Paul Bréchu is an Alps & Meters ambassador, living and skiing in France. He wrote about the history of his family in the sport for this edition of the Journal. More of his work can be found at www.paulbrechu.com.

Becoming a ski instructor in France is tougher than in any other country. Most instructors aspiring to teach in France must spend years of their lives to attain the necessary qualifications.

In 1937, Emile Allais became the first official ski instructor in France and so, became medalist n°1 after following the ENSA (National Alpinism and Ski School), and so on goes the numbers of ski instructors who followed the path of the pioneers.

My name is Paul Bréchu, I am 29 years old and medalist n°17609.

This article is not about my story but the one of my grandfather Jules Bréchu, born in 1917 in Mexico from immigrants from Barcelonette (South Alps), far away from the pristine white mountains of the Alps.

Back in the beginning of 1900, many immigrants from all over Europe decided to move away from the misery of their villages, some went to the USA, others went to Mexico. The kids of the newly arrived Mexicans were sent back to France for school, and Jules discovered France at the age of 12 in 1929.

At that time, skiing was mostly a military matter. During WWII, my grandfather started teaching ski in a military camp that was settled to canalize the army pilots who couldn’t fly in occupied France. Alpinism, climbing, roadwork, and many other activities where organized. After the war, the camps became the UNCM, a center for mountains activities and in 1965, the UCPA (today a vacation camp).

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Jules became a mountain guide in 1950 and the official ski instructor n°368 in 1952.

In 1947 he will have his first child, Henri, who will win the famous Ski World Cup stage Madonna Di Campiglio in 1970 and be part of the French Ski Team, along with Henri Duvillard, Alain Penz, Jean Claude Killy, and will become a ski instructor in 1972.

In 1949, two more: François, who will also compete and become a ski instructor in 1974, and Jacques, who will become a ski instructor and will coach Luc Alphand during its years at the head of the Ski Club of Serre Chevalier.

Serre Chevalier, in the southern alps, inaugurated in 1941, will become the nest of the family with the creation of a ski shop: Bréchu Sports in 1969. All of the family will grow from here. Today, four more members of the family are ski instructors.

17241 persons separate our numbers, from the golden age of ski history to now, with me being the last of the family to get the medal (for the moment) and to perpetuate this tradition of living and transmitting the values and passion for the snow and the curves through ski teaching, competition, and skiing across the world.