no. 01/05 - GstaadLife print edition

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100 years MOB Montreux-Gstaad 100 years ago, on 20 December 1904, guests arrived in Gstaad by train for the first time. Before that, coming from either Thun or Bulle, the journey took eight hours by stagecoach. Originally the train line was not supposed to go through Gstaad, but would have taken a direct route from Saanen via Gruben to Schönried and Zweisimmen. The determined effort of one person changed the course of the new line and with it the history of Gstaad. The beginning Many applications for a concession to build and run a train connection from the Lac Léman area to the Bernese Oberland were made, but only the project running from Montreux to Zweisimmen was realized. Construction began in 1897. By 1904 the new line reached Gstaad, but not without a struggle. Carl Reichenbach, a cantonal councilman, managed to convince federal and cantonal authorities, the MOB, and ultimately the Gemeinde of Saanen, of the benefit of taking the train line through Gstaad. At first, Saanen was totally averse to the idea and only gave in after losing its case in federal court. Reichenbach’s obstinacy changed the course of history in Gstaad. After the arrival of the train line, ten hotels were built by 1913 and five private schools opened, setting the foundations of today’s highly successful and much loved Gstaad. Successful down the years By 1906, the first dining car was already running on the new line. That same year 6 Masthead Editorial: Anne Pfeiffer-Brechbühl anne.pfeiffer©gstaadlife.ch Antoinette de Scheel antoinette.descheel@gstaadlife.ch Diana Kiker-Oehrli diana.kiker©gstaadlife.ch Xavier Ferguson xavier.ferguson@gstaadlife.ch Frank Müller-Brand frank.mueller@gstaadlife.ch Marc Rome (Arts column) mr.rome@ukonline.co.uk Peter Kuntze-Schneider (Advertising) peter.kuntze@gstaadlife.ch Advertisement the tracks reached the terminus at Zweisimmen. By the 1930’s guests lounged in beautiful belle epoque cars, pulled by the world’s strongest narrow gauge locomotive. The sixties saw the first air-conditioned carriages and the eighties brought the super panorama cars followed by the Crystal-Panorama Express. Today the Golden-Pass-Line from Montreux to Lucerne via Zweisimmen and Interlaken is internationally known for its world class comfort and stunning views. Jubilee by Anne Pfeiffer-Brechbühl For Sale: Estate & Incorporated Company – near Geneva and Lausanne Two adjacent farm houses (1850 – 1890 C.E.): 1. renovated house, over 30 rooms (5 apartments); 1000 sq. meters of surface. 2. farm to be renovated: 2500 cubic meters. 5000 sq. M. land with access to the Jura parkland & forests. Views on Alps & Jura. Pictures: http://homepage.mac.com/judy.mutziger/Montricher/PhotoAlbum44.html Owner: Judy@applefields.com. tel: + 41 (0) 21 864 55 25 They all went for a free ride with the MOB from Saanen to Gstaad, dressed in historical costume. In front, in the middle, are Stefan and Jacqueline Jaggi, who initiated and helped organize the anniversary festivities. Publishing, Conception, Printing: Müller Marketing & Druck AG, Gstaad Subscriptions: Tel. 033 748 88 74, Elsbeth Wyss Photo by Frank Müller-Brand
The man responsible for the gift of modern skis Some twenty-five years ago in Lausanne, we had the opportunity to meet Donald Gomme. One day we were walking in Gstaad together with Aleco Goulandris’s ski instructor Sammi Würsten, who knew every single meadow and mountain of his beloved Saanenland. Hearing the name Gomme, he asked if there was any connection with the “Gomme Skis” he had skied on when he was a very young boy. So here the story begins Donald and his father (the then chairman of the large and long-established furniture company E. Gomme Ltd. of High Wycombe in England) had already developed high precision mass production adhesive methods that involved new techniques of synthetic resin bonding. They also had previous experience of laminating shapes. All this inventive development resulted in E. Gomme Ltd. being entrusted with important and urgent wartime contracts to manufacture and supply wings and fuselages that made such famous high-speed aircraft as the Mosquito into practical propositions. Donald, who had started skiing as a small boy in 1922 in Wengen, was far from slow in realizing how all these new bonding techniques could be applied to other ends. At that time, of course, skis were still made of wood and were not very efficient and too easily breakable. The new bonding of various layers was a type of polymerisation which assembled molecules of metal, wood and plastic so The devastating tragedy in Southeast Asia has deeply touched the privileged people in our region, to whom life has been very good. Over the past few days, a private initiative of longstanding chalet guests and owners in Saanenland and Pays-d’Enhaut has brought about the founding of a committee with the goal to help alleviate the problems of the destitute with monetary donations. Sport/Appeal that they became an integral structure with the strength of steel. In September 1946 the modern ski was born. The two master patents for the revolutionary design were (1) the design of a ski which was very flexible longitudinally while being rigid in torsion, thus making it equally efficient on both piste and powder (indeed this paved the way for the subsequent development of modern techniques), and (2) the design of a running surface a great deal faster than that of any previous ski, which made daily waxing unnecessary. The experiment with the prototype caused a great sensation, but no-one believed that these new skis were the skis of the future! The Gomme ski was first put onto the map in a relatively modestly way by being selected for the British ski team in the 1948 Olympics in St. Moritz. They were later chosen as standard equipment by the official Swiss ski schools. Donald manufactured these skis at his factories in England for a short while, and then arranged to license Attenhofer in Zürich to make the skis according to Gomme patents. Licenses were later granted elsewhere, including Head skis in the USA. Skiing on these new precision instruments was a wonderful and entirely new experience. They created great interest and became in great demand. Of course the patents have now since long run out, but the fact remains that the basic principles of all skis manufactured and sold today were originally invented by an Englishman. Donation appeal of the Committee of HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark is the honorary president of the committee. Andreas Hurni, president of the municipal council of Saanen, and Jean-Jacques Mottier, mayor of Château-d’Oex, have been appointed as board members of the committee. “We are conscious of the fact that life has been very kind to us, and would like to show our solidarity with the victims of the flood catastrophe by helping them,” explains Beat Notz, co-initiator. For this purpose the committee has opened Mr. Donald Gomme carrying his, in 1946, revolutionary skis. Although Donald was a good friend, we, like far too many people, did not know his fundamental role in the history of skiing. by Maria Embiricos accounts with the Saanen Bank and the Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. At a later date the committee will inform the public about which organizations have received money and how much has been donated in total. “The donations will go in full to the victims of the flood catastrophe”, promises Notz. by Anne Pfeiffer-Brechbühl and Anita Moser Donations can be paid into the following accounts: Saanen Bank, Gstaad, account no. 16.1.141.706.04, with note “Seaquake Asia”, or Banque Cantonale Vaudoise BCV, Château-d’Œx, account no. 50966282, with note “Séisme Asie”. 7 Photo by M. Embiricos
Page 1 and 2: Photo by Anne Pfeiffer-Brechbühl G
Page 3 and 4: Interview Chopard enlarged and “C
Page 5: What’s new in Saanenland The spor

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