Europe's biggest inter resort mogul contest returns to Verbier
Yesterday saw teams from across the Alps gather on the sunny slopes of Verbier for the 23rd Boss des Bosses.
The competition is Europe’s biggest inter-resort moguls contest with teams coming from Zermatt, Verbier, Chamonix, Portes du Soleil, Meribel and Haute Nandez. Zermatt were there to defend their title from last year, whereas Chamonix’s main aim was to stay sober enough to take actually part.
The Boss des Bosses originated way back in the early nineties when two seasonaires disagreed on whose resort had the better skiers. The gauntlet was thrown down when Tom Banfield from Chamonix challenged Val d’Isere to a moguls battle which became the legendary extravaganza that we know and love to this day. Much more than just another ski comp, it has become one of the biggest parties on the hill, with old friends and new faces coming together from all over the Alps to hang out and have fun. It was awesome to see so many familiar faces there, including that of Tom Banfield himself, wielding the microphone with style.
We got there nice and early to bag a good spot beside the course amongst the trees just above Bar 1936; we set up our base camp and dug a few snow holes to chill our beers in before heading off up the Mayentzet chairlift to get a few laps in before the contest kicked off. The snow was in great condition at that time of the morning, with patches of untouched corduroy still lingering on some pistes. A nice firm base covered in dry chalky snow made for fast fun descents of the Attelas and La Chaux sectors, before we headed back to Les Ruinettes in time for the start of the Boss des Bosses at midday.
The premise of the Boss des Bosses is pretty simple - teams comprise a mix of skiers, snowboarders, telemarkers and monoskiers, and must be mixed sex. Competitors are judged on two elements - speed down the moguls and style over the kickers. This year’s course looked pretty tough; two parallel runs with deep tightly-packed moguls, terminated with a row of kickers at the bottom, all with a hefty flick on them and a pretty steep landing zone - which resulted in a few crash landings and a couple of worryingly dramatic wipeouts. Fortunately everyone seemed to come through unscathed and there were some seriously impressive tricks being thrown down.
A great turn-out showed that the spirit of the Boss des Bosses is still strong, with hundreds of people lining the course and getting stuck into BBQs, beers, music, fancy dress and cheering like mad. The fun continued afterwards at Le Rouge, which hosted a great after-party and prize giving for the winning team, the best jump, the best wipeout and the best costume. All the teams put on a good show but it was Verbier who rode to glory on their home turf, picking up first place while Chamonix redeemed themselves from last year’s drunken debacle by claiming second place and Portes du Soleil took the bronze medal. Everything else is a hazy memory of a great day out…
This year's Boss des Bosses was sponsored by Verbier Tourism, Téléverbier, Faction Skis, Le Rouge Restaurant & Après-Ski, Mountain Air, Verbier, Winslow Brew Co., SunGod, Sinner, Pharmacie de la Croix de Coeur and Le Crock No Name. The biggest cheers go out to everyone who took part and to the good folks of Verbier for hosting another spectacular Boss des Bosses - see you there next year!
Ski & snowboard rental located within the Philippe Roux sports shop. Save time and money by booking online have your equipment ready to pick up as soon as you arrive enabling you to hit the slopes straight away!
No 1 Sports is one of Verbier's most renowned sport shops, and with its close proximity to the Médran lifts (50m), it makes an ideal choice for all of your equipment needs.
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Mountain Air is recognised as the largest and most advanced lifestyle and sports shop in the Alps. They offer the largest selection of ski and snowboard equipment for rental and sale from their store at the foot of the Medran piste.
Established in 1991, this ski and snowboard school was one of the first British ski schools in Switzerland and is renowned for its fantastic instructors and excellent customer service.
Whether skis or a snowboard are your weapon of choice, this ski school offers excellent tuition for all ages and abilities. Renowned locally for its professionalism, it has been operating in Verbier for over twenty years.
Enjoy private ski lessons in Verbier with expert instructors. Personalised coaching helps beginners and advanced skiers alike improve their skills, explore the slopes, and make the most of their time in the Swiss Alps. Flexible schedules and small groups ensure focused, fun, and safe lessons for everyone.
This ski school offers group ski lessons for both children and adults, catering to all ability levels. Their group lessons provide a great and affordable way to improve your skiing in a safe, social and supportive environment.
Verbier was the first Swiss resort to welcome this team. They are renowned for going the extra mile, offering excellent customer service and delivering high-quality lessons and guiding.
Whether you’re an experienced skier or snowboarder, or taking your first steps on the slopes, private lessons are a great way to build confidence and see rapid improvement in a short time.
This company provides private transfers from Geneva Airport to Verbier, nearby areas, and other resorts across the Alps. With excellent value and top-quality service, they’re an ideal choice for your next trip.
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Offering executive private airport transfers to Verbier from Geneva and all other airports including Zurich, Milan, Bern and Sion, you can rely on them. Operating from the centre of Verbier since 2015, they are unique in the industry by being fully electric.
Fancy doing something different? Explore the beautiful natural scenery of the 4 Valleys by venturing off the beaten track on snowshoes.
The Fly Verbier team invites you to come and take a tandem flight with them in the beautiful surroundings of the Val de Bagnes,
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See allLatest News & ReviewsThe resort is the home of the Xtreme Verbier, the final stop on the Freeride World Tour. This extreme skiing and snowboarding contest is held on the famous Bec des Rosses mountain in March. During the summer months, the resort is home to the Verbier Festival, a classical music festival of international acclaim, the Grand Raid Cristalp mountain biking competition and the Grand Concours Hippique horse show.
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