Ah, St. Moritz. Having been a popular summer destination for the British aristocracy in the mid-19th century, the sweeping Engadin valley became the birthplace of winter sports (and winter tourism) when a hotelier invited select leading socialites to remain for the entire year. 150 years later, a holiday in this alpine resort town promises plenty of glamour, opportunities for athleticism, and après-ski culture.
You probably know St. Moritz is the playground for the famous and global elites. Sure, you’ll find business tycoons lounging in the Kulm Hotel lobby and influencers dancing around the Members’ Club at Paradiso after a few runs down the mountain. But, insiders know the real who’s-who of St. Moritz are those donning scarlet and gold.
The St. Moritz Toboggan Club is a legendary institution founded in 1885 and home to the world’s most thrilling ice toboggan track, Cresta Run. Built every year from scratch using the natural contours of the valley, the Run’s ten demanding corners have challenged even the greatest of athletes for over a century (hello, Shuttlecock!) with races like the Claude Cartier Challenge Cup, the Morgan Cup, and the Grand National (the latter of which I was present for just the other week).
Only St. Moritz Toboggan Club members are permitted to compete in these unique and highly skillful races here or spectate from the landmark Clubhouse.
Historically, there have only been two forms of criteria for membership:
- Compete in various toboggan (aka “skeleton”) practice days and Club Races.
- Be a male.
The restriction on allowing women to ride on only one end-of-season special day has modernized in the last decade. Male and female riders are now welcome on any day of the week, and there are now social-level memberships–as in, you’re no longer required to hurtle down a chute at breakneck speeds if you do not wish to do so.
The application process is rigorous, but once you experience even a single day as a guest, you’ll surely be itching to join. No matter your status within the club, everyone is incredibly warm, inviting, and charming. Ultimately, the St. Moritz Toboggan Club is a community united by the thrill of tobogganing–whether participating or spectating–and it’s no wonder that bearing the colors remains such an honor.
Symbolizing the club’s daring spirit and aristocratic heritage, scarlet signifies boldness, while gold represents prestige. Scarves are the most popular way to showcase the St. Moritz Toboggan Club’s colors, though they can be adorned on ties, caps, sweaters, and more.
Cresta members are a welcoming, rowdy crew, both in and out of the Clubhouse. Everyone seems to be an endless ball of energy, sipping champagne and the Club’s beloved gin fizz between races. The latter half of the afternoon is then spent lunching and bouncing about town in droves of scarlet and gold.
On days without races or events, members will still wear SMTC merchandise–whether for style, practicality, or to spark conversations with fellow members they may not have met yet.
By night, they reconvene once more to brave the icy mount (by taxi) that leads to Drac’s, *another* private members’ club where Life Members and their guests fly like bats from the mantelpiece and dance until dawn beneath a glittering, garlic-shaped disco ball.
After middle school, I bet you’d never dreamed a group sporting anything so profoundly reminiscent of Hogwarts’ Gryffindor would be the people to know, huh? Don’t judge a book by its cover…
