Who would be my Ski Buddy

We recently teamed up with allbeauty.com & Ultrasun UK to give one lucky winner a fantastic VIP SKI holiday. Entering the competition was easy, just one simple question to answer…

We were so grateful to see hundreds of entries and hear who your ski buddies would be. 

While he wasn’t the lucky winner, we couldn’t resist sharing with you this fantastic entry from one of our ex chalet hosts, Rory. Scroll down for the full version but for those of you with limited time…here are the best bits

"To be an ultimate VIP ski-buddy is a very intriguing topic which requires a great deal of thought and consideration. There is much more to this than simply shouting out my all-time love or childhood hero and you would be a fool to think of this as a “stuck in a lift with” type situation."

 “…I have to have someone there who is scanning the hidden half-pipes with me and deciding which tree branch we can grind over next. Enter contender one – Robbie Knievel”

 “I need someone who can also appreciate the 5 star service…someone who can understand why red wine needs to be served just at that perfect temperature…Laurence Llewelyn-Bowe, dust off that all-in-one attire”

“I therefore need someone with a stomach as big as the weird amount of thought going into this answer and an appetite even bigger. Adam Richman, make mine a demi peche. “

“However…, I realise now that there is only one person I could possibly take to fill such a void. My Mum. She absolutely loves snow parks too and I owe her a bit after all these years.”

With the effort made on this entry we’re disappointed Rory wasn’t the lucky winner. Huge congratulations go to winner Janna Williamson who will be skiing with us later this season.

To be an ultimate VIP ski-buddy is a very intriguing topic which requires a great deal of thought and consideration. There is much more to this than simply shouting out my all-time love or childhood hero and you would be a fool to think of this as a “stuck in a lift with” type situation. Oh no friend - having worked at a VIP Chalet myself (drop that one in early), I am all too aware of the potential bliss of such a holiday, where Carrefour-crafted canapes, immaculately folded toilet rolls and, of course, epic pow pow are all but guaranteed from the moment your chalet’s name is called off the coach. So as I restrain myself from an immediate request for SuBo or The Wealdstone Raider, allow me to talk you through what exactly is required from an ultimate VIP ski-buddy who can help me embrace all of this.

Ultimately, the quintessential ingredient to a ski-buddy centres around one thing – pow pow performance. As many of many of my seasonnaire family members will agree, you haven’t really done a ski season unless you’ve attempted some mad gnarly off-piste air pre-3 courser. I reckon that form the majority of the slopes I bolted down, at least one in ten saw me take a solid 3 inches of air off the ground, and for two of those I wasn’t even wearing my helmet. I therefore need someone who can keep up with my adrenaline-junkie nature. None of this slalom parallel shenanigans; I have to have someone there who is scanning the hidden half-pipes with me and deciding which tree branch we can grind over next. Enter contender one – Robbie Knievel. With over 20 world records to his name and an undisputed reputation of tackling some of the most dangerous and dare-devilish stunts known to man, he puts himself firmly in contention to join me in the Alps as we munch on some of the best mackerel pate on cucumber cups known to man. 

But let’s not be snow blinded by the beauty of those mountains. Although this may be your ultimate reason to ski, your choice for VIP certainly snow ploughs deeper. A chalet at VIP SKI is like no other chalet. From the heated ski boot stands to the tooth picked toilets, from the carefully calculated post-dinner topics of conversation to the sort-of-swan-like daily towel displays, a VIP SKI chalet is a work of seasonnaire art layered with hot hosting, immaculate cleaning and, above all, very informative yet casually delivered welcome speeches. I therefore need someone who can also appreciate the 5 star service on offer here – someone who can discuss with me at length the benefit of providing both shower gel and bath lotion on arrival, who can understand why the red wine needs to be served just at that perfect temperature and, crucially, how you can work dinner around the Six Nations Rugby evening matches as to be expected by a VIP chalet host. Laurence Llewelyn-Bowe, dust off that all-in-one attire. 

But hang on a second. Let’s put in a sharp snow plough right there, for we are forgetting one key ingredient to the VIP SKI experience. The food. Prepare those Instagram filters and hold back on the lunchtime tartiflette happy campers because the weight-gain train is approaching and she comes in the form of breakfast, three course meals, canapes, champagne and – wait for it – a cake every single day. You heard right. Oh and what’s that? You’ve suddenly decided this week you want to try being a vegan whilst on Wednesday you will be beginning your annual day of not eating any dairy? Can do. These chalet host and club chefs are primed ready for action as they serve us up a stunning service every single day that takes into consideration almost every dietary requirement known to man. Because of this, I can’t be dealing with anyone who can’t embrace and prepare themselves for the meal onslaught awaiting us. No saltimbocca shall go untouched in this quest to compliment and then demolish every recipe that is presented our way. I therefore need someone with a stomach as big as the weird amount of thought going into this answer and an appetite even bigger. Adam Richman, make mine a demi peche. 

Now, the tricky part awaits. How to merge all three contenders together into someone who, if given the opportunity, can be my ultimate VIP ski-buddy. After deciding that my method of drawing the head of one on my notepad, then folding the piece of paper and then drawing the body and legs of the others was a tad old-fashioned, I realise now that there is only one person I could possibly take to fill such a void. My Mum. She absolutely loves snow parks too and I owe her a bit after all these years.

Thanks for considering my application. I’ll be ready to pass on the condolences to Lawrence and the gang.

Waiting with baited breath, Rory.