Danielle de Vabre

Growing up in Montreal, Canada, Danielle de Vabre knew two things from an early age: she was lucky enough to call a city that’s a slice of Europe in North America home and that she loved winter sports—to be more specific, skiing. “Skiing presents such a challenge, because every run is different. I’ve never yet finished one that I was satisfied with,” says the all-natural brunette with a slight French-Canadian accent. “There always seems to be some aspect that needs improvement.” Improving her skills on the slopes was the only item on her agenda upon graduating from high school and with her parents’ blessing, Danielle planned out the perfect adventure to embark on before starting university. “The idea of skiing in the Rockies grew in my mind while I was in high school. I'd skied the Laurentians in Canada for years and often heard people discuss the high elevation and deep powder of the Colorado ranges,” explains the voluptuous Canadian. “My parents knew that if I started school right away, I would resent being there and, consequently, my concentration would suffer.” With her school picked out and her major of English-literature chosen, Danielle’s parents had one more requirement before letting our sexy Miss November 1971 pack up her ski-suit and long-johns—she had to pay for the entire trip herself. “I was counting on finding a job as a ski instructor and figured I'd need just enough cash to get me there, plus a little nest egg in case I had a hard time getting work,” anxiously says Danielle. Unfortunately for her, landing a job as a ski instructor—no matter how fluent she was in the subject—was not easy in Colorado and with bills piling up, she needed a job. She came up with a brilliant idea—if we say so ourselves—and interviewed for a Bunny position at the Playboy Club where she was hired instantly. Working as a cottontail, while she waited to hear back from ski resorts, worked out perfectly for our Playmate of the Month. The Club and its patrons were sad to see her go when she finally did get a job offer from Steamboat Springs ski school owned by Skeeter Werner, sister of Olympic skier, Bud Werner. “I was elated. I'd already saved enough to pay for my transportation, so I started packing immediately,” recalls the snow bunny. “Steamboat's scenery alone would make the spot charming. But, the combination of gorgeous surroundings plus the friendliness of all the people told me instantly that I was going to have a fantastic stay.” Not surprisingly, Danielle’s group of amateur skiers proved to be the most obedient group and they picked up the sport quickly because of her one-on-one instructions, but don’t think she’s trading in her dream of becoming an author for teaching. “When you teach skiing, you demonstrate physically, which I find easy to do; but in order to be a schoolteacher, you have to explain orally. I become impatient when I’m forced to do that,” explains our Miss November 1971 whose time on the slopes of Colorado has come to an end. “I couldn't get enough skiing and I really hated it when the time came to leave, but I'd promised my folks I would stay just four months.” Like any good girl, Danielle is now back home in Montreal studying English-literature, but she insists her favorite subject will always be skiing.