a dream. DHO prize winners (18-45 men)

To properly highlight today’s celebration, I would like to plunge into the and recall two races that took place during the Golden Age of Alpine Skiing in the first quarter of the last century, races which were fundamental for the immense success of this sport later on, and which bear a resemblance to this year’s Inter-Club races: the birth of the classic downhill race in 1911 in Crans Montana and the 1st British Ski Championship on the Lauberhorn ten years later, in 1921. Both are milestones in alpine ski racing history and marked the start of the fight to break down the monopoly of the Ed Perrott A DHO clean sweep Scandinavians who dominated ski competition with their cross-country and disciplines, considered at that time the only true form of skiing. Although these disciplines are great sport, they were not adequate for mastering the steep and snowy slopes of the Alps. It was the British, together with the Swiss, who first introduced the way to do this, a quite unexpected miracle when you consider that Great Britain is a lowland country.

The first of these two events occurred almost to the day one hundred years ago. Arnold Lunn, then a young lad of 23 years, and his father Sir Henry organised in Crans Ladies Ski Club Team Montana, above Sierre in the Rhone Valley, what can be justly considered the birth of alpine downhill racing. It took place on 7 January, 1911. Although the course contained some short flat and uphill stretches, it was clearly downhill almost in a straight line and therefore ground-breaking for the future. The winner among the ten participants was Cecil Hopkinson, who ran the course in 61 minutes. In my opinion, this historic competition has a symbolic significance for the DHO Club, which was dedicated by its founders on 7 February, 1925, to specifically promote the art of downhill racing. Let me add that the

Montana downhill run was also the first of DHO Ladies (46-60) and (inset) celebrations at the Gala Dinner

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The second historic racing event which we Some final reflexions now on the Inter-Club Secondly, they are team events. Beat Hodler, should also recall at this year’s Inter-Club Championship as a novel institution: the Kandahar President, once said, Championship is the 1st British National I understand that the initiative to create this “We don’t race for our honour, but for the Alpine Skiing Competition, which took place kind of multi-club racing event stems from honour of our team”. Team spirit, a in 1921, 90 years ago, right here on the Kandahar Ski Club, and that the classic British quality, is what counts in the Lauberhorn above Kleine Scheidegg. inspiration behind it was Cleeves Palmer, these competitions. It was the very first time a national Chairman of the Club. The idea was championship skiing award was given for immediately embraced by the other Arlberg And thirdly, they strive to promote fun and a downhill race. It was a splendid Clubs, the DHO, the SAS and the Ski Club making friends, building new networks that experiment, a precedent again pioneered 18, as well as by the local clubs of Wengen, might last a lifetime and thus enrich our by the British. Only ten years later, other Mürren and . All these clubs short stay as human beings on this countries began to include downhill racing date back to the years of the Golden Age of sometimes nasty world. When he won the in their national skiing championships. That Alpine Skiing, when all-weather racing in Inferno in 1929, Jimmy Riddell, born in early British feat made an impact on the any snow conditions was the rule. 1900 and later a British skiing champion, FIS and the IOC – they began to wonder if said, “To ski, however well or poorly, is a perhaps something else worthwhile existed In my opinion, there are three characteristics reminder that one is alive, and that life is in the skiing world beyond cross-country which identify the Inter-Club tremendous fun”. and jumping. Freddie Whitelaw has aptly Championships as typically Golden Age documented the importance of that Competitions, bringing new life to old To finish, let me congratulate you on this 1st British Ski Championship in the photo traditions: splendid idea of Inter-Club Championship, display he created for this year’s Inter-Club which shows that the creative spirit of Event. The British Championship of 1921 is In the first place, they are pure amateur British skiing is still alive and kicking, just another important milestone in the history of racing events, just like in the 20’s, when as it was when alpine skiing began. alpine ski racing. Let us also remember the professional skiing did not yet exist. The winner among the 15 participants of the race: motto was and still is: to participate is more I wish you a very good evening. Leonard Dobbs. important than to win, true to the original Olympic spirit.

(Below) Parallel Slalom

(Bottom) Sally Ireland & daughter Alessandra at prize giving

DHO ladies celebrations in full swing on the podium

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