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If you love skiing, you love Courchevel

We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps

If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps

Courchevel was born for skiing. Nestled in the Haute-Savoie Alps, the small pastoral village was a popular destination at the beginning of the last century for anyone wanting to experience the mountains in all their facets. Unlike many other Alpine villages that have been transformed into winter sports resorts, Courchevel was conceived, dreamed up and created to be experienced with skis on your feet or boots on. It is impossible to ski past the same piste twice in Courchevel, just as it is unthinkable to avoid one of the many huts where apres-ski has reached its most perfect form, between displays of luxury and mountain goliathia. We experienced a high alpine lightness at La Folie Douce Méribel, which was branded the Kappa Mountain Tour for the occasion. Here, dance groups and singers perform at an altitude of over 2,000 metres and the fatigue of the slopes is amply rewarded by the tables overlooking the three valleys that come together to form a magical place.

If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552923
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552925
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552927
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552922
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552921
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552920
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552918
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552917
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552914
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552913
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552915
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552916
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552911
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552912
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552929
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552924
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552930
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552931
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552928
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552932
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552903
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552933
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552934

The perfect place for the most exclusive stop on the Kappa Mountain Tour, the event that cements the relationship between Kappa and the U.S. National Ski & Snowboard Team founded in 2022. The group around world champion Mikaela Shiffrin is young and tight-knit, chaotic and confident of victory, jumping out of every starting gate with a desire to eat snow. Courchevel is not only the paradise of all ski enthusiasts and the international jet set, who meet here in every hotel or in the luxury brand boutiques that light up the town centre during the day. It is also synonymous with winter sports at the highest level, culminating in the nightly Women's Slalom in the stadium of Émile Allais, the founder of the École du Ski Français.

Maybe I'm a bit biassed because we're here,” says Nina O'Brien, one of Team USA's best-known skiers, the day before the race, ”but the night slalom here in Courchevel is always something special.” We meet her together with her teammates Paula Moltzan, Katie Hensien and AJ Hurt at the Meet&Greet organised by Kappa to have a quick chat about the season and the partnership with the Italian brand. “We feel very comfortable with Kappa, they are so flexible and willing to work with us on the fit and customisation of our outfits. They do everything they can to make us perform better in the race,“ they say in chorus, ”and we feel like we have a personal relationship with the people and also with the brand. They care about us, they want our feedback, and then they make us better, and hopefully our relationship helps improve the product.”

If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552910
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552908
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552909
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If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552888
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552889
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552890
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552895
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552894
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552893
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552896
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552900
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552901
If you love skiing, you love Courchevel We went on the Kappa Mountain Tour to the most exclusive destination in the Alps | Image 552902

Although skiing seems to be a lonely sport from afar, the sense of togetherness of Team USA shows how important the support of team-mates is to get through the winter season. “I'm also happy when my team-mates are faster than me or when they've had a better day,” admits Paula Moltzen, while the role of group entertainer falls to AJ Hurt, who together with Elisabeth Bocock, a true powerhouse of chaotic energy and girl power, also manages the team's Instagram profile. A vitality that even rubbed off on Mikaela Shiffrin, who inspired an entire generation of ski stars. “She was a role model and idol for me, someone I saw on TV and who was already winning before I started competing in the World Cup. But in the last few years that I've been on the team, it's been really special to get to know her as a team-mate and friend, but also as a great source of inspiration for all of us,” confirms Katie Hensien.

In her comeback race two months after her crash in Killington, Shiffrin finished 10th in the downhill, which was dominated by Croatia's Zrinka Ljutic, who took her third slalom win of the season. It was a triumph celebrated by the entire town of Courchevel, which gathered at the foot of the downhill to cheer each athlete as they crossed the finish line. Over a raclette, a glass of wine and a macaron, Courchevel confirmed that it is a paradise for every skier, the perfect destination for those who want to experience the mountains without philtres and without sacrificing any comfort. A centuries-old dream that remains in the heart of anyone who approaches it, even for a weekend, like the one realised by the Kappa Mountain Tour.