Event
Winter Time
Publié le Wednesday 20 December 2023

This morning, Éric Crespin, Deputy Technical Operations Manager, and Éric Philip, Winter Operations Sector Manager, both celebrated 40 years with SEMLORE in Les Orres.

On December 16, 1983, Éric Crespin and Éric Philip took their first steps in the Les Orres resort. Just 17 years old at the time, they have now been making their mark on SEMLORE for 40 years. 40 years of daring descents, tight turns and intense, memorable and convivial moments, both on the slopes and with the team. While Éric Crespin is not leaving the resort just yet, Éric Philip is entering his very last season and will pass the torch next April to enjoy a well-deserved retirement!

With great emotion, over forty colleagues and friends gathered discreetly this morning on the snow front, in front of the Prélongis building. They were quickly greeted by an honor guard. Eyes glued to the front door, everyone awaits their arrival. At last, they pass through the front door and are greeted by a salvo of applause and cheers as warm as they are nostalgic. The emotion is intense, both for the two men and for their colleagues. They will take home skis signed by the entire team, a powerful symbol of their passion for the mountains and their career with the resort.

HD PHOTOS

Eric Crespin - Les Orres
©Les Orres

" Having arrived at the age of 17, I can say that I've had a great career in the resort where I was practically born. I've always done my job in this sector, in this small family resort where I've loved spending every day outdoors, working on pylons, mechanics... I come from a mountain background, I was in the Chasseurs Alpins, the mountains and working in nature are my whole life! I'm celebrating these 40 years with great emotion, but that doesn't mean I'm leaving Les Orres or the resort! It's not yet time for me to retire, and I want to continue working in this great atmosphere. My colleagues have become my friends, and we share a very strong bond. So as long as I'm healthy, I'll carry on!

Éric Crespin, Deputy Technical Operations Manager
Eric Philip - Les Orres
©Les Orres

What a surprise, what emotions this morning when I arrived, it was a beautiful moment... Imagine, I arrived in December 1983, I was 20 years old and just out of the army. I joined SEMLORE as a poleman and then progressed through the company, passing all the exams for ski lifts, fixed and detachable chairlifts, until I reached the position of sector manager, which I held for the last season...

I've seen a lot in my 40-year career! I've experienced so many moments here, and seen the resort evolve over the years, with moments that will remain engraved in my memory forever! I'll always remember the friendly, festive atmosphere where, at one time, we only had one day off and we even went up on those days to meet up and celebrate. It was also in Les Orres that I met my wife in 1997, on the last day of the season, when she was on vacation in the resort. And 26 years later we have 2 daughters, Valentine and Eloise, the first of whom now works in Les Orres in the summer. The next generation is here!

At the end of the season, I simply plan to enjoy the mountains, fishing and rest. But I'll never be far away, and I know I'll keep a strong link with this great Orres family!

Eric PHILIP, Winter Operations Sector Manager

An anniversary like no other, testifying to a passion that has lasted for 40 years and isn't about to die out!