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French ski legend dies
19th Oct 12
Émile Allais who set up Ecole de Ski Francais has died aged 100. He helped create modern ski resorts and is considered the first great French ski racer dominating the sport in the 1930s.

He was born in Megève in February 1912 and won the first alpine skiing medal at the 1936 Olympics and was a World Champion in all ski disciplines. He dominated ski racing in the 1930s.

At the 1937 World Championships in Chamonix he won gold in slalom, downhill and combined and he went on to coach the French national ski team for 7 years.

Émile Allais went on to establish the Ecole de Ski Français that is the largest ski school in the world and has branches in every French ski resort.

He was also instrumental is developing grooming and slope safety and was involved in ski resort development across the French Alps at resorts including Courchevel, La Plagne, Vars and Flaine.
 
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