Embattled British Ski Teacher Expands Business in to Switzerland
Embattled British Ski Teacher Expands Business in to Switzerland
Published : 10-Oct-2014 08:57
Simon Butler, the British ski teacher who has also run a ski holiday business in the French resort of Megeve for the past 30 years, has opened a new division of his company in Crans Montana, Switzerland.
Mr Butler has fought a long-running legal battle with French authorities to be allowed to teach in France and was arrested on the slopes in winter 2012-13 on the grounds that he did not hold adequate teaching certifications to be allowed to teach in France.
Mr Butler was initially threatened with jail and a fine but at the latest court case this summer instead received the option of a 30,000 Euro fine or a 200 day jail sentence.
"If I had paid that was the end of the case and admitting my guilt so I refused to pay and take the 200 days," said Mr Butler, "I have not had to serve the time as yet because we appealed immediately."
Mr Butler is now appealing the case and expects two more stages of the legal process to take place in France in January and then late 2015, before the case can move to the European Court. Mr Butler believes he is unlikely to win his case in the French courts, but having met EC officials who have told him that he does have the qualifications to teach in France under European equal employment rights legislation, he should win in the European Courts. He says that his legal fees are in six figures.
Mr Butler's new business in Switzerland will allow him to ski with his guests as he had in Megeve, but he will continue to operate his popular holiday business in France (which has a top rating on Trip Advisor), giving his guests the option to ski with colleagues who do hold qualifications accepted by the authorities there.
Mr Butler has secured a three-star luxury Hotel du Lac chalet over the Swiss border in Crans-Montana are his company has already taken dozens of bookings from regular clients eager to sample the Sweiss slopes as well as the town's après buzz, which has numerous bars and restaurants.
A week long package starts from £525 per person, which includes accommodation, Swiss buffet breakfast, afternoon tea, five course dinner, and two hours of instruction each day.
Mr Butler's legal battle centres on his certification. He does hold the top-level ISTD level 4 Diploma ski qualification which under EC law, Mr Butler believes and says he has had confirmed by EC officials, should allow him to teach in France and any EC country.
He points out that he can teach in Switzerland because Switzerland and the EU have reciprocal laws which allow him to teach with EC recognised qualifications, although, ironically as he points out, the French who are actually in the EC, do not recognise them.
However the story is more complicated because a little over a decade ago, when the French introduced the Eurotest qualification, an agreement with BASI meant that British ski instructors in France with Mr Butler's high level qualifications were made exempt from needing to take the Eurotest. At some point what is described as an 'administrative error' appears to have occurred so that Mr Butler's exemption was not recognised, although the common consensus seems to be that it should have been. Retrospective correction of that error has not as yet occurred for also unexplained reasons. It is not clear if the 'administrative error' took place in France or the UK.
"Many people know about my public battle against the French authorities and how they have discriminated against me," said Mr Butler,
"But in fact it has encouraged me to expand my business. I am turning this public battle into a personal victory and having sourced one of the most stunning locations in Switzerland I am confident that we are turning my troubles in France into a success story.
"Crans-Montana is perfect for what we do because it is just a couple of hours from Geneva Airport and has an excellent range of pistes which are great for teaching. I have a personal connection to the area as I taught there as a young ski instructor many years ago.
"I will be kitted up from mid-December, ready to take on clients new and old and discover new journeys together."
www.simonbutlerskiing.co.uk
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