esf Courchevel 1850: discover the role of our Technical Managers during the season!
Publié le 21/02/2025 - Rédigé par Amélie
While most ski resorts are gradually opening their doors to the public, our teams are working hard behind the scenes to make sure you have the best possible experience.
The success of Courchevel 1850, the flagship resort of the Trois Vallées area, is confirmed every year by its popularity amongst fans of winter sports and snow-covered landscapes. How are the courses organised?
Who's behind the various events on offer? Find out from Technical Directors Jean-Hugues Poirel and Éric Toussaint.
The experience of two former esf Courchevel instructors
Originally from Nancy, Jean-Hugues Poirel arrived in the resort at the age of 10 and never left. He became an instructor in the winter of 2000-2001 and has been Technical Director since spring 2016.
Éric Toussaint was born in Courchevel. An instructor since the mid-1980s, he has been Technical Director for 17 years. Every 4 years, the instructors elect their Technical and Administrative Directors, as well as the Director of the Children's Village (Nathalie Dubien).
Adaptability, organisation, good interpersonal skills, neutrality and accuracy are all essential qualities for these positions.
Find out more about Jean-Hugues Poirel!Structured and supervised ski lessons with the esf
Jean-Hugues is in charge of setting up private lessons, which account for 90% of the lessons given at esf Courchevel 1850. Working with a team of ten people, he manages relations between hoteliers, concierges and instructors, creates schedules based on customer requests and the seniority of instructors, and ensures that each day's lessons run smoothly. 'A permanent game of Tetris!' as he calls it.
Group lessons are organised by Éric, who has to do his best to anticipate requests in order to guarantee a sufficient number of instructors. As children are the main audience for these classes (nearly 300 during the school holidays), he takes on a great deal of responsibility and supervises them as much as possible, ‘an obligatory precaution to reassure parents’.
Although December and January are the busiest months because of the end-of-year festivities and in anticipation of the February holidays, Jean-Hugues and Éric work tirelessly throughout the season to offer you a dream holiday in Courchevel.
Group lessons are organised by Éric, who has to do his best to anticipate requests in order to guarantee a sufficient number of instructors. As children are the main audience for these classes (nearly 300 during the school holidays), he takes on a great deal of responsibility and supervises them as much as possible, ‘an obligatory precaution to reassure parents’.
Although December and January are the busiest months because of the end-of-year festivities and in anticipation of the February holidays, Jean-Hugues and Éric work tirelessly throughout the season to offer you a dream holiday in Courchevel.
A wide range of tasks at the ski school
The duties of the two Directors don't stop there! Together with Éric, he also gives the stars to the children on Fridays. Éric also runs a major events programme, including the torchlit descent, client and instructor races and world cups.
The man behind the Slalom Park, he has also completely redesigned the Children's Village. He ensures that the premises are kept in order and solves a range of day-to-day problems, ensuring that the school is structured and runs smoothly.
Honest and committed, the two former instructors wanted to take on new challenges and become more involved in the esf by becoming Directors. And they succeeded!
Your child will love Courchevel 1850!