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Winter sports: unfair competition on the ski slopes?
Winter sports: unfair competition on the ski slopes?
(France 2)
In Courchevel (Savoie), ski instructors, particularly Italians, are, according to their statements, targeted. Their presence would cause a feeling of unfair competition. They denounce pressure and attacks.
For the 2023-2024 season, ski resorts, such as Courchevel (Savoie), have noted the very large arrival of foreign instructors. The local instructors all witnessed it. “This year it was spectacular”, assures Aurélien Blanc, ski instructor. This sector of activity is lucrative, coveted, and a source of tension. “We pay our charges in France, and they, it’s not sure that they pay them, we don’t know”asks instructor Denis Chardon.
The situation is tense on the slopes
Foreign instructors are also sometimes accused of not having the necessary diplomas. Altercations took place on the slopes, sometimes even leading to damage. Craig Fraser, a Scottish instructor, claims to have recently found his car with a flat tire stabbed to death. If he does not want to accuse anyone, this professional in the sector assures that this type of incident “especially happens to foreign instructors”. To ease tensions, the municipality, in agreement with the ski schools, is proposing to introduce the wearing of a medal, attesting to the diploma and compliance with the rules.
Among our sources:
Press release from the prefecture of Savoie
European Federation of Ski Instructors (FEMPS)
ENSA ski and mountaineering school
Non-exhaustive list.
