On December 14, Anselme Baud received the Legion of Honor, a coveted medal that France offers to men and women fit to deserve the recognition. Skiing legend Emile Allais pined the medal on Anselme’s chest. I remember the young Anselme when we were in middle school together and later in Avoriaz. Soon he took off to become the extreme skier he’s best known for along with Patrick Vallençant and a top-notch mountain climber as well as a “professor” at ENSA, the French ski instructor and mountaineering guide school in Chamonix. The “Légion d'Honneur” is a French order established by Napoléon Bonaparte on May 19, 1802. It was the first modern order of merit, that was before limited to Roman Catholics and to noblemen. The military decorations were the perks of the officers. The Légion, however, was open to individuals of all ranks and professions; only merit or bravery counted. This is unlike America where one needs to go to war in order to get this kind of recognition. Oh, I almost forgot, members are still paid a yearly stipend that - with inflation - has now eroded to just over six Euros. Even at that rate, heartfelt congratulations, Anselme!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Légion d’Honneur for Anselme Baud
On December 14, Anselme Baud received the Legion of Honor, a coveted medal that France offers to men and women fit to deserve the recognition. Skiing legend Emile Allais pined the medal on Anselme’s chest. I remember the young Anselme when we were in middle school together and later in Avoriaz. Soon he took off to become the extreme skier he’s best known for along with Patrick Vallençant and a top-notch mountain climber as well as a “professor” at ENSA, the French ski instructor and mountaineering guide school in Chamonix. The “Légion d'Honneur” is a French order established by Napoléon Bonaparte on May 19, 1802. It was the first modern order of merit, that was before limited to Roman Catholics and to noblemen. The military decorations were the perks of the officers. The Légion, however, was open to individuals of all ranks and professions; only merit or bravery counted. This is unlike America where one needs to go to war in order to get this kind of recognition. Oh, I almost forgot, members are still paid a yearly stipend that - with inflation - has now eroded to just over six Euros. Even at that rate, heartfelt congratulations, Anselme!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comment:
I knew Anselme when he came to Mt. Hood Oregon in 1971. we saw the future famous extreme skier each day and also when he aided Sylvain Saudan skiing the north east face of Mt. Hood.
great person and so happy for him to receive this honor.
Post a Comment