The Inter-Livery Skiing Championships (ILSC) once again returned to the slopes of the Portes du Soleil on the French-Swiss border for three days of competition and fellowship.

Spearheading the Entrepreneurs’ team, the Clerk, donning the Captain’s armband (and a silver ESF medal from 2024), arrived in the alpine town of Morzine ready to fend off challengers from a record 35 Livery Companies.

It’s been 15 years since the first ILSC was held – under floodlights after a long afternoon of “fellowship” in the many apres ski bars. In more recent times, the Championships have been rather more professionally arranged, and in January 2025, three events were staged – mostly in daylight hours!

   

A couple of days of training saw the Clerk vectoring off the beaten track and deep into Switzerland. He drew deeply on his schoolboy French, winning smile, and a cheerful Swiss couple he found somewhere in the tiny village of Morgins to persuade a succession of mirthless lift operators to allow him back over the border on Tuesday. A reflective Googling of his day’s activities that evening revealed that his afternoon wanderings had taken him almost 90-minutes (and 150+ Euros) away from Morzine by road…

Competing for the first time, the Worshipful Company of Founders’ sole representative (and de facto Team Captain) arrived in Morzine just too late for the Captains’ Briefing, but was brought up to speed over drinks and canapes hosted by friends at the Worshipful Company of Barbers.

Wednesday was the Snow Camp Team Challenge. Bereft of full teams of four, the Founders & Founders nevertheless offered encouragement to Livery colleagues competing variously in snowshoe racing, slalom skiing, shooting, and curling. This medley of winter sports was a great leveller, and made for a long and generous day (judging by the gallons of vin chaud consumed).

Further revelry with the Shipwrights’ Company extended the afternoon’s enjoyment, followed by dinner with the Worshipful Company of Drapers.

Having carb-loaded spectacularly, qualifying day dawned unnervingly grey and wet in the valley, as Founders and Entrepreneurs made their way carefully to the short parallel slalom course. The head-to-head qualifying races infused an assessment of competence with a considerable dose of competitive spirit. Jennie (seeded 179) found herself matched with Past Master Cook Virginia Bond (180), and the Clerk (64) against wily Saddler Andy Milner (63).

It was a blistering performance, with all four racers completing the qualifying race briskly but safely – cheered on by Livery friends, well-wishers, and bemused tourists.

The evening reception was sensational, with the Snow Camp and ILSC organisers joined by wine sponsors Hatch Mansfield and event sponsors City of London Club at the Hotel Le Cret’s vast hall. Skiers learned more about the charitable work of Snow Camp and reflected warmly on two days of exhausting competition over unending delicious canapes and drinks. The post-qualifying analysis (in which there was much interest!) revealed that Jennie, Virginia, Andy, and the Clerk had all improved on their seeding ahead of Friday’s Giant Slalom, with Jennie moving up to 173, and the Clerk to 58.

Friday dawned more promisingly, with bright mountain sunshine visible from Morzine. Brightening with every bit of the ascent, by 9.30am the competitors were greeted by cloudless skies and warm sunshine as they studied the Giant Slalom course. 16 gates had been arranged to form a testing course with significant camber across the piste promising to challenge all but the most skilful skiers.

As in previous years, M Gregory Lagoutte of the Ecole du Ski Francais set the course’s official time – springing from the start gate and slicing around the gates with incredible speed and precision. In barely 30 seconds he was at the finish – an astonishing feat.

With both inspiration and trepidation therefore the first of the Livery competitors approached the start. Colin Campbell and his brother Angus Campbell racing for the Coopers’ Company and continuing their dominance of this event set off at 1 and 2, and recorded times of 36.87 and 34.16 respectively. The race was on!

Rather too soon, after some anxious warming-up alongside the competition piste, it was the Clerk’s turn to start. Duncan, having qualified as the fastest Clerk, was under pressure to maintain his position, and, after a quick start felt his outside ski skid violently as the slope dropped away to his right. Correcting his course, and endeavouring to turn as early and as high as possible through the gates, he unsure whether his tightly tucked finish and time of 44.50 would be enough to stay in front.

Elated and exhausted, the Clerk repaired to the bar to admire a procession of admirable skiing from successive competitors. Those who fell were reassuringly few, and most were able to continue. For those who were compelled to abandon the race, the deteriorating snow in the bright sunshine would not permit a second attempt.

Jennie Byrne’s performance for the Founders’ Company was eager but she showed credible self-restraint in her first ever Giant Slalom – far harder to do than to say with the cheers of the crowd and the clattering of cowbells ringing in the racers’ ears. Her finishing position in the low 160s showed a solid improvement on her start position, and augured very well for good final place.

In the glowing afternoon (the race having begun rather earlier than in previous years), the skiers were free to enjoy the Portes du Soleil to its fullest extent. Although the heat of the sun caused some slight slushiness in places, the excellent visibility and wide pistes afforded the Livery and their guests many hours of great sport. A mid-afternoon crepe, and an isotonic beverage or two, was all that was needed to fuel them until their reluctant return to Morzine as the sun began to dip.

With muscles aching both from competition and from smiling, there was just enough time to return skis, grab souvenirs, and a quick change of clothes before the evening’s Gala Dinner back at Le Cret.

A warm welcome, good food, and plentiful drink awaited them in the hall. Taller and taller tales of competitive daring-do were exchanged, and speculation mounted as to who would walk away with prizes. With some actuarial magic sprinkled over the raw results, almost every conceivable combination of ages, abilities, attributes, and aggression was rewarded with a prize – adding to the friendliness of this splendid event.

The Founders’ Team Captain held on for a final place of 166. The Entrepreneurs’ Team Captain was very pleased to have been placed 39th overall, and to have just held on to his position as fastest Clerk on raw times (though concedes that on age-adjusted times he faired rather less well!).

Expectation is now sky-high for ILSC 2026 – which takes place in the raucous Austrian resort of Mayrhofen on 14th-16th January 2026. For more information, please contact the Clerk clerk@entrepreneurscompany.org

NOTES: the Inter-Livery Skiing Championships are an annual fellowship event open to all members of Livery Companies and a small number of guests. Each Company nominates a Team Captain to undertake some light administration on behalf of themselves and their team.

Skiers are responsible for getting themselves to the resort and for their equipment, lifts, insurance, and wellbeing for the duration of the Championships, but their entry price (c.£200) includes the event’s organisation, management, timing, and refreshments for Thursday and Friday.

The ILSC also supports the Lord Mayor’s Appeal and the charity Snow Camp, which in 2025 received over £55,000.

More information is at Inter-Livery Ski Championships