With the dual roles of sponsor and participant, Managing Director Michael Pettifer has again demonstrated his personal involvement with the sport and his determination to provide the best Ski Insurance for British skiers.
Michael made a triumphant return to Wengen, Switzerland, where he first skied – more than 50 years ago. Not only did he watch some of the UK’s finest young skiers in action during the DHO British Schoolboys Races, he was also invited to act as Vorlaufer (front runner) in the Grand Slalom.
To make this even more memorable, the event was held on the famous 4,455 metre Lauberhorn run – site of an annual downhill ski race, first held in 1930, and one of the Ski World Cup classics. Lauberhorn is the longest FIS World Cup downhill stretch and takes about two and a half minutes to complete, with World Cup skiers reaching up to 96mph.
He returned to the Lauberhorn later in the week to take part in the Railway Cup – an annual event staged by the Wengenalpbahn (WAB) as a thank-you to the Wengen-based DHO ski club.
Before travelling to Switzerland, Michael made a brief appearance at the MPI-sponsored British Schoolgirls Races, organised by the Ladies Ski Club each year in Flaine. For the rest of the BSR event, MPI was represented by Sales and Marketing Manager, Catherine Lowe.
Earlier, Michael was in Morzine for the two-day Snow-Camp Alpine Challenge, also sponsored by MPI Brokers. He skied as part of the Dare Bears team – with teammates Carol Sparrow, Nikki Reid and Joanna Percy – which finished 7th overall. The 150km event was contested by 21 teams.
Snow-Camp is an innovative youth charity that uses a unique combination of skiing, snowboarding and life-skills programmes to support inner-city young people. This year’s Alpine Challenge raised more than £25,000.
Michael also skied as a guest of the Ironmongers Company at the 7th Inter-Livery Ski Championships, also in Morzine, a two-day event for more than 30 teams representing the livery companies.
MPI’s blue and white flags will be flying in Austria from 9 to 12 March for the 9th Amateur Inter-Club Team Championship at Ski-Club Arlberg, Lech. MPI is sponsoring this event for the second time.
