Courchevel Apres Ski Report: 8th February 2013

With so much of the white stuff falling it was with much trepidation that we prepared for Huck Cancer Night this week at the Bubble Bar. This would mean only one thing, copious amounts of alcohol and some very sore heads around resort. Perhaps I'd better start with some background.....

The Huck Cancer Foundation was formed in 2008 after one season worker (seasonnaire), Marcus Parrott, was receiving chemotherapy treatment for skin cancer throughout the winter in Chambery Hospital. A very strong individual, Marcus maintains that being able to stay working and living in Courchevel throughout his treatment helped him fight the disease. As a consequence of the support he received Marcus decided, with the help of his friends, to raise some money to thank those that helped him. He wanted to thank Chambery Hospital for the care and kindest he received and Macmillan for their support, so he set up Huck Cancer which supports both organisations. Huck being a term generally used in extreme sports referring to a large jump, often without knowledge or regard for the risk or consequences. Over the past 5 years Huck Cancer has raised almost £60,000 through the sale of merchandise and through regular charity nights.

So you see, much as we dreaded the drunken mess which was bound to ensue we had to get involved and show our support....

The resounding theme for Huck Cancer nights is fancy dress. And we're not taking a silly hat, or comedy mask. People really go all out! Over the years we've build a tractor on top of a mini bus, we've had the Jamaica bob-sleigh team completed with bob, full sized wardrobes and mattresses and all manner of creatures, real and fantasy. With an absence of fancy dress props in resort we've had to get creative and over the years have used enough cardboard and sticky tape to keep Royal Mail going for a good few months. This week's theme was the Jungle and with it came a bounty of wild and wonderful animals, lots of foliage, a jungle dj and people from the urban jungle. The costumes didn't disappoint although did bring the usual space issues - how does a packed bar fit the same number of people as usual with additional props, decks, leaves, horns etc? Needless to say on Wednesday night it was rammed and I was quite glad in a way of my DJ decks, which bought me some space, despite my inability to move once inside.

Aside from the fancy dress the aim of the game was to raise some cash and we're delighted to announce that over £700 was raised through the ski raffle. The skis, a set of Coreupt park skis, was won by a guest who had bought over 50 tickets so well deserved and a great result all round. The guest bar staff, in the form of the scantily clad Boot Lab boys and Team Ski Bluebird provided their usual comedy entertainment, although they were more sober than on other Huck Cancer events trying the keep up with demand for drinks and raffle tickets.

Yes, the bar was strewn with paper, cardboard and general debris and it was even hotter and busier than the La Boulotte on a Thursday but a good time was had by all and a fantastic sum of money raised.

We're all just silently hoping and praying though that next month's event doesn't coincide with another powder day.....!