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Relax or work out at Val Thorens’ new €40m state-of-the-art sports, aquatic and convention centre

By Skier & Snowboarder on 10th January 2023

Alf Alderson swaps his skis for a new ‘board’ of a different kind in Val Thorens which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season

Le Board is shaped like a giant snowboard

It was one of those days in Val Thorens with low cloud and poor visibility making the skiing tricky at best, so what to do? Feel our way down the slopes in the murk, or try something different?

As it happens, the decision couldn’t have been easier – our skis would be staying in the ski locker whilst we visited VT’s brand new €40m ‘Le Board’ a state-of-the-art sports, aquatic and convention centre in the middle of the resort.

Christened ‘Le Board’ because its shape resembles that of a snowboard, the building offers a huge range of facilities (see below) and is located on the site of VT’s old sports centre which was built in 1980; it took just 18-months to build Le Board, which is quite a feat when you consider the long, harsh winters that the builders had to cope with 2,300m up in the Alps.

There are some fascinating images from the early days of Val Thorens on display in Le Board, including a few which show the area before construction first took place 50 years ago and impress upon you what a major feat of civil engineering it actually was to build an entire town in such a harsh, high-altitude location.

An artist’s impression of Le Board in Val Thorens

Le Board also incorporates a new bus station which also has a bag drop area – a boon for skiers wanting to get an extra day or two on the slopes as it means you can leave your gear here after checking out of your accommodation, or on arrival, and head out for an additional day’s skiing rather than having to head for home.

On top of all the indoor facilities – literally – the roof of Le Board can host outdoor concerts and exhibitions, and all the facilities will be open through the summer, with one of the aims being to use Le Board as an altitude training base for sports clubs and elite sports teams.

From the point of view of our less-than-elite sporting abilities, Le Board served as a great place to sit out the bad weather with a dip in the pool and a visit to the spa whilst we waited for the murk to turn to snow – which it did the following day, ensuring a full and active week even without skiing every day.

Hundreds of people attended a party on top of Le Board in December to mark the start of Val Thorens’ 50th anniversary celebrations which included an impressive firework display (inset). The sloping roof is designed as the outdoor event space for 3,000 people. Inside, there’s an auditorium with seating for more than 400. The anniversary celebrations will continue throughout the season. For more information go to: www.valthorens.com/en/

The sports and relaxation facilities available in Le Board include the following:

SPORTS HALL

Table tennis, squash, badminton, basketball, volleyball

SWIMMING POOL

Heated indoor fun pool with waterfalls, submerged benches, massage jets, whirlpool beds

Two 20-metre swimming lanes

South-facing, sunny terrace with great views of the mountains

Aquagym, aquabike & aqua-training circuit.

Kid’s area including splashpad and fun aquatic area with water games

GYM

Two rooms for weight-training and cardio-training featuring bicycles, rowing machines, ellipticals and treadmills.

Free weight room with dumbbells, free bars, benches and weight presses.

Fitness room with carts, battle rope, squat cage etc.

CHILDREN’S AREA

The largest in France at 700 sq. metres, includes a large playground with elastic tower, slides, cylinders, monkey bridges, suspended ball, spinning rollers, a sports field, six trampolines and a foam tank.