(ESF picture by Paul Downey)
A brawl between a senior ESF (French Ski School) instructor and managers has made national media across the Channel with reports in newspaper France Bleu.
The fight apparently began after a discussion in a bar in Serre Chervalier on Friday April 17th got heated between the director of the ESF in Megève, along with another senior Megève ski school staff member, and a senior ski instructor and a 64-year-old former member of the French national ski team, according to France Bleu. The ESF were in Serre Chevalier for end of season races between ski school staff.
The fight was reported to be so violent that the 64 year old instructor has spent the past week in hospital, the newspaper says.
It reports that the argument is believed to have been over a rule that older ski instructors in the ESF are not allowed to teach as many hours as younger staff. Eighteen ski school staff had previously filed a complaint against the rule.
Megève is known as one of the most 'up market' ski resorts in France.
The Megève ESF is currently involved in a long running legal dispute against British ski instructor Simon Butler and the ski school her operates over whether his professional teaching qualifications are adequate or not to be able to legally teach in Megève under European law.