6 Fathers who rock at skiing
As Father's Day looms we take a look at six mostly famous fathers who are fabulous skiers. Wishing them and all skiing fathers, a very happy Father's Day.
1. Jean-Claude Killy
Triple Olympic champion, World Cup title holder and namesake of the ski area that brings Val d'Isere and Tignes together, Espace Killy, Jean-Claude Killy is not only one of France's greatest ski legends but father to Emilie Killy and adopted father to his wife's two children from her first marriage. Nicknamed ‘Toutoune' or puppy dog as a child, he clearly branched out as an adult, learning to fly a helicopter, star in movies and become a racing driver too!
2. Prince William
Possibly the most famous father of the moment, with Prince George and new arrival, Princess Charlotte on the scene, the Duke of Cambridge has been gracing the ski slopes worldwide, since his early years. His ski instructor even had an invite to the Royal Wedding! No stranger to ski press calls, we remember the days he could be seen in a one piece suit skiing behind his mother, Princess Diana. We look forward to the ski snaps with George and Charlotte in years to come.
3. Peter Hardy
Not a household name perhaps, but with 30 years as a ski journalist writing for every national newspaper and probably all the ski magazines too, Peter Hardy is a force to be reckoned with on the ski front. Clocking up 100 ski days a year in days gone by, Peter, who now runs WeLove2Ski with his wife Felice and Sean Newsom, is father to six children with one on the British ski team, one training to be a ski instructor and another holding the title of Under 13 slalom champion and British school girl ski racer!
4. Alain Baxter
Bronze medallist in our eyes, Alain Baxter is still the highest ranked alpine skier in the UK. With three children under the age of 8, Kerr, Brooke and Callie are all impressive skiers, despite having never been to ski school. Alain, who stayed with us in Lafitenia this year, tells us they can tackle almost any slope. His top tip is to knuckle down and teach the family in summer on dry slopes and indoor ski centres, ready to hit the slopes when the snow returns. These days Alain runs a specialist boot fitting service from Stirling and we can vouch that he puts both comfort and performance back into ski boots! He also has a range of specialist ski equipment too.
5. Graham Bell
Representing Great Britain in the Olympics for 20 years, Graham Bell is undoubtedly one of the UK's favourite ski heroes. A father to Louis and Lottie, both budding skiers, he learnt to ski in the Cairngorms and Hill End dry ski slope, his hard work rewarded with a silver medal at the World Junior Ski Championships in 1984. Something you might not know: he set a personal best top speed on skis of 121 mph (195 km/h) – now that must have been a little breezy! But will Louis or Lottie beat daddy in a few years' time?
6. Les Rennie
Without Les' deep seated passion for skiing and desire to find the best alpine spot to indulge it, Le Chardon simply wouldn't exist. Father to Nicola, Jamie, Ross, Jenna and Amanda, the whole Rennie family are ski fanatics, with thousands of piste miles clocked up from a young age. Look carefully around the Chardon chalet collection and you'll spot pictures of sun streaked, powdery jumps and smiles. Ah… the joy of skiing en famille - home from home comfort, delicious cuisine, luxury treats and not having to lift a finger. That's what Le Chardon is all about. Happy Father's Day.