Fifty years ago, sacked in Val d’Isère

The year 1973 was bad enough for me and two of my friends when we were fired from the Avoriaz ski school, but it went even worse for six top promising French ski racers that were fired on December 9 by the leaders of the national ski team, including Jean Vuarnet (my home town hero), Maurice Martel, Georges Joubert (the renowned ski guru), Roger Chastagnol and Pierre Mazeaud.

Unlike the three of us that would be renstated at our ski school on December 16, the Lafforgue sisters, Augert, Russel, Duvillard et Rossat-Mignod were all banished forever from the French team at great cost to their country’s ski community. 

Their firing left a scar that might never have been healed, considering that together, these athletes packed 2 world championships titles, 49 World Cup victories and 9 small globes!