Chewbacca Skier Savagely Beaten in French Alps Resort Brawl
A shocking mass brawl erupted at a prestigious French ski resort over the weekend, where a skier dressed as the iconic Star Wars character Chewbacca was brutally beaten following a snowball attack. The violent incident, which was captured on video and shared widely on social media, has sparked outrage among the skiing community and raised concerns about safety on the slopes.
Viral Footage Captures Costumed Skier's Ordeal
Tourist Matthew Mooney, who was staying at the Val Thorens ski resort in the French Alps, shared footage of the bizarre and disturbing attack. In the clip, the man dressed as Chewbacca is seen being punched and kicked by a group of young men after being knocked to the snowy ground. Several other skiers gathered around as the seemingly furious assailants piled onto the costumed figure.
Some bystanders attempted to intervene, with a number of skiers seen dragging a man in an orange coat away from the altercation. Despite these efforts to break up the fight, as the Star Wars character struggled to regain his senses, another confrontation appeared to erupt just metres away. The main aggressor then turned his attention to another man dressed as Stitch from Disney, who was also quickly dragged down into the snow at the popular resort.
Snowball Incident Sparks Violent Retaliation
According to Mooney's account of the events, the fight began after one of the attackers threw a snowball directly at the furry creature's face. The Chewbacca-clad skier allegedly confronted the throwers, who did not appreciate being approached. This confrontation quickly escalated, with the group retaliating by shoving the skier until the situation spiralled completely out of control.
It remains unclear what precise role the man dressed as Stitch played in the incident. Mooney speculated humorously, suggesting that 'maybe the attacker just doesn't like Disney characters'. The clip, posted on Saturday, has since gone viral, amassing over 17 million views on Instagram alone.
Skiing Community Expresses Shock and Disgust
Viewers of the viral footage have expressed profound shock at the aggressive behaviour displayed. Many seasoned skiers revealed they had never witnessed such an incident at a resort before. One of Mooney's followers commented, 'I’ve genuinely never seen a fight on the slopes before and I’ve been skiing for 40 years!'
Another added with disbelief, 'Never in all my years of skiing have I seen this. Who kicks someone in the head with a boot?' A third observer was scathing in their criticism, stating, 'The aggressive man in blue is crazy. Should be banned for lifetime from the slopes. Never saw something like this in my whole skiing time.' One more chimed in, calling for justice: 'Absolutely disgraceful behaviour! I hope the guy that kicked the chap in the head gets arrested and charged.'
Second Violent Incident at Val Thorens in Weeks
This weekend's disturbing fight comes just weeks after another violent altercation was reported at the same Val Thorens resort. In that previous incident, snowboarders began a brawl with a skier following a collision on the piste.
The shocking moment was captured by Renan Vitor, 32, through his Ray-Ban Meta glasses. His footage showed six men chasing and repeatedly striking the skier, who desperately tried to dodge their blows. That brawl raged for approximately ten minutes before security personnel from a nearby venue stepped in, followed by the French Gendarmerie. According to Renan, no arrests were made following that confrontation.
The recurrence of such violence at a major European ski destination has prompted serious questions about security measures and the overall atmosphere on the slopes during the busy winter season.
