GREAT BRITISH SKI PIONEERS

ARNOLD LUNN

Known as the patron saint of modern skiing, Lunn, right, was knighted in 1952 for his “services to British skiing and Anglo-Swiss relations”. The founder of several prestigious

British ski clubs, he helped run his family’s travel company, Lunn

Poly, while spearheading the development of competitive and recreational alpine skiing. He also refereed the slalom in the 1936 Winter Olympics, in which his son, Peter, captained the British ski team.

ERNA LOW

Born in Vienna, Erna Low above, moved to England in 1931, settling there nine years later. In 1932, Low sought to supplement her income as a language tutor and finance a trip back home by advertising for young people to join her on a Christmas winter sports trip. She went on to work in the travel industry for more than 60 years, pioneering the British ski chalet and package holiday with her company, the Erna Low Travel Service.

THE PALMERTOMKINSON FAMILY “Jimmy” PalmerTomkinson, above, captained the British ski team in the 1936 and 1948 Winter Olympics and married the Swiss women’s ski champion, Doris Friedreich. Jimmy and Doris’s three sons –

Charlie, Christopher and Jeremy – each went on to become British downhill ski champions, with Charlie and Jeremy representing Great Britain at several Winter Olympics games. Today, Charlie’s son, James PalmerTomkinson, runs the Klosters specialist ski company PT Ski.