Our ski & snowboard school is the oldest in Courchevel, created between 1947 and 1949 by Jean Pachod who created a space in his ski shop to use as the first ski school in "Moriond" (Courchevel 1650). He recruited his instructor friends from the Saint Bon area, who had watched Austrian instructors teaching between the 2 wars. 

There was only 1 draglift, which has now been in place since 1935 (still called the St Agathe), and no groomed slopes. It was a time for skinning and schussing! Only the instructors managed to link a few turns. Everyone had to wait until the winter of 1958/59 for the first manual piste machine to be used which transformed the surface of the piste into groomed and marked runs, for the pleasure of everyone.  

 

 

 

Camille Chedal-Anglay was the director of ESF Courchevel 1650 between  1967 and 1979. His enthusiasm and energy transformed the ski school. It was a dynamic and progressive era and it was a precursor for how the ESF is run today: 1650 was the first school to introduce computers, limit the number of students in group lessons, allow reservations of private lessons and provide a shelter and canteen for children.  

 

In the beginning, the ski school was housed in a small hut between two hotels. Later in the early 70s, the ESF 1650 moved into their own office which became a meeting place for the instructors. The office even had a full alcohol license! (with their own instructor-barman!).  Eventually, this became a meeting point between clients and instructors... the ski school has since lost its license!!!!!

 

It was also in the early 1970s, following the Olympic Games in Grenoble (1968), that the French Alps including our resort became known by foreigners who have been coming here ever since.