Kandahar Ski Club

A snowHead

As you probably know, British skiers were among those who developped skiing as a touristic activity in the Alps, in the early decades of the XX century.

The first Ski Racing Club in the world was also British, and we made an article at Retro Ski about that club, the Kandahar Ski Club, we hope you enjoy it, you just have to click on the picture:

A snowHead

pedro maia, nice article - altough as a member of the arch rivals from across the hill, the DHO, I am a little disappointed you didn't start with the best club first though! Wink

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

PG, I´m neutral Smile

, and I must say that I don´t what is the DHO.

But if you have a good story with old pictures, we´ll be very happy to have your cooperation at Retro Ski.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

pedro maia, good article & pictures. I'm sure I recognised some of my skiing style in that video! wink

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

pedro maia, the DHO was set up within months of the Kandahar, across the valley in Wengen. 'Friendly' rivalry to this day Smile

http://www.downhillonly.com

You'll need to Register first of course.

Where was the Kandahar? I thought that it was Kitzbuhel?

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

PG, They did start with the best 1st. I have to say that as my children are K members

After all it is free · Last edited by After all it is free on Wed 7-06-06 14:01; edited 1 time in total

PG, duplicate

PG, I´ll have to investigate on your club, probably I´ll contact them.

I heard of another old british club, the Wengen Ski Club, can it be another name for the DHO or another club?

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Kramer, the club was named after Field Marshal Earl Roberts of Kandahar, a british official who served at Kandahar region, nowadays in Afghanistan.

There where several ski races named Kandahar, one of the most famous was in St Anton, but also in Chamonix, the world cup downhill piste of Garmisch is also called Kandahar, etc.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Kramer, Murren

snow reports

Thanks, that sounds a bit more like it.

Quite confusingly there are now two Kandehar pistes in St Anton, which can cause problems when you're trying to find someone.

pedro maia, good article,pictures and the movie clip. Well done for putting Kandahar Ski Club first.. Laughing

You know it makes sense.

Where's that Wengen man when you need him to stand up and be counted Very Happy

Chemmy's a DHO girl, I rest my case Wink

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

PG, To say nothing of Konrad! Also Gina Hathorn (3rd Olympic slalom), Bunny fields (7th Olympic downhill) and Davina Galica (also well place in the Olympic DH, who went on to speed skiing glory, and to be the only female to have ever raced in F1).

Me too BTW!!! Very Happy

A snowHead

I could start listing K members (eg.Bell brothers,Bartelski) but...too many 2 mention Laughing

A snowHead

And me, as from last January Shock

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Hi, im Raulasturias, Maia's friend and companion in Retro-ski.

easiski, I think so Davina Galica never raced in F1 , She failed to qualify.

others women drivers in F1:

1958: Maria Teresa De Filippis - 4 GPs

1975-76: Lella Lombardi - 12 GPs

Drivers who failed to qualify: Giovanna Amati , Davina Galica, Desiré Wilson

Blush

This one, is only an anecdote.

I promise us, write an article about DHO, in a next time

Pd, sorry by my bad english... rolling eyes

You need to Login to know who's really who.

raulasturias, welcome to snowHeads!

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

There is a Wengen Ski Club, it was started in 1904 and even has a website however the majority of its members are local Swiss, the DHO started about 20 years later and only aquired its now famous initials thanks to the Kandahar club Shocked

Members of the club (nobody seems to know if it had another name) were invited to a friendly (read compettative) meeting with the Kandahar club members in Murren who all turned up with their brand new K badges, over lunch the members of the DHO decided on these initials, when asked why they pointed out to the Kandahar members their unique advantage, unlike the Kandahar club who before skiing down the mountain first had to climb up it, the DHO went Down Hill Only thanks to the marvelous trains that go right up to Jungfraujoch (still the highest mountain railway in Europe).

I was told once of a race held by the Kandahar Club, it seems that snow conditions were too bad to ski on the mountain (this is in the days before ski lifts and piste machines) but the members were determined to procede with the race, so they assembled upstairs in the Palace hotel and a number of duvets were obtained, the contents of which were then emptied down the hotels stairs. I have no idea who won the race but it must have taken great courage to attach oneself to wooden skis with basic cable bindings before sliding down the staircase in a blizzard of feathers. Shocked

You'll need to Register first of course.

Davina Galica tried but failed to qualify for I think 3 F1 Grand Prix i.e she drove each course in an F1 car but failed to reach the qualifying standard, she did however compete in other motor racing events with some success

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

Martin Bell, you can see any photos about the Ladies ski Club in this other article :

Ladies Ski Club

Martin Bell, Thank you for the correct info (reliable as usual), I was only remembering off the top of my head. Bunny was a nickname - she was one of my trainers when in the DHO (along with Kenny Dixon believe it or not), and I bought a ski suit from Gina Hathorn's shop in about 1971/2!! That was the suit I wore in my first season teaching in Wengen in 1972/3.

Isn't it a shame that the youngsters now have hardly heard about these ladies, who really flew the flag? My father raced at the same time as Jeremy Palmer-Tomkinson (but not so successfully) - who's heard of him nowadays??

raulasturias, Welcome to Snowheads. You must think this is wierd, but there's intense rivalry between Wengen and Murren; the Kandahar and the DHO as you can now see! Laughing

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Martin Bell, Now I've had time to read the results, it's interesting to see that Goitschel, and Mir appear in nearly all the 1968 results showing how versatile they were. In Val T there's a run (which I got confused on) called the Marielle on the Piste maps, whereas it's marked as the Goitschel on the piste markers and direction boards! I also remember as a child being a huge fan of Marie-Therese Nadig (not such a big one of Anne-Marie Moser-Proell), and to see them in the results of the GS in 1972 is interesting . Annie Famose is also a name I remember now I've seen it! Memory is a funny thing, isn't it?

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

I didn't know Gina Hathorn had a ski shop, but I do remember the days when Kenny Dixon made wool hats!
Marie-Therese Nadig is indeed a tough lady - she went on to be the only woman in the hard-drinking, testosterone-filled world of World Cup ski team coaches.

snow reports

easiski, there are several ski shops and a restaurant trading under the Goitschel name as well, she was on the French version of 'I'm a celebrity, get me out of here' over Easter.

Hoppo, Yes - she's a BIG DEAL - and so she should be.

Martin Bell, It was either in Chelsea or Knightsbridge - can't remember which, but v. expensive. I think I paid £70 odd for my suit which was a fortune in those days! I don't think it lasted long, we'd call it "bijou" these days. Interesting about Nadig being the only woman in the biz - I didn't know that. I think it was mostly poor Sue who actually made the hats! In their garage as I recall!! Cool

Help!!

Kandahar Ski Club

snowHeads Forum Index >>> The Piste