A first trip ‘round the world, part 56

What would we say, if someone asked us “Which lifetime lessons did I learn during your stay in Australia and Mt. Buller in 1971?” 

Marcel Grivel-Dellilaz:  

Marcel has always been enthusiastic about life, skiing and adventure, so he only has wonderful memories of his summer spent at Mt Buller. He was stoked as soon as he learned that he would be teaching in Australia, fly for the first time, circumnavigate and discover the world. 

Marcel fondly remembers: “I was madly in love with skiing at that time, so what a joy to be on snow a whole summer!” He felt privileged to work with his fellow instructors who became real friends and by the same token jumped on the opportunity to improve his English daily while working. 

Marcel goes on: “It was a time when friendship, cooperation and mutual support from friends was so enriching. Of course, instructing, my true passion. It filled me with joy and there was also the racing side of skiing that I practiced religiously each season into early summer, all over the Alps!” 

Ski racing always ranked high on Marcel’s list and he remembers organizing races with Gérard and coaching kids with Jean-Pierre at Mt. Buller. Marcel couldn’t get enough of our fun, collective daily life, not to mention our festive evenings that followed. 

Thinking for a moment, Marcel adds: “...the cherry on the cake was the return trip, especially that road-trip we took with Gérard, between Melbourne and Sydney, traveling through the Pacific Islands and the West Coast of the USA! If it were not for my becoming a husband and a dad upon returning home, I would gladly have repeated that magical experience!” 

Gérard Bouvier: 

From a young age, I wanted to discover new horizons and was eager to get his full instructor certification before setting out to explore the world. As he got his first level, he left his hometown in Savoie, to teach at Club Med in the Pyrenees during the winter of 1967/68. The following season he picked Val D'Isère and finally, Morzine, in 1969/70. 

Upon obtaining his second and final certification level, “Diplôme National”, he had set his sights on the Province of Quebec for the following winter, but in January of that same year, he was asked to become a faculty member at ENSA, the National School of Ski Instruction in Chamonix, France. 

“That was a tough decision for me to make,” said Gérard, “Should I give up going to Canada and forever relinquish the opportunity to work abroad or should I take that great job?” Well, he did the latter, but opportunity had its way of knocking again. 

Gérard recalls: “As I began teaching at ENSA, sometime in January, Alexis Saudan asked me to accompany him to Mt. Buller, as long as I could brush up on my English. While this possibility wasn’t a sure thing yet, I sensed that my dream was now within reach. The first lesson I drew from this experience was that, beyond my wildest dreams, persistence could open many doors.” 

Gérard reflects, “This Australian experience that happened so far away, sure in another ski resort, was so much different from the standpoint of its environment, climate and culture. Further, the constant fun and discovery that hit us, influenced my life forever and stayed etched in my mind, and would play a crucial role in shaping up my professional career.” 

The rest of this story will continue tomorrow...