Swiss Ski Museum At Le Boéchet Highlights Collection

A winning ski from Didier Cuche, Max Müller's Olympic diploma from 1948 and wooden slats from the beginnings of the sport: Welcome to the Ski Museum in Le Boéchet, a Jura hamlet in the Franches-Montagnes region – perfect for ski fans who can't get enough of winter sports even in summer.

The history of the Ski Museum has its roots on a farm in Les Bois. Laurent Donzé collects skis and anything related to winter sports. Boots, books, poles, clothing—he carefully preserves whatever he can get his hands on. Over the years, he has filled rooms with material that would be perfect for an exhibition.

In 2017, a married couple they were friends with bought the old Restaurant de la Gare in Le Boéchet, a hamlet in Les Bois. They made Donzé a tempting offer: to turn it into a museum. "This would be the ideal opportunity to make my collection accessible to the public and create something that will still exist for many years to come," he thought. But he had considerable respect: "There's a world of difference between a collection like the one I had and a museum that would live up to its name." After three sleepless nights, he finally agreed and established a foundation with the buyers to secure the museum's long-term future

The house is being transformed into a gem. It's getting a new facade – and a new lease of life inside, spread over three floors. The thematic concept is influenced by Donzé's experiences abroad. The curator visited ski museums in Scandinavia, Canada, and the USA, and he also studied museology to offer guests what they expect: exceptional exhibits, knowledge, and moments of wonder. "Our goal isn't to make money, but to satisfy visitors so that they'll want to come back to Le Boéchet."

These old leather boots show how ski boots have changed over the decades – not particularly comfortable today, just as they were then.

When legends bring their skis themselves

Guests first immerse themselves in the lovingly designed ski world on the attic floor, where children can also linger in a specially designed corner. The journey begins in a time when wood dominated. The first ski with bindings, dating back to 1900, is on display there, bearing the manufacturer's branded stamp: Skifabrik Melchior Jakober Glarus. Next to it stands the clunky, heavy footwear, the mere sight of which is likely to cause blisters on the feet of some observers.

Laurent Donzé has always been fascinated by the nature of skis. He often cut them open to examine the different layers. In the museum, he now uses cross-sections of various examples to demonstrate the development of this field. Also on display are various helmets and their evolution. In the middle of them is a hanger reminiscent of the first drag lifts from 1934. And, of course, there are countless skis on the floor. Laurent Donzé owns around 3,000 pairs in total, dozens of which hang under the sloping roof.

Most of the pieces are his personal belongings, and there are a few that once belonged to the Basel Sports Museum, which no longer exists. For example, the skis of Conny Lehmann-Kissling, who once danced from triumph to triumph in the ski ballet division. Once, when she visited the museum, she was amazed to discover the pair with which she used to compete. Or there are the mighty white boards, which belong to a giant: Didier Cuche rode them to victory in the downhill race in Kitzbühel in 2010. The Neuchâtel native, who lives a good half-hour's drive from Le Boéchet, brought his signed copy just the day before the museum opens in autumn 2023.

On the opposite page, Donzé traces the development of cross-country skis, from their beginnings to modern times, from wooden slats to the colorful present. And, as with the Alpine skis, visitors learn more about them through written explanations or videos. And in the center of it all, they see a framed Olympic diploma from 1948, when the Winter Games were held in St. Moritz. Max Müller won it in the 50-kilometer race, finishing 17th in 4:30:51. Above the diploma, a photo shows the Swiss athlete Müller in action, and next to it hangs a bib number from the St. Moritz Games.

The popular special exhibition

The journey leads from the top floor to the middle floor, where the temporary exhibition "A Shot on the Podium: Skiing Today" is proving extremely popular. This is partly due to the fact that it features Marco Odermatt's equipment, along with explanatory notes on the Super-G, one of the Nidwalden native's specialties, who was crowned world champion in this discipline in Saalbach in February. The skis on display weigh 8.7 kilograms and are 1.93 meters long. The pair next to them, once used by downhill skier Corinne Suter, weighs 9.3 kilograms and is 2.18 meters long.

Also impressive are the mighty skis used by ski jumper Killian Peier to jump over ski jumps. They measure 2.44 meters in length and give visitors an idea of ​​the weight on their feet that allows the athletes to achieve remarkable distances: the skis weigh 5.5 kilograms with bindings.

The skis, just 1.53 meters long, that freestyler Noé Roth uses to whirl through the air in the aerials discipline weigh a mere 3.5 kilograms. And Nadine Fähndrich is particularly light-footed on the cross-country ski trails – the narrow skis with bindings weigh just 1.2 kilograms. Her most recent major success is sure to further increase the interest of museum visitors in Le Boéchet: In February, the Lucerne native won bronze in the sprint and in the team sprint with Anja Weber at the World Championships in Trondheim.

Laurent Donzé "There is a world of difference between a collection like the one I had and a museum that lives up to its name."

The exhibition is intended to be temporary, but Laurent Donzé hasn't yet decided how long it will actually last. "People really like it," he says. He notices this again and again during his regular group tours. Around 6,000 people visited the Ski Museum last year, located in the idyllic Franches-Montagnes region.

Here, you can linger in a house where Laurent Donzé's deep connection to the history of skiing is palpable in every square meter. Those who get tired during the tour can retreat to the library, where specialist literature and books that deal intensively with winter sports await. In the room, a series of other skis – naturally – remind you of the place you are currently in. Among them, cross-country skis belonging to Norwegian champion Petter Northug adorn the ceiling.

Laurent Donzé shapes the work with dedication and, even as a retiree, invests a lot of time in his hobby. When a group announces that they would like a guided tour of the museum, he takes it upon himself and provides the guests with countless details. The Jura native doesn't have to travel far: The house next to the Le Boéchet train station houses not only the ski museum but also his apartment.