The wait is over. Last week, Haut-Lac students swapped their PE kits for ski gear and headed to the Portes-du-Soleil for the first time this season.
P1 (grade 1) students took to the slopes for their initial half-day sessions, with many experiencing the usual first-day jitters that come with learning a new sport. By the end of the morning however, they were all smiles and most were already linking turns.
The older year groups weren’t far behind. P2 to IB1 (grade 2-11) students have also completed their first full-day ski outings with Swiss ski school instructors. For some, it’s about progressing from cautious snowplough to parallel turns. For others, it’s tackling steeper runs and refining their edge control.
The ski team has wasted no time. Five training sessions down, and the focus has sharpened considerably. Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings find them on the slalom course, working on gate technique, line choice, and that critical ability to stay aggressive when fatigue sets in.
That training has already paid off. Last Thursday and Friday, the team competed in the first inter-school race of the season against seven other schools, and finished second overall in the P2-MYP1 (grade 2-6) categories and fourth in the MYP2-IB2 (grade 7-12) categories. Several skiers also brought home individual silver and bronze medals.
This approach reflects our view of sport at Haut-Lac. As Switzerland’s first World Academy of Sport accredited school, we treat physical activity as essential to student development, not an extra. The lessons from skiing, namely persistence, reading risk and staying composed under pressure, show up everywhere else too.
The season now stretches ahead with more curriculum outings scheduled and several inter-school races on the calendar. Follow us on social media for regular updates this winter.
