Fireworks and fighting!

Tonight was a fabulous evening of entertainment put on in Courchevel 1850. To start with the first entry of the fireworks competition was amazing with Austria putting on an incredible display. ESF 1850 opened the event with a torchlit descent and then the fireworks were out of this world! At the finale I swear the ground was shaking with all the noise! It was so beautiful and must have cost an absolute fortune.

I headed down to Chalet Elan with the guests to have an early dinner in order to get to the ice hockey match for 9pm. We had a great dinner and then headed up to support Courchevel in their match against Meribel. Courchevel were ahead after the first period 3-1. The second period saw the score jump to 5-4 to Courchevel. At this point play was all very friendly with players helping each other up when they fell over! The most entertaining part was hearing previously reserved guests shouting abuse at the players and Hamish's amazingly bad commentary! As well as this the referee, who looked about 14, fell over in the second period to many cheers! In the third period, play changed dramatically and Meribel brought the scores even. Tensions were running high and after a bit of abuse from one of the Meribel players, the referee got involved in a fight! At one point the two of them were scrapping on the floor! The Meribel player was sent off but continued to shout abuse (in English) at the ref. However, play resumed. After a particularly good goal from Courchevel in the 16th min of the 3rd period to put Courchevel ahead, the Meribel goalkeeper suddenly lost his cool and went flat out across the ice, jumped on to the Courchevel bench and ripped the helmet of the goal scorer in order to punch him! This provoked all of the other Meribel players to join in. Courchevel were very disciplined during this and only acted to restrain the opposite team! Eventually the fight was halted but the ref had had enough and called full time and a Courchevel victory with 4mins still left on the clock. A most entertaining evening although some of us were left wondering if the violence was a bit staged at the end to please the crowd!