End of Season Party at Chez Flo, Avoriaz

The weather forecast suggested it might be a washout but by 15:00, when the sun was still shining – it appeared that wasn’t to be the case. From seasonaires to locals, to expats and holidaymakers, Chez Flo was heaving with people dressed as pirates, wanting to thank the mountains for an amazing few months.

In true Portes Du Soleil style, thanks to the wealth of freebie accessories left on tables, even those who didn’t want to dress up ended up wearing an eye patch, bandana or pair of huge gold earrings.

Zuri Aura was first to kick off the live bands, playing their last gig of the season, which has been an extremely successful one for the soulful, ska-esque group who formed at a Festival in the UK in 2012. The band has done the rounds this season, playing at regular gigs and also appearing at many of the seasonaire events throughout the last few months. They’re hoping to return next year, so watch this space.

Live performances continued from the CAB Collective and the Buskers, both bands also regulars on the Portes Du Soleil circuit this season and both suitably adding to the vibe of celebration.

The party was a chance for seasonaires to come together for the last time before departing on their summer adventures, so very few people were actually out skiing or snowboarding, and those who did go for one last run said it was pretty sticky and as my boyfriend said, “definitely over”. Parts of the run down to Prodains were shut off making it pretty difficult for those who did want to give the snow one last chance. The car park at Prodains was completely full but it’s worth mentioning – completely free for the day, as was the lift up to Chez Flo. A nice touch from the operator, especially as no local buses were running to get people to the party.

L’Aubergade Hotel in Morzine put on an après party for those wanting to carry on after Chez Flo, so we popped down for a couple and sat in the last bit of sunshine of the day. The team put on a great BBQ and although some people were a little worse for wear by this point there was still a very happy vibe, perhaps this time, a little more made up of the seasonaire side of the community reminiscing about the season passed. We heard tales of getting stuck at Happy Hours in Ardent and the standard “I left my board in the back of a transfer van” tale. We also gave up trying to count the number of times we heard about lost phones and not-so-flourishing seasonaire relationships.

Just looking around, it was clear to see that a good season has been had by all. Sun kissed skin, goggle marks, and a few broken bones. My best friend (who isn’t into snow sports but tagged along to the party) quite accurately noted “there’s a lot of crutches”. And there was.

So as I write this, the day after the night before, Morzine seems very quiet. Whether that’s because people are hiding away, recovering in a darkened room or whether it’s because lots of people left on flights today, there certainly is a sense of “until next year my friend” in the air today.