Gstaad 2025: Swiss Bells, Blue Lakes & A Golden Weekend

You know that saying, “Find a penny, pick it up, and all day long you’ll have good luck”? It turned out to be true for us. Right after surviving one of the longest New Orleans airport check-in lines, we found a heads-up penny on the jet bridge, and Kristen snagged it. That penny kicked off the smoothest travel week we’ve had in a long time.

Our Delta miles finally paid off with a complimentary upgrade to the Delta One Lounge, where we fully embraced the complimentary massages, restaurant meals, cold-pressed juice on tap, and even clothing steaming (10/10, highly recommend before a long-haul). Four hours later, we boarded our flight for our fourth trip to Switzerland, arriving in Geneva to the classic “feels like midnight, but it’s only noon” exhaustion after 47 seconds of sleep. Nothing beats that post-travel shower. Nothing.

We wandered Geneva’s charming streets, found coffee to keep our eyes open, and discovered countless fountains for refilling water bottles before reaching the glacier-blue lake sprinkled with swans and picnic blankets. Geneva’s restaurants are closed on Sundays which is great until you’re starving at 6 pm, so Kristen found a Turkish restaurant to curb her Mediterranean cravings. After lots of menu guessing and pointing, we ended the day in bed by 8 pm.

The next day, we covered nearly all of Geneva on foot before hopping on a boat tour that Kristen booked. Our driver dropped all the Swiss knowledge while cruising through turquoise waters, even parking so we could jump in and swim.

Fun facts from our Swiss boat driver:

• A night at the Presidential Hotel along the river? $50,000 CHF, bulletproof windows included.

• Want a boat slip on Lake Geneva? There’s a nine-year waitlist.

• Groceries are so pricey that many Swiss drive across the border to shop, but can only bring back $150 worth each trip.

• Military service is mandatory in Switzerland for 19 months unless you pay to skip it.

  

  

  

On Tuesday, tournament transportation scooped us up for the winding two-hour drive through the Alps to Gstaad. If you get carsick, brace yourself—the curves and altitude nearly did me in. We rolled straight into practice with fellow Americans, only to get trapped in a monsoon-level downpour that turned the players’ tent into a waterfall rinse-off zone.

Switzerland’s motto is “Come up, slow down,” and it really does that to you. Breakfasts are slow and intentional: boil your own eggs, slice fresh bread, sip coffee with mountain views. We ignored the swarm of flies, lack of AC, and crazy prices because once you get to those mountains, it’s all worth it.

The next day, the flies were in full force during our practice with the Swiss team, each of us swatting at least ten before five more appeared. Between practice and check-in, we had a fun interview with Travis Mewhirter and Kyle Friend, voices you’d recognize instantly if you watch VBTV.

Thursday started with our usual slow breakfast, joined by a bird who flew in and out of the window after hitting the bread table for a snack. We faced the French women’s team first, cheered on by Adam Hensgens, who made the trip back to Gstaad. More American fans, including Tim and Tina from Mangos, filled the stands as we advanced to a 6 pm match against Germany. If you win, you get a day off, and with the Nuss parents in town, we wanted that day off badly. We earned it, and for the first time in a long time, I ended the day sitting at dinner with our opponents—an odd but special balance of friends and foes.

Having a Friday off in the middle of a tournament felt weirdly luxurious. The Nuss family arrived via train, and we laughed until our stomachs hurt listening to their travel stories.

Saturday felt like the tournament was restarting, and Canada was on the other side of the net—a classic, intense matchup. With TKN, USA, and familiar faces filling the stands, we clawed our way back in the second set, took the third, and heard the entire crowd chanting “TKN.” That’s what we’ve always wanted: a team, not just cheers for our individual names. I definitely teared up behind my sunglasses.

Advancing meant we finally got to play in the Gstaadium on Sunday, with the arena packed and the crowd fully in sync with every cheer. We beat the Swiss sisters in two sets, setting up a gold medal match against Latvia.

Last year, Drew joked about our missing silver cowbell; this year, we wanted the gold. After two hard-fought sets against the athletic, scrappy Latvians, we left with the golden cowbell in hand. We pulled our crew onto the sand to celebrate on the podium and later capped the night with drinks on a rooftop bar with a jaw-dropping view.

Usually, post-tournament nights find me curled up in bed, wiped out from adrenaline and nerves, but this was the first time in a long time that I could go out and truly enjoy the night with the people who made it special.

After a quick two-hour nap, I packed the beautiful Swiss bell carefully into my suitcase and began the journey back to South Dakota. Two of three flights were delayed, but I made it home on time while Kristen stayed with her family to keep exploring Switzerland’s marvels.

Switzerland is not the easiest or cheapest place to get to, but when you’re up in those mountains, breathing in the crisp air, eating fresh bread with your breakfast, and hearing the crowd chant “TKN,” you remember exactly why you come back.

The Swiss bell is coming home to America after another great 4^th of July weekend spent in Switzerland, and so are the memories.