Fun in Sawdust and Snow
At the end of December, the traditional Christmas event that everyone had been longing for was on the agenda. As always, the organising team was tight-lipped and no information leaked out to the rest of the team about where the trip was going and what activities were planned. Only the packing list raised a few questions. In addition to ski clothes, old clothes and shoes had to go in the suitcase. Did we have to expect dirt because of the lack of snow?
The first stop was the Matten ice rink near Interlaken, or to the relief of some, not the rink itself, but the “Schwing”-cellar (swiss wrestling). So we put on our old clothes and over them the trademark “Schwinger”-pants, and off we went. Under the expert guidance of Markus Abegglen, we warmed up with various exercises. After three minutes, everyone had sawdust in their shoes, after another two minutes in their underpants.
But the fun was great and so was the amazement at how smoothly and elegantly Markus executed some of the movements. Most of us plopped down like potato sacks or had too few neck muscles to lift a bridge or were unable to turn our colleagues onto their backs. However, some of them showed a certain talent and so the fights were quite interesting to watch.
After some refreshments, we boarded the car in the direction of Central Switzerland. Beside the Trübsee above Engelberg, various snow vehicles were ready for us. First we did a few laps with traditional e-snowmobiles. Various circuits offered driving fun with tight and wide curves, daring overtaking manoeuvres or even a total breakdown due to an overheated battery. As a special vehicle, the Moon Bike was presented at the end. With a narrower track and only one front ski, the driving behaviour is completely different, more like a motorbike and altogether much more nervous. Both were great fun.
After an aperitif, we went to Lucerne, where we spent the evening and the night. Funnily enough, this year’s organisers decided on the same restaurant as their predecessors exactly ten years before. A good decision, as the food was excellent, and the mood was relaxed and cheerful until the early hours of the morning. Many thanks to Markus and Remy for the good ideas and the perfect organisation.