Louis Emile Cochand

Born and raised in Quebec’s Laurentian Mountains, Louis Cochand came by his enthusiasm for skiing naturally as his father, Emile, one of the best all-round skiers in Canada, introduced him to barrel staves in 1920 at the age of three. Like his father, Louis Cochand has made an outstanding contribution to Canadian and international skiing.

For 10-years he was president of the Laurentian Resorts Association and for 20-years was the owner and manager of the Chalet Cochand in Ste Marguerite, Quebec. This resort was the first in Canada to install an overhead cable ski lift (J-bar) in 1936 and the first to install a two-seat chairlift in 1958.

He was the first Canadian awarded a prestigious Swiss Ski Instructor’s certificate in the 1930s and became the Canadian Amateur Ski Association’s (CASA) Chief Examiner. He drafted, with CASA approval, the first Canadian ski instruction manual. In 1940, the Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance (CSIA) was formed, succeeding the CASA, with Louis as its first president. After five years serving as an “… excellent fighter pilot” in World War ll, he returned to Canada and was re-appointed the CSIA’s Chief Examiner in 1947 and later its Honourary President.

In 1939, he was on Canada’s International Ski Federation team, competing in Zakopane, Poland and was appointed manager and coach of the Canadian women’s team competing in the St Moritz, Switzerland, for the Olympic Games in 1948. He became the first Canadian awarded the old Kandahar with Pearl by Sir Arnold Lunn and the Diamond and Gold Tremblant Ski Pins for outstanding achievement and for promoting skiing in Canada. (His Quebec Kandahar record stands at five-1st places, three-2nd places, and two-3rd places in open competition.) Australia also recognized his contribution to skiing by awarding him, in 1939, the Gold Kangaroo Ski Pin for supplying ski instructors from Canada.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

1933: Winner of Canada’s first Flying Kilometre event with a speed of 52.96 mph.

1936: 1st place, slalom, Quebec Kandahar competition; 2nd place, Alpine Combined, Quebec Kandahar competition.

1937: 2nd place, downhill event, Quebec Kandahar competition; 3rd place, alpine combined, Quebec Kandahar; 3rd place, slalom, combined, Banff Dominion Championships, Banff, Alberta;  3rd place, slalom, combined Sun Valley U.S.A. National Amateur Championships.

1938: 1st place, downhill, slalom, combined, Quebec Kandahar competition. Of 9 alpine events in the Ontario, Northern Ontario and Laurentian zone championships, he won 5-gold medals and 4-silver.

1938-1939: Raced in Europe with the Canadian Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS) team competing in Switzerland, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Austria in both Alpine (Downhill and Slalom races) and Nordic Jumping. His best result was a 1st place, Downhill event, at St. Anton-am-Arlberg, Austria.

Note: The ski information gathered here is compiled from a number of sources; it may not be inclusive of all accomplishments.
Copyright © 2023, Canadian Ski Museum. For Personal/Educational use only. All Rights Reserved.