GstaadLife

The Crédit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad started last Saturday with cool temperatures (we were shocked to return from a sunny holiday and find the thermometer in Gstaad at 6°C!). Nevertheless the games have been exciting so far, even if punctuated by enough rain that center court has been as much covered up as played on. The weekend looks more promising though, but Swiss favorite Stanislas Wawrinka went out today Friday in the quarters. Nonetheless it's still worth a visit to the areal in Gstaad, with the PC-7-team flying their acrobatics again this year - definitely a spectacle not to miss: Saturday July 30 around 11h30 and Sunday July 31 at 10h30.  

Is it getting harder and harder to convince your teenagers to come up and slow down in Gstaad? Well now they don't have to slow down, with the July 16 opening of the new skatepark in Oeyetli-Saanen (on the other side of the field beside the river opposite the Eggli-Saanen skilift). The skateboard club of Saanenland is also holding training sessions for all-comers every Thursday from 18h00 to 19h30. 

The Steigenberger Hotel Gstaad-Saanenland celebrated its 30th anniversary last Thursday. If you haven't payed it much attention so far (chain hotel and all that) we can warmly suggest to give it a try - the view from its terrace is simply amazing and GstaadLife recommends as an insider tip for August 1st fireworks. 

Above the winners of the 2011 Grand Slam beach volleyball tournament in Gstaad:  Brazil's Emanuel Rego and Alison Cerutti won in the final against Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser (USA) in straight sets 22:20, 21:19. Germans Brink and Rickermann won against the Polish team for the bronze medal.

In the women's draw, Larissa Franca and Juliana Felisberta Silva took gold for Brazil, beating Xue/Zhang Xi from China in straight sets 21:15, 21:13. In something of a tournament upset, the bronze medal went to Cicolari/Menegatti from Italy, who won against Talita/Antonelli of Brazil also in two sets 22:20, 21:14.

After a Friday afternoon of mouthwatering showdowns, just one Swiss (men's) team remains in the 2011 edition of FIVB 1to1 Energy Beach Volleyball tournament in Gstaad. The tournament has thus far been graced with warm weather and only the briefest of sudden windy squawls coming up the valley from Rougemont. Furthermore the FIVB and Swiss TV officials seem to have conjured up a dream schedule that just happened to find all remaining Swiss teams on center court on the Friday afternoon that local folks tend to take off work during "beach week". It all made for a fantastic atmosphere, with Tom, the ever-present "DJ" from Austria on the mic whipping the home crowd into a frenzy accompanied the steady thumping beat of a soundtrack that finally seems updated from the years of endless "put your hands up in the air". And so it was that the scene was set for all three of the Swiss teams playing yesterday afternoon and evening to, well, crash out of the tournament. Shame but fun for the crowd, with the beach party continuing well in the early hours.

Have you seen the new ticket offices of the Gstaad train station yet? Simple, fresh, white walls, exposed wood, a few shiny golden (pass) touches, yet still elegant. Finally a railway welcome worthy of our village. Yes we know many of you still bemoan all the concrete and glass of the new platforms. But even those have blended into the environment over the last year. Let us know what you think about the ticket office next time you pass through.

The construction up at La Videmanette has moved into its second phase. After a highly successful first winter season, work has begun (with minimal disturbance to summer guests) on the next step, a tunnel that will offer immediate access to the slopes from the top station of the gondola rather than having to schlep skis and kids through the maze of outdoor diners on the terrace. There are also plans to improve the restaurant but we don't have the details on that yet.

Peter Erzberger and his team from the Gstaad Yacht Club sailed fastest in their category at the 80th edition of the Round the Island contest. The 50 nautical mile race around the Isle of Wight off the southern coast of England featured over 1'908 entrants in gruelling weather conditions (65 emergency callouts and many teams forced to retire). But Erzberger and his crew prevailed in the Farr45 category. Congratulations!

by Peter Sonnekus-Williams

Ian Wilson: ­ businessman, lawyer, photographer, writer, all words that have been used to describe Ian’s career over the past years.

A father of three, Ian was born in an old seaside town of 1960’s England from where he says he ‘escaped’ for the bright lights of London as soon as he could. After studying law at King’s College, he spent 8 years in Hong Kong where he soon left be­hind his burgeoning legal career as ‘too boring’ and has since built successful business interests that have taken him all over the globe.

He now lives in the beautiful moun­tains of Saanenland and Pays d’Enhaut and, writing under his nom de plume of Dan Fox, Ian’s de­but novel, Nine Lives, was recently published. A deep and highly emotional journey, this book was nomi­nated for the 2011 Booker Prize.