The Verbier Swiss Ski School was founded in 1933 by Marcel Michellod "le yéti des Ruinettes", Louis Deléglise "Petit Père", Louis-Hercule Michellod, Marcel Gailland and Paul Fellay.

The 2 Louis took it in turns to succeed the first director Marcel Michellod; while the last 2 founding members, assisted by Mathilde Michaud, André Michaud 1 ... gave the first ski lessons at the incredible price of CHF 2.- per half-day and CHF 4.- per day.

The first ESSV office was in the Chalet Besson, to the left of the Sport Hotel (now Chez Martin). Every Tuesday, at the end of the day, there was the report: "we put away the Sport Hotel laundry, which was drying there, to save a little space. Being late for my first report cost me the aperitif!... it's okay, there were only 17 members!" says Claude Guanziroli.

According to Margrit Andeer, there was even a barometer of ESSV lessons on the front of the chalet:

• Green: very good lessons - normal attendance
• Yellow: lessons good - busy
• Red: lessons not recommended - overcrowding

In the morning, everyone warmed up on the assembly square, doing gymnastics under the amused gaze of passers-by, then walked to the slopes and continued warming up by grooming the slopes with their skis by climbing the stairs. Finally, the lessons could begin.

Paul Fellay (father of Raymond Fellay, a Verbier skier who took part in the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo) was a bon vivant who liked to joke and party. One day, Paul was waiting for his client at Les Ruinettes, gazing up at the Grand-Combin. When the latter arrived, he called out to Paul, who turned and fell. He stayed down and decided that they wouldn't ski that day, as the slopes were too icy and therefore too dangerous (anecdote told by Margrit Andeer).

Under the direction of François Carron, training was compulsory every Tuesday, whatever the weather, at Les Attelas in Verbier before going to class, with lifts specially opened a little earlier.

The facilities were free of charge for the ski instructors, as the ESSV provided Téléverbier with 4 people, known as the "piste police", to assist the patrollers and facilities staff. They were also given priority access to the lifts for 30 minutes, during which time the gates were closed to other skiers.

In 1958, Denis Bertholet shot the film "Godille 58 ou le ski en Valais" with the "Diables Rouges" of the ESSV for the Union Valaisanne du Tourisme. The Red Devils wore bell bracelets that François Carron had tuned, and played "Gentille batelière", which everyone who came to greet them after the torchlight descent sang along to.

To obtain a ski instructor's license, you had to know 2 languages, among other things. According to some people, Paul Fellay had written on his registration form that he spoke French and ....... Javanese.

In 1954, ESS Verbier became a cooperative, with François Carron as director until 1967 and Jérôme Gailland as deputy director and then president.

The list of ski instructors was gradually expanded to include new members with Valais diplomas. 1966 was a good vintage, with the 18 Verbier instructors present in Zermatt obtaining their patents - the largest delegation ever.

In 1957, these same people helped finance the construction of the Rouge, Bleu and Vert ski lifts (the latter located below Médran, in Les Avoutzons). To make the lifts, which were owned by ESSV, profitable, classes 3 were required to ski for 3 days at Le Rouge before heading up to the upper slopes.

Previously, the number of children in group ski lessons was unlimited. On a Monday during the Easter vacations, Margrit started her week with 15 children at the Le Vert ski lift on the Place de Médran. Given the lack of available instructors, on Tuesday 10 more children joined the course. She ended the week with over 40 children divided up by level on the slope, going from group to group to give instructions.