Nine and a Half

Throwing all his weight at it, Per Ås gives everything he can to keep the anchor’s winch from breaking clean off its mounting plate. The weather has turned progressively worse since the skiers returned to the boat, and the right side of the anchor’s electric winch has broken free. A few seconds of struggle, it is no longer possible; the entire winch pulls off its mount, landing directly on Per’s left hand. The pain almost knocks him out.

 Per Ås moved to Chamonix, France, in 1988, the same year he turned 18. He had all kinds of jobs there – ski tuner, caretaker, even doorman at the legendary disco “Le Pele”. But before long, the local ski photographers discovered the talented skier who looked like a photo model. Soon enough, photos of Per ended up in nearly every European ski magazine and advertising for ski brands.

During that first season, he met Pelle Lång, another Swede who had been in Chamonix for a long time. Pelle had an aptitude for skiing moguls and a couple of seasons later travelled south to another town in the French Alps, Les Deux Alpes, for a competition. There, he heard about a tiny, place on the other side of the mountain with a long lift, massive vertical drop, wild terrain and very few people. That place was La Grave.