Aiglon Cup 2024: Ski Competition in Villars-sur-Ollon

The 10th annual Aiglon Cup Ski Race welcomed over 350 participants from 15 international schools to our local ski resort, Villars-sur-Ollon. 

This two-day event took place from 7 to 8 March on the freshly snowcapped mountain pass of Bretaye at 1,800 metres. It is a competition for young athletes in the U10, U12, U14, U16, U18, and U21 categories to compete in Giant Slalom (GS), Slalom, and Combi races. 

WATCH the video from the competition.

The ski event featured a Combi race for Juniors, offering an engaging mix of challenges. This race incorporates a fun and dynamic course, including a tunnel and a combination of SL (Slalom) and GS (Giant Slalom) gates. SL gates require short, quick turns, while GS gates are spaced further apart, offering a mix of techniques and a change of rhythm as racers switch between the two styles.

Participants faced a challenging course for the GS race, influenced by recent snowfall. The course layout differed for boys and girls; the boys raced on a separate piste, while the girls' course started with a long, flat section that led into the stade, adding variety and testing different skiing skills.

The SL race was held on the racing stade, with separate courses for senior boys and girls. The design of these courses was particularly challenging, featuring a series of technical elements like triples, doubles, and bananas, demanding precision and skill from the racers.

Aiglon’s 35 racers, aged 10-18 representing both the junior and senior schools, had the opportunity to compete with students from: College Alpin Beau Soleil, International School of Geneva (Ecolint), Haut-Lac International Bilingual School, International School Basel, ICS Inter-Community School Zurich, John F. Kennedy International School, La Garenne International School, Le Régent International School, Leysin American School in Switzerland, Neuchâtel Junior College, Préfleuri International Alpine School, TASIS-Switzerland, St. George's International School, Switzerland, Surval Montreux and Verbier International School. 

Students from these teams have had the opportunity to meet at over 30 race fixtures from January - March, such as the Swiss International Schools races, European international races, and Swiss club races. Uniquely, Aiglon also hosts multiple ski races yearly in the Villars-Gryon-Diablerets resort. This includes FIS (Federation of International Skiing) races and the Aiglon Cup.

Such a gathering also allows family members to join and support their children in a competitive event. Parents travelled by train to enjoy the hospitality venue, whilst others took to the slopes with skis or snowshoes to follow the races.

Aiglon recently unveiled the Aiglon Basecamp, which is located next to the Roc D’Orsay telecabine. This new hub is where the high-performance ski team can develop ski maintenance techniques, study video review sessions, and hold strategy discussions with ski ambassadors and coaches. 

Aiglon’s commitment to holistic character education means that a high-performance mindset should not be limited to a small group. James Dyson, Aiglon’s Head of PE & Sport, articulates what high performance means on the ground for the entire school. “There is the high-performance element, but there is also a culture and mindset of what it means to be a high performer and what we can teach under this umbrella. High-performance athletes demonstrate resilience, an ability to take responsibility, manage their time well, to eat well – the wider education is about all of these things. Whether for skiers or tennis players, it’s not just how quickly you can get down the snow or how many balls you can hit.”

The Aiglon high-performance ski squad is trained by professional coaches and instructors, including athletes who have represented their country in alpine skiing or have undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in sports management and sports strength and conditioning. The Villars Swiss Ski School (ESS) instructors are also integral members of the training ecosystem provided to students. 

We will be hosting the next Aiglon Cup ski race in March 2025. Further details will be shared in the upcoming months.