For those of you who have been living on Mars for the past couple of weeks Wednesday was the 19th edition of the Boss des Bosses, The seventh year which
Courchevel has sent a coach load of racers and spectators.
In the past 6 years
Courchevel's team has managed to end up with the trophy and, last year, the wooden spoon. This year, although our team was far stronger than in the past, weaker teams of Val Thorens (for the second year running) and newcomers Engleberg pulled out at the last minute meaning we were in line to claim 6th place.
This year the course had been moved to a different piste which required over 2 hours of maintenance to make it skiable on the day. This wasn't help by a piste basher which ran over the final kickers the night before.
When we finally got going it was clear that Chamonix and Zermatts first runs showed that they were in a league of their own and would, barring a natural disaster, compete in the final together.
In our first match we took on the reigning champions of Zermatt and proceeded to be taken apart by them. Luckily a clean sweep was averted thanks to Jennifer Claire and Adam Honey. Jen scored a consolation point for extreme kilt wearing. Adam, who turned out to be a bit of a dark horse beat the Swiss ex-olympic mogul skier Jorg Binner. Without over-inflating Adam's ego it was actually Jorg's experimental boots / bindings that lost him the win after they released half way down the course.
By the end the result was a disappointing 11-2. As the team licked their wounds they were already focusing on their next and more important race against arch-rivals Meribel.
It didn't start out well we slipped 0-2 down after both our telemarkers lost. Gregg(
Ski Higher) pulled a sweet 540 off the kicker to claim our first point. After the snowboarder we were trailing 1-3. Jen(
Ski Higher) won her second run pulling back the deficit to 2-3. The next skier down was Erika(Magic) who thanks to her superior style and in the crowds opinion won her race. Unfortunately the short sighted judges gave the point to Meribel making the score 2-4. Adam(Mountain leap) kept his 100% record and made the score 3-4.
Anyone who remembers last year will know former Picnics on the Piste Ben rather unceremoniously landed on his face while attempting a back flip. This year, in my opinion, he pulled off the trick of the entire competition as he stuck a perfect back flip and after a long deliberation by the judges was awarded the point making it 4-5. With victories for Ben Brierly(Momentun) and Spaz the final score was 6-7 to Meribel.
As always the competition is only half the day, the other half takes part in Chamonix town were the prize giving and celebrations take place. It is this playing field that the
Courchevel supporters have few equals. Ending up at the Terrace bar where for the second year in a row Tom Banfield handed Zermat the snowflake shaped trophy. More importantly Jen(
Ski Higher) was awarded a t-shirt for 'best dress', for freezing her arse off in her wee kilt.
