Alain Lazard, 1942 – 2015

I was shocked when I heard that Alain, after having successfully battled cancer a few years ago, fell prey to pneumonia this past Saturday morning. Even though it seemed that I knew of my countryman ever since I came to America, it's only for the last 15 years that I had come to know and appreciate him. Alain was smart, intense, exacting with his own styled sense of humor.

He had the intellectual qualities that regrettably don't abound in ski industry, where everyone is too infatuated with skiing for always thinking clearly. Over the years, the French native who originally came in the late sixties to America to coach skiing, built a career for himself into ski racing and later in ski areas resources and equipment.

When he finally retired a few years ago, he kept on working on his beautiful property on the Sierra foothills and immersed himself in writing his piece of modern ski history. Among other works, he researched and re-opened the discussion about the sacking of the French ski team in the mid seventies. He also published several unique pieces about French vs. American ski resorts and ski racing programs compared strategies around the world.

His work was from the 30,000 feet view point, was very well written, researched. documented and always hit the nail on the head with eye-opening facts. Alain, you left us too early; we'll miss you a lot!

Obit written for the International Ski History Association:
 

Alain Lazard passed away from pneumonia on Saturday, October 24, 2015. He was 73 years old. Born in Aix-en-Provence, Southern France, Alain studied Chemistry in Marseilles before becoming a certified ski instructor. In 1969, Alain came to the United States, and from New York, crossed the continent aboard his Citroën 2CV to the West Coast, where he coached and instructed at Bear Valley's Club Med, among other places.

Back in France, he attended the University of Grenoble, where he met Georges Joubert and graduated with a degree in coaching and management. Joubert offered him a coaching job with the French Team through 1974. The following year, he managed the La Clusaz ski racing team, a resort near Annecy, before settling in Squaw Valley in 1976, where he headed the Far West Ski Association. 

In the early eighties, he became Tour Director of the Peugeot Far West Pro Tour until moving on as the representative of the French consortium “France Neige International” where he served as the official liaison between French resort equipment suppliers such as Poma lifts, and more than 400 U.S. ski resorts.

 

In 2005, Lazard retired, was still busy working on his properties in the Sierra Foothills, and immersed himself in writing about modern ski history. Among other publications, he researched and re-opened the discussion about the firing of the French ski team by Joubert and Vuarnet in the mid seventies. 

He also published several unique essays comparing French to American ski resorts as well as international ski racing programs strategies and their respective outcomes. His work, written from the 30,000 feet level perspective was well researched, thoroughly documented and always drove his point with eye-opening facts.

In recent years, Alain Lazard had made Penn Valley, California his home, and is survived by his wife Sarah and step-daughter Lillie.