As we proceed to watch the match, Borwick explains that polo has had durations of peaks and troughs all through time, widespread in the 80s, then once more in the early 2000s. He believes we’re now witnessing one other revival, which he hopes will lend to a deeper understanding of the sport on a international scale (in accordance to Swiss tourist accommodation statistics, American in a single day company in St. Moritz over the month of January surged from 6,931 in 2023 to 9,810 in 2025). Upon recognizing Gstaad Guy in the crowd, I understand it helps, in fact, that the occasion is a content material creation jackpot.
I ask a lady from France seated subsequent to me, who has been coming to the event for a handful of years now, why this extravagantly area of interest sport resonates right this moment. She explains to me that snow polo is much less insular than different polo occasions she’s been to, the place one should know who’s who. Tickets to main matches at the prestigious Argentine Open, for instance, promote out hours after launch, whereas smaller occasions, like the Polo Hamptons, implement a 900-guest cap, designed to encourage networking.
Snow polo is probably not as broadly recognized, however that’s exactly what makes it much less unique. There’s nonetheless room for hardcore and non-hardcore followers alike, from ages sixteen to 85, together with a justifiable share of billionaires, but in addition common folks like moi. This first Friday, for example, is free to the public. And whereas a good chunk of spectators do, in truth, take private planes, the train can also be extremely popular, even amongst the jet set.
“It’s the largest concentration of Birkins you’ll ever see on the Landequart line,” my French seatmate jokes.
Whether it’s for the style, the postcard surroundings, or a real love for the sport, it’s clear that persons are right here for a good time. By late afternoon, clusters of puffer coats are bouncing up and down on elevated surfaces—aprés ski style—to DJs spinning Fisher’s “Losing It.” Later that evening, the tech CEOs, Swiss bankers, non-public jet homeowners (and possibly even a few polo gamers), will pour into Dracula, a Gunter Sachs-founded nightclub that runs on an elusive, lifetime membership.
As the snowfall begins to accumulate, scoring turns into more and more tough. But Flexjet steals the ultimate chukka, thanks to Stirling. They outscore Mackage two targets to one, incomes their place in tomorrow’s semi-finals—although the opposing staff’s followers do not appear too fazed by the consequence. Before the gamers even have a likelihood to exit the area, the crowd is already making their method to the VIP tent for bumps of lunchtime caviar.