French ski school, Ski Cocktail, had another temporary set back this week in their ongoing battle against the French legal system.

Regular visitors to Natives and the Tarentaise will be familiar with the maverick ski school. Over the last thirteen years they have consistently fought for the right to break the ESF monopoly and establish the right of independent ski schools to set up in competition.

It has been a topsy-turvy ride that has seen Ski Cocktail's owner, Jean-Yves Lapeyrere, arrested and held in jail on more than one occasion.

The most recent was last week, when all Ski Cocktail's shops were closed from Tuesday to Thursday. The shops are now open again, but instruction has been suspended pending a court date scheduled for 29 January.

Although skiers and boarders who have pre-booked lessons have either been refunded or transferred to other ski schools, the future for Ski Cocktail is unclear. Although an almost identical situation occurred last March, during the summer the legal battle was apparently resolved and the company started the season with a new agreed policy for employing instructors.

It seems however that a legal loophole was left unfilled and the matter is now back in the hands of the lawyers - so at least someone (oh..and the ESF) is making money out of this long-running saga. Watch this space for the next instalment.

[Unconfirmed reports have come in that Ski Cocktail has finally closed its doors forever]