5 Mins With Arthur Hanse Oly - Director ESF Les Gets
The ESF Les Gets, under the leadership of Arthur Hanse Oly, upholds a legacy of providing top-tier ski and snowboard instruction, catering to beginners and experts alike. Known for its distinctive red-jacketed instructors, the ESF has been a beacon for those looking for the pinnacle of expertise and trust to master the art of skiing in an environment that combines professionalism with the charm of French Alpine culture.
Meet Arthur Hanse Oly, Director of the ESF Les Gets.
Arthur took the helm of the ESF Les Gets in March 2023, at 31, he’s been skiing for 28 years and teaching at the Les Gets ski school since 2012. “I wanted to get much more involved in my school, to bring my experience, my knowledge and my motivation. I learned to ski thanks to the ESF in Les Gets, and many of the instructors have shared their passion with me. I'm very grateful for their trust”
Arthur Hanse Oly, Director ESF Les Gets.
What's new for this Winter season? 2024 - 2025?
“This year we've introduced a combined SKI & SPA product, combining the pleasures of skiing and relaxation, which I think is the recipe for a successful holiday. Customers can enjoy the morning while learning to ski in the afternoon. They can also book an instructor to help them discover the ski area and make progress with a real guide and ambassador for the village. We have 170 instructors”
Photos: Les Gets Tourisme @ Valentin Ducrettet
What do you expect from a guiding lesson? As I was saying, an instructor is a true ambassador for the village. They know the ski area, the mountain culture, the different spots and the ‘secret places’, which is a real asset for a successful day's skiing or snowboarding. All under professional supervision and in a safe environment. They manage everything: your time, lunch on a sunny terrace and will get you back on time without missing any connections.
Where's the best powder in Les Gets? 😉 “The Mont Chéry slope is a wild enough place to find yard slopes and is steep enough to have fun. After that we can't reveal everything because we keep our secrets..”
Photos: Les Gets Tourisme @ Keno Derleyn
What's your favourite part of your job? The job of Director itself is a job where you get to touch everything. A Director has to know how to do everything. It's this richness and diversification of tasks that I like. We work with freelancers as well as salaried employees, and the human element is essential in management. However, we're getting away from the skis a bit and I like to remember that I'm an instructor first and foremost as soon as I have to do a replacement.
Photo: Les Gets Tourisme @ Mel Carle
What's your favourite style of skiing? Steep / Deep / Pow / Fast as French?
“‘Fast as French”. Or I’d even add “Fast & Beautiful as French” Of course I like speed, but I also like the beauty of the gesture. When you see an instructor skiing downhill, you often think that skiing is easy, but it's not. So technical precision and the beauty of the skier's glide down the slope are of paramount importance to me”
What do you hope to achieve this season?
"Our mission is to share our passion and to teach skiing / snowboarding, so my main objective is that the client makes progress and is happy and content to have shared good moments with an ESF Les Gets instructor. The ESF is a real institution in every village. We are committed, we participate in the development of the village and its ski area while offering many activities and events during the winter.
Are there any special events that we should be aware of?
Of course, during the February holidays we have 2 important evenings:
- The Red Ski Show and the charity torchlight descents. For our holidaymakers, these are 2 great events. One is a real show, lasting 30 minutes, with the ESF and other ski area professionals putting on a show.
- The other is an opportunity to take part in a torchlit descent and enjoy an unforgettable experience with our instructors, while doing a good deed at the same time, as all the profits from these charity descents are donated to the ‘Enfance & Montagne’ endowment fund, which helps to send children to and discover the magic of the mountains, cultivate knowledge about nature and become aware of the environment, a major challenge for our future.
- We're also organising a night-time ski touring race on 11 January with an association called Les Wetzayers to raise awareness of this activity, which is still banned. So, in collaboration with the tourist office, the local council and SOLEGETS, we're delighted to have this event on the programme for the second year running. Finally, this year we're introducing a new teaching tool for the pioupiou club (3-5 year-olds) - draisiennes sur neige - and to mark the occasion, we're organising a ‘draisienne kids Cup’ on 29 March to offer a party for this age group and showcase our expertise.
Photo 1: Les Gets Tourisme @ Valentin Ducrettet Photo 2: Les Gets Tourisme @ Laura Bureau.
And above all, why should holidaymakers book with the ESF? As I was saying, the ESF is a real institution, with local roots and experienced instructors who will be able to respond to all sorts of requests, both possible and unimaginable. Always in a setting where safety goes hand in hand with pleasure. You'll be dealing with someone who knows both the resort and the ski area. Our ESF instructors are all qualified, professional and experienced.
Les Gets' environmental initiatives are truly impressive. Which do you think is the most important?
“This year we set up a ‘Mountain Culture’ project in association with the National Union of French Ski Instructors and the Mountain Riders association to raise awareness, educate and share what you can find in a resort but also in a village that lives from tourism and is committed to taking responsibility for preserving its environment. Find out more about Les Gets Eco-Tourism “
“You'll find an educational fresco at the foot of the school and the instructors incorporate concepts around 5 themes into their lessons: Life in the resort, Biodiversity, Water cycle, Developments and landscapes, Waste. In addition, we are increasingly encouraging our instructors to car-share and to use the shuttle buses that have been set up to reduce their carbon footprint, and we are going to organise an operation in March to collect as much waste as possible on the slopes during an operating day. We're also taking part in an event organised by the local council to collect winter rubbish on the slopes”.
Photos: Les Gests Tourisme @ Keno Derleyn.
To learn more about ESF Les Gets, book lessons ( for any age group ), book a guide to explore the best of Les Gets or go on an experience, including Hiking, Snowshoeing, Cross Country, Ski Touring or a Discovery Tour where the guide will share his skills, expert knowledge and take you to the most exquisite part of Les Gets. Sounds like paradise, well we think it is! Click here to discover more: ESF Les Gets and see you here soon!