CELEBRATING 10 YEARS – WILD GIRLS GO WILD WEST

The sun shone for two days in a row which certainly made a huge difference to not only the ambience of the event but also to the organisation with the activities on the mountain! The theme ‘Wild Girls go Wild West’ was immensely popular and the opening Street Parade was just magic and such fun to be part of – I know many people worked very hard for this (led by Jüri Luzi) and there are too many to name but I am grateful to everyone for their efforts and contribution. The first night was dinner and a magic show by Paul Lytton at the Klosters Sportzentrum. Monday on the mountain was a spectacle of costumes and colour with cowboys/indians/outlaws/sherrifs having fun throwing Tomahawks, firing bows and arrows or lassoing aided by ‘real’ cowboys at the Totalp Bar! In the evening the teams boarded the Krokodil Express to Davos, with a hold up and shoot out at Wolfgang (female hostages were removed from the train), before arriving at the Bolgen Plaza where top Swiss chef Anton Mosimann, aided by his son Mark and Walla Kehl, barbecued the best Fillet of Beef . Entertainment by Johnny Cash and the wonderful line dancers ‘The Howdy Boots’ soon got everyone up and dancing before departing back to Klosters. The Wild Girls GS Challenge on Tuesday was for once held under blue sky and each team had a ‘racer’ and a local child with them. Following the race on the Furka, Urs and Maria Schmidt, together with Hans Peter Waser generously sponsored the lunch at the Avo–Lounge before the teams skied down to Gaudy’s Graströchni. The final evening began with a reception and prize giving at the Hotel Vereina before going onto dinner at the Silvretta Parkhotel followed by an auction conducted brilliantly by Ralph Kreuger (raising CHF 33,900.–) and rousing entertainment by the Tribute Act ‘Dolly Pardon and Kenny Rogers’ before the event ended in the early hours at the Casa Antica!

This event would simply not have been the success it was without the support and sponsorship of many people and in particular I would like to thank: Ivo Romer and Fidustra, the main sponsor of Wild Girls on Snow, in association with Davos Klosters Tourism, Snowlife Nando Pajarola AG Klosters, Davos Klosters Mountains, Rhätische Bahn and Swiss International Air Lines. Other sponsors that grateful thanks are owed include Phil’s Concert & Showtecnique, Räto & Vreni Conzett and Hotel Alpina (home of the Wild Girls for the last ten years), Stephen & Eva Diethelm and Hotel Vereina, Christian & Ulrike Erpenbeck and Silvretta Parkhotel, Jos and Franzi Keurentjes and Restaurant Sportzentrum, Urs and Maria Schmidt and the Parsennhütte, Gotschna Sport, Central Garage, Foto–Schmelz and Gotschna Taxi.

The days on the mountain and in the evenings would not happen without the help/support/sponsorship of many people and thank you to:
Birgit Schultzer from the Hotel Alpina who is sadly leaving but we wish her well, Lutz the cowboy barman, Gemeinde Klosters and to all the crowds who came to watch the Wild West parade, Albi and all his team at the Totalp Bar who looked after us so well, Henrik Maasz for the blow up Chesterfield sofas, Kurt Baumgartner (Western Outfitters in Rapperswil) and Thomas Sutter from Conray AG (Team–Events) and the other Cowboys who not only looked the part but played the part brilliantly, extra cowboy for the day Stefi Cadruvi. Peter Aliesch and his piste bashing team from Davos Klosters Mountains who for the last ten years have supported this event with amazing creations of snow moving for the activities and also for the wonderful race piste on the Furka, Marcel Kunert from Davos Klosters Mountains who makes everything happen and is the best race timer! Joe, Cecile and Ueli for dressing up for us at Joe’s Bar, Gaudy, Vroni and their team at the Graströchni, Tanja Felix from the Rhätische Bahn, Heinz Kessler and Kulm Hotel for his loyal support, Werni Seiler, Claudine and all the Bolgen Plaza team for a fabulous and memorable evening, Jann Rageth for supplying the best Fillet of Beef, Andreas Gredig and the Hotel Fluela for their support and the dessert, Kindschi for the wine, Barbara, Jacqueline, Maggi and the Howdy Boots, Hans Peter Waser for being such a loyal sponsor of the Prosecco etc at the Bolgen Plaza and lunch on the Tuesday, Chello and his team at the Avo–Lounge, The Silvretta Parkhotel team including Iggy the pianist and the handsome barman Matteo, and sponsors of the dinner Nuesch Weine, Molkerei Davos, Bäckerei Hitz, Adank, Carna Grischa and Howeg. Thanks to Sandra Blaser, Christian Kasper, Swiss Ski School Saas, Monika Eisentraut, Barbara Keller, Daniel Ammann, Marika Zanoletti, Brien Donnellon, Markus Good, Andy Wenzel, Joel Bradley, Casper Flütsch from Serneus and Marc Schlittler and Alain Mehmann from PRFact.

Thank you to all those who generously donated prizes: Veuve Clicquot, Estée Lauder GmbH, Herbert Moser who gave magnums of Cuvée Palomar 2003 from Abadia Retuerta Duero Spain, Snowlife who kindly gave glasses, goggles and gloves for the race, Monika Mark, William & Son and chocolates donated by Ivo Romer.

The major funds raised are through items donated for the auction and special thanks to: The British Masters for the Graham London watch, Leo Maissen and the Tschuggen Grand Hotel in Arosa, Gody’s Wine Shop, Bardill Sport, Alan and Sue Johnson Hill, Heirling Ski Boot Fitting in Davos, Monika Mark, Silvana Zabel, Casa Antica, Hotel Meisser in Guarda, Amanda Mann, Peter Knoflach, Hotel Steigenberger Davos, SwissSki, Anton Mosimann, Right to Play, Bruno Kernen and Markus Segmüller for his special prize of dinner cooked in your home.

Not to be forgotten is the amazing Mitzi Knoflach who has survived 10 years of Wild Girls and is the greatest and biggest support and help along with the ‘King of Wild Girls’ Ralph Krueger who has contributed enormously with the funds with the auction – he is a true star as is my main sponsor Ivo Romer and also Bruno Kernen who is unfailingly loyal to the event. Another extra special thank you is to Andreas and Susi Maissen for their longstanding support and generosity. Finally a big thank you to all those who have given generous donations and to Jüri Luzi and his class of ski racers, and to all the celebrities and Sheriffs and the ski racers (Marc Berthod, Marc Gini and Aline Bonjour) and trainers from SwissSki who gave their time to support the event – AND last but not least all the Wild Girls and Boys who took part with such spirit and enthusiasm and I look forward to seeing you all back for the 11th Wild Girls on Snow in 2010 !