Sandy Gall CMG CBE(1927-2025)
Members will be saddened to learn of the death of Sandy Gall at the age of 97. While his distinguished career as a journalist and broadcaster has been widely covered in obituaries in The Daily Telegraph and The Times, his valued contribution to the St Moritz Tobogganing Club may be less well known.
In 1971, Sandy was commissioned to make a 30-minute documentary on the Cresta Run, and he spent several weeks of the 1971–72 season in St Moritz filming.Employing a range of innovative techniques to capture the thrill and drama of the Run, he included overhead shots from a helicopter and footage from a camera mounted on Nino Bibbia’s toboggan. The commentary—memorably recorded live during a ride from Top—was provided by JK Shipton. That season also marked the peak of Bruno Bischofberger’s dominance on the Run, and Sandy’s film introduced a wider audience to the then-revolutionary “kamikaze” riding technique. The documentary aired on national television in the UK and helped expand the Cresta’s appeal.
Sandy returned in 1984 to make a second film for the Club’s 1984–85 centenary season. This time he incorporated historical footage from the archives and beautifully captured the unique spirit of the Club, with support from cameraman Charles Morgan, of the eponymous car-making family and a fellow Cresta rider.
In recognition of his significant contribution to the Club, Sandy was made an honorary member at the Centenary AGM in 1985.
