The 1960s, Crans Montana, Switzerland. Alpine skiing has undergone a strong boost and has become the economic engine for many mountain resorts. The Chetseron gondola runs at full capacity, gradually taking skiers above 2000m where they will begin their descents. All around, an incredible 360-degree panorama allows us to see all the way to Mont Blanc and Matterhorn in the distance.

Almost 70 years later, new age music fills the air on a sunny December day. A DJ dances to the beat as the sun warms the dozens of skiers who are savoring their lunch at the exclusive hotel and restaurant Chetzeron. Since 2003, the old cable car has been upgraded and transformed into an oasis in the middle of the snow.

A logo along with its history, stands out brightly on the wall of this high mountain gem: Moncler Grenoble. Over six weeks, the brand brought a piece of itself to 2112m, leaving its signature on cushions, placemats, decorations and a pop-up store right where the gondola used to arrive.

For this occasion, Moncler brought hundreds of people from all over the world to experience two days of fresh air on skis and enjoy the flavors of the Swiss territory. Staggered in groups of a few dozen, each got to know and test the new collection High Performance, with extremely high technical properties designed for professional skiers and enthusiasts seeking the ultimate.

Then speaking of High Performance, a skier was hopping here and there around the slopes of the resort where he has been training for years showing some secret spots and telling stories like a true local legend: Kevin Rolland, black eyes and resilience. He takes us to the less-traveled areas, the most scenic viewpoints, and the places we have seen in some famous edits. Completely comfortable in a baggy-looking total look that, as he tells us, is his go-to: “Dressing baggy helps hide mistakes during tricks, which is why freeskiers love to dress like this. It’s not just about style.” Since the resort where he learned his first tricks in La Plagne closed, inbetween races, Crans was one of his most frequent training bases, which is why he feels right at home here.

The French freeskier king of the half pipe has won pretty much everything in his career: bronze, gold and two silvers at the Olympics, a bronze at the World Championships, numerous titles at events such as the X Games. In 2019, winning was no longer enough for him, so he embarked on a life-changing adventure: breaking the record for the height of a jump from a quarter pipe. We delved into his story through moments, words and images from his film “Resilience.” This word fully expresses the essence of Kevin, for whom “a crush … is just a crush.” And if he fell 100, he got back up 101 by taking a run-up to launch himself into the Olympic pipe and finish sixth. A sixth-place finish that is worth more than gold when you consider that three years earlier his record attempt threw him into a coma on a hospital bed for three days. But this story is really too big and would need a whole article for itself. It was important, however, to explain why Kevin Rolland is all black eyes and resilience.

Someone with such clear ideas is also well convinced about the equipment he wants to use to achieve his goals. He pays close attention to the fabrics, colors, and feel of the garments, and seeing him perfectly comfortable in a High Performance outfit makes us non-athletes feel like we don’t really deserve to ski with that level of quality on.

“Sometimes athletes use clothing so technical that it feels hard to move freely. Moncler has found a way to create garments with a soft, flexible feel that remain extremely high performance while leaving athletes like me all the freedom of movement we need during tricks and jumps.”

In Bejing we were competing with temperatures like -35 degrees…a garment that keeps you warm in those conditions needs no other description.

The Pill could be easily spotted on the snow at Crans, thanks to the crazy pink Chanavey outfit we were testing. Padded jacket, taped seams, clean aesthetics and simple lines. The jacket kept us warm during the more relaxed afternoon turns but the freedom of movement during the early morning session on the untouched slopes was maximum! On the other hand, we are not talking about a newbie in the mountain field but 70 years of brand heritage and outdoor experience.