August 13-26

After years of training in England I decided it was time to make a change in my European training spot. I decided with the World Championships coming up in Austria and then the Enniskillen World Cup Stop the following weekend that I wanted to be training in the cooler European weather before these events. Several years ago I had visited Eurolac, which is a ski club in Crozet, France, just outside of Geneva. In my search for a new European training spot this place immediately came to mind because my mother’s family is from Switzerland.

The first two weeks before the World Championships in Austria my mother and I stayed with my mom’s first cousin Eliane in the Swiss village of Begnin. Eliane is like a sister to my mother, and naturally I feel very close to her as well. Her beautiful home sits high above Geneva overlooking the lake and alps. I will always cherish the moments we all spent together on Eliane’s terrace overlooking the lake and drinking wine, those are some of the best memories of my time in Switzerland! My mother’s father was born in Switzerland, and my mother and I both hold Swiss passports, so Switzerland feels like home away from home to me.

Michelle with Gilles at Eurolac

And Eurolac…what a place! Truly one of the most incredible water ski sites in the world! Eurolac is not only breathtakingly scenic (the alps are in the distance on one side, and the Jura mountains sit right behind the lake), but it is also a top notch place to ski. On top of the view and incredible ski conditions, directly above the lake sits the Jivahill Hotel and Spa…a 5 star hotel with a very trendy restaurant, Shamwari, right above it as well. Again, what a place! I fell in love with the entire set up…it was like a water skier’s heaven, minus a few cool Swiss mornings…I can handle the cold for all of that though!

Gilles Pasturel operates the Eurolac water ski school/club and all of the sporting activities at Jivahill. Everyone I came into contact with at Eurolac was friendly and interesting…what an amazing ski club! 

Michelle with Gilles’ daughter Lena  at Eurolac

I enjoyed skiing with Gilles and Patrice, who is the great driver at Eurolac. They were both so positive and just a joy to be around. I had a wonderful experience there, and really enjoyed getting to know Gilles and his lovely daughters Alizee and Lena….who I believe if they keep with it will be Swiss champions someday! 

I will definitely go back to Eurolac when I’m training in Europe…that place is just amazing!

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