On the first day home since my trip to Switzerland, I thought it appropriate to honor a Swiss skier. I’m still a little star struck by the impossibly quaint ski villages and precipitous ski resorts of the Alps that could hold numerous Crystal Mountains within their boundaries. Don’t worry, I’m not going to move to Switzerland. Not yet anyway. My heart still belongs to Crystal. But the Swiss understand the sport I love–after all, skiing is their national sport. I just hope that I can find a way to visit more often.

Five-time Hanekam winner and World Cup Swiss ski racer, Didier Cuche, recently retired from racing. On the last race of his career, he impressed spectators with his return to tradition equipment. Here he is in Schladming running the Giant Slalom with wooden skis, knickers and a really cool woolen cap. Too bad he wasn’t wearing a bota bag. That would have really capped it for me. This guy is a true Swiss hero, and watching this video you can see why. Hats off to Cuche.

Related articles

• Scenes from the Alps (kimkircher.com)
• Cuche Wins World Cup Super-G (nytimes.com)