GstaadLife

Way back when we began this website, GL.com would spend quite a lot of time reporting the exploits of the Gstaad Automobile Club. There were two Transafricaine rallies from Paris to Dakar, another trans-asian one for charity from St Petersburg to Beijing, a day of classic endurance racing at the Nürburgring, a day of classic formula one in Monaco, a couple of local rallies in collaboration with the Gstaad Yacht Club, a couple of winter driving courses, and more than a few fun cocktail evenings. During this time GAC has evolved, not so much in member numbers -- the club remains strictly invitation-only -- but more in terms of its place on the local car scene, with December 2007 seeing the opening of a new clubhouse in Feutersoey. This summer there has been another big step for GAC with the formalization of its modern endurance racing team. Sure there were always a few club members such as Stanislas de Sadeleer and Karim Ojjeh (pictured center above) who were regulars on the grand European circuits, racing everything from classic Formula 1 to the modern prototype endurance racing of the Le Mans Series (pictured below).

But this year the prototypers got serious...with a brand new car and team setup, the addition of professional driver Phillip Peter (pictured left above), results that see them doing fantastically in the standings for a rookie team, and a shiny new website to keep up with the all the action.

The site is great, chock full of background info, race stats, exclusive photos and video, and, our personal favorite, the journal-style cockpit accounts of the races like this one from Karim Ojjeh. The Gstaad Auto Club endurance team's next race is the big one, the 24 Heures du Mans from June 13-14, and you can follow all the action on Eurosport, MotorsTV and of course at www.gac-racingteam.com.

Top: From left to right, Phillip Peter, Karim Ojjeh, and Claude-Yves Gosselin contemplate a day's racing at this year's LM P2 season-opener in Barcelona.

2nd and 3rd from top: the GAC team's Zytek 07S car, unveiled to the public at a cocktail in Feutersoey just before Christmas 2008.

by Diana Oehrli

A letter entitled “Locals Goodbye” that was published in our German language sister publication, Anzeiger von Saanen, has been the talk of the town since it appeared more than one month ago. Signed by over 80 local youth, the letter expresses outrage and sadness over the selling of local real estate to well-to-do guests. Furthermore, it decries the transformation of Saanenland’s villages – namely Gstaad and Saanen with their authentic mountain flavor – into ghost towns that are becoming dominated by ‘unnecessary’ luxury boutiques. On May 11, Der Bund, the regional newspaper in the canton of Berne, picked up the story and printed an article entitled “Gucci statt Gemüse” (“Gucci instead of vegetables”). The article says that Gstaad has the highest quota of billionaires in the world. “And the rich have their special needs: nearly 30 boutiques with fashion from sophisticated houses like Gucci or Prada, line Gstaad’s main street that carries the lordly name ‘Promenade.’” At its May meeting, the commune’s council, addressing the open letter, appealed urgently to landowners to put their financial interests aside and to consider the existent needs of local young people and century-old traditions, when considering future real estate transactions. The letter “Locals Goodbye?!” reads: “Yet again, a business locale on the Gstaad Promenade has been sold to an affluent Gstaad guest.

It's widely-considered around Gstaad that the season starts when the Gstaad Palace opens. Well, on June 12 it does. So does the Hotel Olden, with the Grand Hotel Park opening on June 19. Grand Chalet gets going on May 28. And others, such as the Grand Hotel Bellevue and the Bernerhof are already open. So all the hotel possibilities are or will be back online over the next couple of weeks, but we have to note that the summer cable car schedule seems, well, a little off the pace, with most not cranking up till mid or end-June (and some like the Eggli not opening at all). And if you haven't written them down yet, here are the dates for the headline events to put in your agenda:

1. 45th Annual Cantonal Yodeling Festival - June 12-14
2. SWATCH FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Grand Slam - July 6-12
3. Davidoff Saveurs Gstaad - July 10-19
4. Menuhin Festival Gstaad - July 17 - September 5
5. Allianz Suisse Open - July 25 - August 2 (later than normal)
6. Hublot Polo Gold Cup - August 20-23
7. Gstaad Classic Oldtimer Rally - September 2-5 
8. Country Night Gstaad - September 11-13

Construction season is Saanenland is not limited to the roads. In the past week, work has begun on the slopes, with Bergbahnen Destination Gstaad kicking off the next phase of its SFr 160 million skilift upgrade project. The focus for this phase is once again on artifical snow making, with BDG investing SFr 20 million to have just short of 50% of all slopes kitted out with artificial snowmaking by 2012.   

According to legend there is a treasure hidden at the end of rainbow - well at least now we know why they are digging that honking great hole up at the Alpina... :-)

Photo by Ivan Inäbnit, Schönried

Last Friday, the train line that snakes through the region was witness to a marvellous spectacle of years gone by, with one of the original MOB narrow gauge steamers taking to the tracks for a tour of Saanenland. As viewed from our offices here at GL.com central, it was quite a sight, but actually an even stranger noise. We've all seen them in the text books, but seeing a steam engine live on the tracks introduced an audible element which we, certainly, had never even considered. Very curious. 

by Ruedy and Lesley Müllener

Sadly, we must take leave of one of Gstaad’s oldest and well loved residents. Although she had become frail, Jane Del Amo continued to live this life she loved to the full, keeping up with world affairs, music and the arts, and entertaining her numerous friends at her Chalet Jacriamo. As a founder member of the Eagle Ski Club, she skied with enthusiasm until well over ninety, and from then walked the countryside, where her extraordinary eye for colour was reflected in the countless lovely watercolour paintings she did and exhibited one year at the Gstaad Palace. A long time supporter of the Gstaad Open Tennis Tournament, Jane Del Amo never ceased to give generously. A benefactress of the Menuhin Music Festival, and the Friends of the Saanen Hospital, there were also many anonymous gestures of support to local causes. After a fall at home, a successful hip replacement was done at the Saanen Hospital, and she was soon up and walking with a "frame" in the corridors. However, with typical determination she then decided to get out of bed by herself, without calling a nurse – fell – and the other hip was broken. Although this further surgery was successful and she became aware … she then gently, and peacefully left this life on May 4 2009. Dearest Jane, we think of you with infinite affection and shall miss you, and everything you represented, very much and always.

Last Saturday May 9 the Gstaad Yacht Club Kids Sailing program got underway started with 10 youngsters at the sailing school in Hilterfingen. After short introduction to the Optis the children of Saanenland took to the water in a light breeze. Finishing the training with a good windy sailing tour back to the port there was even some time to learn the first sailing knots. Five more children are registered for the next training in June. The juniors who started just two years ago are already in Opti B420 teams under the guidance of the regional training program.