It's a bit like a Christmas present. In Métabief, the snow and good weather attract many skiers. Hundreds of people parade on the slopes. The cars try as best they can to pass each other and find an available space. Some skiers return their rentals, others enjoy a last drink or share a waffle. If on the other side, in Piquemiette, silence reigns, here in Métabief, the excitement is there, to the great pleasure of the traders.
At the restaurant Le Chamois, we do not surface. “We are full morning, noon and evening. We didn't expect that but we couldn't have dreamed of anything better.”smiles Gilles Bourdelle, the manager. He has around 120 seats at lunchtime, in the afternoon it doesn't stop and in the evening, around 50 people parade through his restaurant. Sports days, which he doesn't mind. “It’s hot but we’re taking it because we don’t know how long it will last, especially since the snow has always been a bit of a problem in recent years”continues the restaurateur.
Exceptional conditions
Such weather is the first time that Pierre-Henri Robbe, manager of the 4 seasons Eyja Sport store, has attended: “The weather has always been unpredictable. There, it all starts with the holidays. Having so much snow with good weather during the Christmas period are exceptional conditions. It’s just happiness”. If the last two years have been mixed, this season doesn't give him a minute and he continues the days non-stop: “it's sporty. Fatigue is felt but it's a good thing. It’s everything we love,” explains Pierre-Henri. He rents between 200 to 300 pairs of downhill skis per day, not counting cross-country or touring skis.
“We are at 1800 articles per day”notes a little above, Thierry Salvi, the manager of Métaski, a ski and clothing rental store. And it doesn't stop with him either. “We start at 8 a.m. and finish around 10:30 p.m., time to put everything away”. He has been managing his store for 12 years and for him this is the third or fourth time that he has witnessed such good conditions during the Christmas holidays. If this weather is not new for him, that doesn't stop it from putting a smile on his face. “It’s good for the station. It's true that you have to be reactive, you find yourself a little overwhelmed. There is an impossible crowd. People are happy. Seeing the kids with a big smile, that’s what interests me. Skiing provides sensations that are not found in other sports”.
A season that promises to be very interesting, weather conditions permitting. Happiness is therefore there for the moment and everyone hopes that it continues.
