feb/mar 11 at your local ski slope or ski club ... magazine of snowsport england now available at...

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pisteTHE Feb/Mar 11

THE MAGAZINE OF SNOWSPORT ENGLAND

NOW AVAILABLEAT YOUR LOCALSKI SLOPE ORSKI CLUB

Fostering, promoting and developing the interests of English skiers and snowboarders

ANDREW MUSGRAVEOLYMPIC ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

2011 RACE CALENDARTELEMARK UPDATERESORT REVIEWSALZBURGERLAND, AUSTRIA

GILLINGS FIGHTS BACK

PLUS ALL THE NEWS FROM ENGLISH SNOWSPORTS

FROM THESLOPESA NEW COLUMN BY GRAHAM BELLSEE PAGE 11

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Well another winter season over for us, thisis the last in the current issues of Piste for2010/11. We start all over again in October2011.

The snow seems to be in abundance in mostresorts, another year when those shoutingglobal warming seem to have missedsomething...again. Even the UK had to battleagainst the elements prior to Christmas,particularly in Scotland,in some areas thebattle goes on. With Easter being much laterthis year, it will depend on whether the snowcan hang around long enough for those whowant a last blast

So what of this season, we will have towait to see if those of you taking ski holidayshave increased this year, Crystal and the SkiClub GB both produce reports on the wintersports holiday industry annually. Hopefullythe tour operators have increased numbers onlast year, even though the economy is stillstruggling.

Our athletes have struggled for fundingthis year, with UK Sports announcement thatthere will be no more funding for any of ourSkiers or Snowboarders. UK Sport released astatement, “Whilst results in Vancouver wereof course taken into account, it was decidedthat, at present, there was not enoughevidence to suggest that British Ski andSnowboard would have the programme orathletes capable of reaching the podium inSochi in four years time or at the WinterGames in 2018.”

Well we never will unless someone fundsthe right programmes for the athletesclimbing the ladder. It has to startsomewhere, they say ‘No medals – nofunding’, do these people sitting in judgementnot realise that unless you have a World Class

Produced by Countrywide Publications (a division of Micropress Printers Ltd) 27 Norwich Road, Halesworth, Suffolk, IP19 8BX Tel: 01986 834216 / Fax: 01986 834270ISDN: 01986 874752 Published on behalf of Snowsport England Tel: 0121 501 2314/Fax: 0121 585 6448 e-mail: barry.spouge@ snowsportengland.org.uk Web: www.snowsportengland.org.uk All editorial and advertisement copy should be sent to Countrywide Publications at the above address. Correspondents:Snowboarding: Tom Allen; Freestyle: Martin Carr, Nordic: Iain Ballentine, Telemark: Andrew Clarke. Publishing Director: Barry Spouge, Tel: 01986 834216/ Mob: 07802824120, e-mail: [email protected] Printed by Micropress Printers Ltd, Tel: 01986 834200Opinions expressed by contributors in The Piste are not necessarily those held by the publisher or Snowsport England. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the specific writtenpermission of the publisher. While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of information contained in The Piste, we do not accept responsibility for any errors or matters relating.Cover Picture: Skiing in Ski Amade region of Austria – feature centre spread. Photo courtesy Ski Amade tourism.

FROM THEEDITOR

We acknowledge our grateful thanks to the following organisations which provide us with sponsorship orproducts. For sponsorship opportunities call 0121 501 2314

SPONSORSSport England; Energiapura, AOSTA Valley, ExxonMobil,click4quote.com

ALPINE SKI TEAM SPONSORSP&O Ferries; swyss; Leisureshack; Ski Bartlett;wastelandski.com; DFDS Seaways; Ski Out of the Blue; Chill Factore

AFFILIATESsnowrental; skiweekends.com; gear-zone.co.uk

ALPINE SKI TEAM SUPPLIERSHelly Hansen; BeyondX; Sage Physiotherapy; Gates;Holmenkol; solutions4feet

SUPPLIERSMarker; Carrs of Sheffield; John Nike Leisuresport; SharksSki Club; Ski Village; Swadlincote Ski & Snowboard Centre;Head; Tyrolia; Waymark Holidays; Atomic; Volkl; Fischer;Rossignol; ukskiersresource.co.uk; Salomon; Tecnica

SPONSORS

the piste Feb/Mar 11 3

programme with the money to fund it, not justover 4 years, but 8 or 12 years, you will neverhope to win medals.

First we have to develop a programme thatis World Class, this needs looking at veryclosely, visit other countries to see how theysuccessfully find, train and fund athletes tobring through the system, get the rightcoaches with determination to succeed andthe funds to make it happen. There are manyfrom Mini’s up to Seniors, some who haveexcellent chances of reaching the World stage,but they need the whole package of goodfunding , excellent coaches and trainingprogrammes.

I know we have no mountains other thanin Scotland/Wales, but training of an athleteis not all about being on snow, it is aboutfitness, diet, technical ability and thedetermination to succeed.

Many of the top European countries do not have snow during the summer/autumnperiod, like many others they use countrieswho do, Chile, New Zealand etc. We have someexcellent facilities and if those behind theSnOasis project had more support fromgovernment this major facility would be areality by now. So let’s get it together, I for onewould be willing to work to put together anorganisation involving all those in the UK skiindustry, Tour Operators (even the wintersport countries that we all go to over the skiseason), ski & board manufacturers, retailers,Governing bodies, Clubs, commercial andindependent ski slopes and the many otherswho can and should fight for the GB athletesand the industry that runs alongside of it. Ifwe just sit by it will never happen. We shouldall be prepared to put the effort into showingthat we can provide a World Class programmeand the funding to match.

If anyone has any views on this subject, orfeels they could get involved, please get intouch with me at:[email protected]

In the meantime where ever you may begoing – may the snow be with you.

Barry Spouge‘Piste magazine’, Countrywide Publications, 27 Norwich Road, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8BX email: [email protected]

INSIDE

4 Skiing winner of Olympic Athlete of the Year

5 Insurance and drink risks skiers and boarders

6 Coach Frandl entertains7 New Apps for iphones 8 Dates for Snowbombing festival

for Mayrhofen 10 Adaptive awareness course delivered

SnOasis support for Army Air Corps 11 Graham Bell starts new column for

The Piste14 Coaching Strategy, England Group

formed 15 Win a copy of Where to Ski &

Snowboard 22 Snowsport England Ski Network

Week

12 Ski-amade, Salzburgerland

16 CEO Update2011 Race Calendar released Bormio Champs update

17 Indoor Bass Snow Races dates announced

18 London Freeze Festival success19 Snowboard photo competition 20 Zoe Gillings – the story so far

22 Bags are packed, next stop Austria... Chris Stewart reports

NEWS

RESORT REVIEW

SNOWSPORT ENGLAND UPDATE

SNOWBOARD UPDATE

TELEMARK UPDATE

NEWS

4 the piste Feb/Mar 11

In December the BOA announced that Andrew Musgrave has beenselected as the Olympic Athlete of the year for skiing.

The BOA presented a trophy to each of the summer and winterOlympic sports organisations for them to award annually to their topperforming athlete of the year. This is the first time a cross-countryskier has been awarded the trophy by the governing body for Britishskiing and snowboarding.

In the last year Andrew has produced the best results on record ofany British cross-country skier. In the run up to the Olympic Games inCanada his world ranking earned Britain a second allocation for themen's events. His 15 km time trial race at the Olympics was the bestresult of any British cross-country skier at any Olympics, and his 30km pursuit race was the 3rd best all time British cross-country result.His leg of the team sprint was an inspiration and was the third fastestof the day.

He is a fantastic ambassador for British sport and sportsmanshipin Norway and Sweden. The Scandinavians are so taken with him thathe has become a minor celebrity. As Britain's leading cross-countryskier he is also a great leader of the other skiers and is prepared totake on all challenges in a fun and enjoyable manner which spreads tothose around him.

Story courtesy of British Nordic Development Squad.

ANDREW NAMED OLYMPIC ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

On my recent annual trip to Val Gardena I met up with Ed DrakeBritain’s speed skier competing on the World Cup circuit thisseason. Ed had just skied the Saslong course in the Super G event,one of the most difficult, after catching his breath he told me aboutthe experience. “It’s a tough course, one of the toughest on thecircuit and you are up against the best in the world”. Finishing in atime of 1.38.61 Ed met with us in the Press area at the foot of thecourse before heading back to his hotel.

CHRISTMAS WORLD CUP IN VAL GARDENA

Visit skifamille.co.uk or call us on 0845 64 437 64to discuss your family’s requirements

Quality catered chalets with inclusive childcare in the heart of the French Alps

Well it is time to congratulatethose who won the last issuescompetitions:

Where to Ski & Snowboard 2011:Mark Lawrence, Bristol

Breo XL watches – 3 Winners:Kathy Hammond, Southampton;Karen Lewis, Otley, Yorkshire; Lisa McCrakan, Rossendale

Photo courtesy British

Olympic Association.

COPILOT Live Europe Navigation Software application– 2 Winners:William Newman, Bassingbourn; Sharon Fletcher, Waterfoot, Lancs

Holidayextras.com: Paul Catling,Launton, Oxfordshire

Congratulations to you all and Ihope you enjoy your prizes.

COMPETITION WINNERS


As British holidaymakers prepare to head forthe slopes, new research from the Foreign andCommonwealth Office (FCO) reveals thatalmost a third (31%) of people in the UK admitto not taking out travel insurance for theirwinter sports holidays.

61% of those surveyed were unaware that many travel insurance policies do notcover accidents that occur off-piste and only16% said that they always read the smallprint.

The survey also reveals some confusionaround European Health Insurance Cards(EHICs). Only 53% of those surveyedunderstand what cover an EHIC provides.*Many people wrongly believe that the cardcovers a helicopter ambulance, medicalrepatriation and transport off the slope withski patrol and 34% of those surveyed said theydidn’t know.

Phil Lord from the FCO’s Know Before YouGo campaign said: “Winter sports come withrisks but the fun can soon come to an end ifyou have an accident and are not insured. Westrongly advise those hitting the slopes thiswinter to take out comprehensive travelinsurance. Many skiers will be unaware thattheir insurance may not cover them if they’vebeen drinking alcohol or for skiing off-piste.Medical treatment and repatriation can leaveyou thousands of pounds out of pocket - it’sjust not worth the risk.”

FCO Consular staff see heavy drinking as akey factor in consular cases linked to skiingand snowboarding.

Dr Laurence Bristow-Smith, British ConsulGeneral in Milan, said: “Many British visitorson a skiing holiday are not familiar with amountain environment – freezingtemperatures, snow and ice and slipperyterrain. Many of them are not aware thatalcohol can have a different effect whenconsumed at altitude.

“We’ve provided support in a couple ofconsular cases where fatal accidents in themountains were a direct result of drinking toomuch alcohol. In one case the insurancecompany refused to pay out as the policyholder ‘had put himself in unnecessarydanger and was under the influence ofalcohol’. This meant that repatriation costs,amounting to thousands of Euros, had to bemet by the family.”

In early December, the FCO working with the ski industry and local authoritieswill launch safety campaigns in key European resorts*. For tips and advice onpreparing for foreign travel visitwww.fco.gov.uk/travel * You need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before you travel – it gives the holder rights to healthcare that becomes necessary during a temporary visit to EEA (European Economic Area)countries or Switzerland. The EHIC replaced the E111 form in Jan 2006. The E111 form is no longer valid. People who are normally resident in the UK can apply for an EHIC. The FCO website(http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/staying-safe/travel-insurance/ehic)explains what the EHIC covers.

Following the successful safety awarenessinitiative to tackle alcohol misuse in skiresorts which helped ensure there were noserious incidents last season reported byBritish tour operators, we have decided tocontinue with this campaign this comingwinter as well as the campaign for the

necessity of full travel insurance cover. This campaign is a security and safety

awareness campaign and the aim is to avoidaccidents and deaths in ski resorts asalcohol can affect you more quickly at highaltitudes and seriously limits yourawareness of danger and cold.

Initiated by the Foreign Office andsupported by police and rescue services,tourist offices and airports in the regions ofSavoie, Haute Savoie, Isère and Rhône,Piemonte, Veneto and the major German andFrench speaking ski resorts in Switzerland,these educational projects can make apositive difference to people’s lives.

Lynda St Cooke from the Foreign Office’stravel safety campaign ‘Know Before You Go‘ said: “This is the second year we haveworked with our partners to create thissafety campaign. It’s not about spoilingpeople’s fun, but reminding British skiersthat prevention is always better than cureand that not having appropriate travelinsurance can be a very expensive mistake.Even if you have insurance you caninvalidate policies by drinking. Over theyears there have been a number ofpreventable winter sports accidents wherepeople have underestimated the effects ofalcohol on their judgement and we all needto remember, it can affect us more at highaltitudes.”

All major British tour operatorsincluding Crystal Ski, Inghams, ThomsonSki, First Choice Ski, Neilson as well asstudent specialists Off the Piste and SkiAlpine have agreed to collaborate. Projectsrange from posters in restaurants, bars,airports and other public spaces, as well asleaflets and display material in British touroperator owned chalets, club hotels andbars. For more details seewww.fco.gov.uk/travel

UK SKI OPERATORSSUPPORT SAFETYAWARENESS CAMPAIGN

DON’T TAKE THE RISK WITH TRAVEL INSURANCE URGES FOREIGN OFFICE


NEWS

By Richard Hardingham(Snowsport England Coach)

Ski coach, Wolfgang Frandl keptthe audience’s attention veryeasily with his views on skicoaching. He currently trainsracers of differing nationalitieswanting to make it to the WorldCup and the Olympics and fillsthe gap between ski academiesand national teams. In the pastWolfgang has coached theAustrian Men’s team and theNorwegian Ladies’ team.

Team spirit is important,though individual needs shouldalso be met. In a team, eachindividual should be able to saythat they are proud to be in thatteam. Successful skiers needcommitment, hard work, and theability to learn from the systemand each other. Few Austrian/German coaches have beensuccessful in the USA, as theyhave not totally understood theidea of getting on with the teamon a long-term basis. A coach isoften spending eight months withthe athletes, whilst their parentswould probably only spend fourmonths in the year with them. Allthe various characters in the teammust be accepted, and trainingshould be fun and challenging.Happy family life helpsperformance, but family influencecan also go beyond that. ANorwegian skier had a particularmental problem; it was decidedthat her Mum should meet upwith her at a World Cup race inZagreb; this helped to resolve the

mental situation and the skierfinished higher in the placingsthan she had in previous races.

Some parent coaches have beenvery successful. A number of well-known skiers have been coachedby their dads, including BenjaminRaich, Marcel Hirscher, AnjaPaerson, and the Kostelics.

Coaching should includesurprises and an adventure. Thecoach’s beliefs should be madeknown and also his/her belief inthe athletes. Nothing new in theneed for goals to be set, but theneed for honesty from the coachshould also be borne in mind.Focusing on how to get goodresults is more important thanfocusing on the results. Health isthe prime consideration, and thenthe expectation of professionalismand preparation from the athlete.A plan is needed for training,though it is important to becreative and also to plan ahead.

In Austria, a national coachwill always have the pick of theavailable terrain for his/herskiers. A coach chose particularlysteep terrain for training on theSolden Glacier. At the start of theweek some of the athletes werereduced to tears because theywere hardly able to ski around thefirst few gates. The coach cameunder a lot of criticism. Howeverhe believed they could ski theterrain and they had improved bythe end of the week. On the WorldCup circuit that year theyperformed better than skiers fromother countries on steep, difficultslopes. Once a coach decides on a

course of action, they should notchop and change but should try tostay with it

Some coaches use tactics tointimidate other teams. On oneoccasion, when training did notseem possible because of poorweather, one particular coachinstructed his team to get intotheir ski gear and walk out of thehotel in view of the other nations’ski teams. The team came backlater, covered in snow, which madethe other teams wonder why theircoaches had not sent them out toundertake some sort of training.Perhaps all they had done washave a snow ball fight!

A coach might like to see howthe enemy is getting on. When intheir own country Austrianathletes may go home at theweekends. Wolfgang was detainedin the training resort one weekendand decided to watch the

Norwegians training during poorweather conditions, when theAustrian athletes had gone home.The 1998 Nagano Olympics wereimpending and the Norwegiansdid rather better in that particularevent than the skiers, who hadgone in search of home comforts.

The athlete’s responsibilityneeds to be outlined. There was acase when ski and boot bags werenot loaded onto the plane, becausea team had not thought it theirresponsibility to check them in atthe airport.

A typical skiing session shouldstart off with a warm up, free ski,then the gates, finishing off with afree ski.

Ski posture should be such thatthe necessary movements can bemade. The techniques themselvesare changing and as coaches don’tuse the same techniques, an up todate book is probably not

In his final season on the World Cup, Michael Walchhofer captured the Super G win on the Saslong course. Winning in a time of just over 1.34 secs,ahead of Germany’s Stephan Kepplar and Canada’s Erik Guay in third. Michicurrently leads the standings (at time of going to press) for both the Downhilland Super G.

Speaking after the event at the news conference he said he was pleased towin the Super G in his penultimate event in Val Gardena. When asked if hewould carry on after this season if he kept on winning “No my mind is madeup, I would like to spend more time with my family, he went on to say thisseason I am enjoying skiing more than ever and am more relaxed, perhaps thatis the secret of my success to date”.

Having had a beer with Michi the night before, he gave the same answer tome, although I suspect he has a few things up his sleeve after this World Cupfinishes. With the World Championships in Garmish - Partenkirchen coming upin February he could be in line for a grand finale to his final season.

WALCHHOFER WINS IN VAL GARDENA

WOLFGANG FRANDLAT THE COACHES’CONFERENCE


CHILL FACTORE BRINGS MORWENNAON BOARD

available. Teaching World Cup skiersis not rocket science and the outlookon technique should be simple. Thesilhouette of a skier performing aStem Christie is similar to that of anexpert skier performing a turn withparallel skis. If a kid in particular isthinking too much, give themsomething simple to focus on, forexample, lifting their nose up more.

World Cup coaches should notnecessarily stay within thatenvironment. Spending some time atdevelopment level will show themhow difficult it is for these skiers tomake it to the World Cup circuit.

After about three years, a coachshould consider whether they shouldstay with a national team, or whethera new coach might be beneficial. Forthe displaced coach, a younger orolder team or a different gender areall options.

One dictionary refers to talent as‘any natural ability or power’.However, this is not alwaysimmediately apparent. Some of theWorld Cup champions were notoutstanding skiers in their youth.Sometimes talent is very obvious andit has been said that Hermann Maierwould have succeeded even if hisGranny had coached him.

World Cup winners have not allbe trained in the same way. Theyprobably started their journey witha successful day on the ski slopes aschildren. The dream then developed,but it was mainly the drive that gotthem there, with a little help fromMum or Dad.

Wolfgang Frandl is a full timecoach. Information about his trainingprogrammes can be obtained on hisweb site. www.wolfskiracing.com.

Following the appointment of Martin Leppard as Chairman ofChill Factore, the North West’s leading indoor snow centre basedin Manchester has brought in Morwenna Angove as the new ChiefExecutive.

“We interviewed a number of high calibre candidates and I amreally pleased to say that we have now appointed an outstandingnew Chief Executive” said Martin Leppard.

Morwenna joins from Alton Towers Resort where she wasSales and Marketing Director and was responsible for deliveringyear on year growth during each of her three years at theattraction. She takes up her post at Chill Factore with immediateeffect and will work together with outgoing Chief ExecutiveStephen Evans until the end of the year to ensure a smoothhandover. Her earlier career has included several Sales andMarketing roles in the Leisure Industry, at companies such asHolidaybreak, and Allied Domecq in addition to MerlinEntertainments Group.

Martin Leppard has an extensive background in the Leisure /Travel sector, and is currently Chairman of four companies inthat sector.

“Chill Factore is increasingly establishing itself as one of theNorth West’s top visitor attractions” said the snow centre’s newboss, “I intend to build on the successes of the past and bringsome new excitement to what is unquestionably Britain’s leadingindoor snow centre.”

“We are delighted that Morwenna Angove has agreed to jointhe team,” added Martin Leppard “and are confident that she willlead a continued growth in both footfall and proftability, with anumber of exciting developments due to be announced in early2011.”

For more information on Chill Factore, visitwww.chillfactore.com or call 0161 749 2222.

The Ski ClubSnow ReportiPhone app is the perfect tool to keep you up to speed with the snowconditions in the mountains.Available todownload forfree the appfeatures live snow report datafrom 252 resorts including snowdepths, on and off pisteconditions as well as webcamsand the latest ski andsnowboarding news.

The iPhone app from the Ski Club complements theirexisting snow report portfoliowhich includes daily snowreports, mountain weatherforecasts and webcams for over 252 resorts; a snow overview summarising worldwide conditions and aweekly video podcast - the SkiClub Snowcast- giving opinionand summaries of where thesnow is. All this and more can be found on the Ski Club’s new website at skiclub.co.uk.

The iPhone app is FREE and can be downloaded atitunes.com/app/skiclubsnowreports

SKI CLUB APP PROVIDES SNOWCONDITIONS ON THE MOVE

Whether you ski or board, anysnow-sports enthusiast headingout to the French Alps orPyrenees should down load theMemory-Map iPhone/iPad App

before you set off thisyear.

The App accesseshigh quality fullcolour IGN mappingand shows realtimepositioning andfeatures a tripcomputer andtracklogs recorder.

The App willensure you alwaysknow where you

are, where you’ve been and where you’re going, ideal for both on and off piste. The tripcomputer will also show youdistances, average speeds andmoving time.

For more information on theApp visit http://www.memory-map.co.uk/iphone or search forMemory Map on itunes.

NEW APP IDEALFOR OFF PISTEADVENTURES


Whoop Whoop! The official bestEuropean festival Snowbombing isproud as punch to be announcingits partnership with design drivenVolvo for the second year running!Volvo Snowbombing is the world’sbiggest show on snow taking placein Mayrhofen Austria between 4-9April 2011.

2011 will see VolvoSnowbombing accelerate rapidlywith roadtrippers converging fromall corners of the continent,pimped-up fancy-dress cars, Car-aoke contests...and a World ClassArtist playing at the Volvo IceCamp during Snowbombing!

Gareth Cooper MD from VolvoSnowbombing commented: “We seeVolvo and Snowbombing as aperfect fit – both super cool brandspushing boundaries in theirindividual fields. Some of theactivity that’s going to take place is

going to blow people away, and thisyear Volvo will integrate into theevent fully, providing even more funand entertainment for our evergrowing crowd!”

The amazing Chase & Status arehelping us celebrate our newpartnership with Volvo too and willbe upgrading from a DJ set to oneof their awe inspiring live sets!These boys have spent the last yearwowing festival crowds with theirsuper charged jump up and downperformances. So get ready forcrippling bass lines and lots ofsweating as they treat you to aperformance that will have youdribbling into your jager bombs.Amazing!

Chase & Status “Snow andmusic, always a good combination!We're really excited to be playingwith such a great line up of artistsat Snowbombing this year."

SNOWBOMBING ANNOUNCES VOLVOPARTNERSHIP FOR A SECOND YEAR

NEWS

During the first week of January, ski teams from all over Great Britainand Europe converged to participate in an intense week of alpineracing. Les Houches, France, played host to the Anglo-ScottishChampionships at the start of the New Years week where 158 skiersaged 12-15 raced in both the Slalom and Giant Slalom events. DarcieMead (14), representing Team Evolution, took the challenge of the firstdays slalom in her stride and won the Overall Championship Title inthe Female category.

On the second day of competition the cold weather ensured that thetrack stayed in excellent condition from the first racer to the last, andclear sky and sunshine meant perfect visibility. Darcie Mead againtook advantage of the excellent conditions and put down anexceptional first run, recording the winning time by 0.87 seconds. Ahuge mistake in the top section of the course during second run costDarcie some of her advantage, but with a strong show of agility sheheld it together to win Overall Female.

After 2 successful days of racing in Les Houches the majority ofcompetitors traveled to Champoluc, Italy, for a day of recovery beforeanother two days of racing at the B.A.R.S.C. Championships. Theconditions were again flawless, meaning a pristine track for all theracers and the opportunity to shine against a strong peer group.

In the BARSC GS, Darcie continued her rich vein of form on the firstrun, especially through the sections that other competitors struggledwith, displaying a maturity to handle with the slope undulations thatis uncommon in an athlete so young. Heading into the second run fullof confidence, the young British Team skier again skied really wellthrough the coaches section, but pushed her limits a little too hard inthe lower section of the course, ending her run prematurely with aspectacular crash that resulted in equipment strewn across the piste.

Luckily Darcie was unhurt from the incident and was recoveredsuitably to ski in the final race, her favoured Slalom event on the finalday of the BARSC Championships. The race featured two extremelychallenging courses that saw many of the field not finish either run,and several other top athletes make huge mistakes effectively costingthem their chance of a podium. By adapting and changing tactics tosuit the conditions, Darcie was again able to show she has developedto a level above the competition and ski a smart but aggressive line,enabling her to again win the Children 2 Female category and finish aclear 1.5 seconds ahead of her nearest rival.

Darcie will now travel to Andorra and France for Internationalcompetitions throughout January, before returning to train with herteam mates at Team Evolution in Austria prior to the English NationalChampionships in February. Darcie is a member of the BritishChildren’s Ski Team and follows a year round program, ensuring she ison the performance pathway for success.

DARCIE MEAD DOMINATES NEW YEAR RACES


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DJ’Sjohn digweed, skream & benga, andy c, fakeblood, james zabiela, carl craig, aeroplane,claude von stroke, shy fx, rodigan, scratchperverts, henrik schwarz, dixon, mistajam,joker, toddla t, nero, plastician, stantonwarriors, krafty kuts, paul woolford, ewanpearson, doorly, sbtrkt , sos, the glimmers,greg wilson, kris menace, sasse, a-skillz,ramadanman, fergie phil kieran, jamie jones, spacedimension controller, barry ashworth, dj yasmin, thomas gandey,bones, guy williams, the loose cannons, russ cuban, dave beer,marc roberts, rattus rattus & klose one (urban nerds), streetlife djs,tom budden, people get real, ado, jon kahuna, sombrerosoundsystem, matty j prophecy, cashmere misfit, fuzzbox inc, osky,wil (the ransom note), urban knights, chris halliday, terry costello,fox macleod, scott bleepz, elliot croft, bunny, firas (filthy few), lofty,whole sick, skumkid & moi (kool kids klub), fact djs, the rare one

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WHO’S THERE?This year Volvo Snowbombing

will be going pan-Europeanbringing over guests fromGermany, Belgium, Switzerland, theNetherlands and Italy to join theparty via the now famous VolvoRoad Trip that kicks off thefestival. This year the Volvo RoadTrip will be motoring to themountains with start lines inGermany (Berlin), Holland(Amsterdam) and Italy (Milan)...thisis in addition to the 100 carssetting off from Volvo in MaidstoneUK!

And that’s not all! On Thursday7th April, Volvo will be whiskingaway 250 lucky competitionwinners and special guests fromthe main resort hub of Mayrhofenon a magical mini trip to the VolvoIce Camp at Kitzsteinhorn Glacierin Kaprun, where breathtakingviews meet stunning design in thishighly original car showroom comeparty venue. Guests will experiencefour huge igloos, including an IceBar and showroom spaceshowcasing the latest stunningdesigns and innovative technologyfrom Volvo. Exclusive sets fromworld class acts will provide theentertainment with an amazingline up soon to be revealed!

As one of the largest and mosthighly regarded resorts in theworld, Mayrhofen gets completelytaken over for a week long party ofhedonistic adventure and extremesport. The resort also boasts someof Europe’s most lavish spas so youcan also relax and enjoy the

amazing spring sunshine andsnowy mountains of one ofEurope’s most snow-sure, lateseason resorts. The nearby Tuxglacier (Austria’s highest liftedpoint) is only a short (free) bus rideaway, and although open all-yearround, is at it’s best in spring.

Volvo Snowbombing is anentertainment and accommodationpackage, where you can choosefrom a variety of accommodationoptions to suit your preferencesand budget; from 5 star luxury Spahotels, to pocket friendly pensions.You can add a variety of extras tobuild a package to suit youincluding a variety of lift passes,bespoke parties, including theinfamous Arctic Disco, ski lessons,airport transfers and not forgettingour new girls only hotel (more onthis soon)!

6 days / 5 nights / 1 resort / 2 skiareas / 3 mountain stages / 1 igloovillage / 1 fancy dress street party(austria's largest) /1 forest stage / 7venues / 1 silent disco (6 loud ones)/ 25 bars / 50+ spas & heatedswimming pools / 1 award-winningboard park / tons of snow / bags offun / countless capers / 1000's ofsmiles / incalcuablelaughs...1opportunity...grab it!

Prices start from £279 foraccommodation and all theentertainment. So don’t be shy,secure your place at the World’sgreatest and wackiest show onsnow. Get on board the Snow trainearly to avoid disappointment!

Here are just some of the acts appearing this year


NEWS

ADAPTIVE AWARENESSCOURSE Snowsport England has delivered AdaptiveAwareness courses for many years. Thecourse was revised in 2009 for the newly-formed UK Snowsports.

The two-day course is highly practical anduseful to all coaching scheme members asContinuing Professional Development.Attendance counts as a Refresher for Alpineinstructors and coaches. It’s also great for skischools who want to extend theircapabilities. The tutors have decades ofexperience in adaptive skiing and helpingpeople with disabilities to learn to ski.

The word “adaptive” is significant as thecourse covers how to adapt ski teaching andcoaching for people with disabilities. Thecourse covers:• Assessing disability for selection oftechniques and equipment• Risk management• Techniques and equipment for:• Sit skiing• Standing skiing• Visual impairment• Hearing difficulties• Learning difficulties

Richard Barbour, one of SnowsportEngland’s Senior Tutors, has been coachingdisabled skiers for over 14 years. “The coursetransformed my understanding of disabilityand helped me engage better with disabledpeople in all walks of life. As a result of thecourse I regularly coach adaptive skiing andpractice with different equipment to improvemy personal skiing.

My coaching has changed as a result ofworking with the visually impaired. Whenvisual demonstration is not available, youreally have to concentrate on safety and whatyour skier is focussed-on and feeling. It mademe reflect on how I give feedback in all thecoaching that I do. I also encouraged and

sponsored coaches to train, so our ski schoolcould give a better service to disabled people.”

Courses are often requested by centres orclubs and are run on-demand. So if you wouldlike to register interest here is what to do:

Individuals interested in attending –contact Jenny Wyatt with your name,registration number, telephone, emailaddress, name of local slope and slopes youwould be prepared to travel-to. We will logyour details and inform you of courses in yourlocal area.

Centres/clubs/groups – contact JennyWyatt with details of the number of peopleand a range of dates. We will then put a tutorin touch with you to set up a course.Jenny Wyatt – 0121 501 2314,[email protected]

Tim Fawke, Snowsport England’sChief Executive recently attended a course. “In planning for our future,the Coaching Strategy identifiedengagement with under-representedgroups as one of our goals. So I wasreally interested to attend a course,enjoyed it and really learnt a lot. Icouldn’t wait to have a go at sit-skiingand now volunteer at adaptivesessions.

Don’t worry if you are not yet amember of Snowsport England: UKSnowsports welcomes coaches, leadersand instructors holding qualificationsissued by other Awarding Bodies. If you hold a BASI, CSIA, CASI, or PSIAqualification you can apply to UKSnowsports for recognition ofequivalency of your award and then attend the Adaptive AwarenessModule. More information onequivalency is on our web site.”www.snowsportengland.org.uk

Members of 3 Regiment and 4 Regiment, Army Air Corps, have recently returned from operations in Afghanistan. For the majority, the next few months will consist of recuperationat Wattisham Airfield in Suffolk and some much earned leave over the Christmas and New Year period. However, for 12 soldiers the next few weeks will consist of intense physical training as they build up to take part in the Alpine Skiing Race Season. Opportunities like this arenow few and far between for members of theArmed Forces but are invaluable in helping tobuild confidence, encourage teamwork, self-discipline and above all allow soldiers to enjoythemselves.

ALPINE SKIING -WITH A LITTLE HELPFROM A FRIEND

Godfrey Spanner of SnOasis withmembers of the Army Air Corps


Michael Walchhofer’s retirement announcement atthe start of this season has triggered a new lease oflife in the 35 year old Austrian. However withWalchhofer (pictured below) gone and with DidierCuche 34, and Bode Miller 33, also soon to follow, skifans are starting to ask who are the future stars ofthe sport?Carlo Janka is the obvious choice, the 24 year old

is the Olympic Giant Slalom Champion and WorldCup overall winner last season, but he struggledwith a mystery illness in the summer and hisstrength and fitness are not there this season.The Italian Christoph Innerhofer could be an

interesting prospect, he has one win to his name onhis favourite Bormio piste. Peter Fill and WernerHeel have led the Italian Downhill revolution thathails almost exclusively from Sud-Tyrol the Germanspeaking part of Italy. The French have a good young team with the likes

of Johan Clarey and Adrian Theaux, and the Swisshave some more young skiers who have not quitebroken through like Janka. So what about theAustrians? Well a quick look at the Europa Cupstandings and you’ll see 5 of them in the top 10. It may take a couple of seasons, but likeSchwarzenegger – they’ll be back.I raced my first World Cup in December 1983, and

have only missed one year through injury since then.How long I’ll be out following the World Cup circuit,

I don’t know, but if I can keep going as long asDavid Vine I could end up setting somekind of record. Other than purelyselfish reasons, I hope that Ski Sundayis never axed under the BBC cutbacks.Ski Sunday is an institution, which hashelped promote skiing in the UK for

generations, long may it live on.

FROM THE SLOPES

A CHANGING OF THEDOWNHILL OLD GUARD

GRAHAM BELL

This training does not just cater for the elite; it provides soldiers, who have never been on snow before, the opportunity to go from complete novices to racers, in a short space of time. Soldiers initially take part in a trainingcamp in Switzerland followed by races in bothSwitzerland and France.

A large proportion of the money for thisexercise is contributed directly from the soldiers through their savings gathered whilst on tour. However, with current finances and poor exchange rates this often comes up short. At this point it is priceless to have companies that not only support the Armed Forces but are willing to help them financially. GodfreySpanner, Managing Director SnOasis, haspersonally contributed funds on behalf of his company, this not only shows his support to the skiing community but also the ArmedForces. Without this contribution, the soldiersbased at Wattisham Airfield would have beenunable to participate in this once in a lifetimeopportunity.

Graham Bell is a former World Cupand Olympic skier, currently cohosting the well known BBC ‘SkiSunday’ programme. Well knownfor his exploits, Graham with hishelmet and ski camera, takesviewers down some of the World’smost feared downhill slopes aspart of ‘Ski Sunday’. Currently onits regular winter run everySunday until late March, withother skiing on the BBC via theRed Button.

RESORTREVIEW

Simone Gruber-Hofer(Ski Amade marketingand P.R.) and AlexMaier, brother ofskiing legendHermann Maier.


D id the mountains inspire some ofWolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s famousconcertos? If he lived in modern times, hewould be an icon in the music industry

and would also approve of the Ski Amade region,which is named after him. It is about 45 minutesdrive from Salzburg. The ski pass includes 25

villages, 270 lifts and 260 ski huts andrestaurants. 85% of the ski slopes have snowmaking equipment.

World Cup winners abound from thisarea including Michael Walchhofer, thecurrent downhill leader (at time ofgoing to press), from Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Andrea Fischbacher,Michaela Kirchgasser, and nowretired Hermann Maier fromFlachau, Andreas Schifferer, HansKnauss and Annemarie Moser-Proll. Idid not quite get to the bottom ofwhy so many famous skiers camefrom the area (which does cater for allgrades of skier and has 30 black runs).It’s true that there is no shortage ofskis, as the Atomic ski factory is nearby

and the area even has a glacier at Dachsteinand 15 professional snow parks. Locals live in

WINNERS ANDWELL-BEING INSALZBURGERLAND,AUSTRIA

By Richard Hardingham.Snowsport EnglandCoach.


the villages throughout the year and are keen tosupport up and coming skiers. The Austrian Ladies’team trains at Reiteralm prior to the start of theseason.

The Hermann Maier Ski School in Flachau is runby his brother Alex, himself a World Cupsnowboarding winner. I skied with him in someexceptional quality powder snow in mid-December.As we descended the tree lined slopes towardsWagrain, it was pointed out that the Priest who wrotethe Christmas carol ‘Silent Night’ lived in this village- one wonders whether the calm and peace hereproved to be an inspiration for him.

World Cup ski races were held in January 2011 inresorts including Zauchensee, Flachau andSchladming, which is also hosting the 2013 WorldChampionships. Families might consider the villagesof Maria Alm, Muhlbach, and Dienten. For thosemore interested in the comfort side of skiing, when inthe Reiteralm area, try the gondola lift with heatedseats. If culture is your thing, you can even stay inSalzburg itself, which provides a free ski bus, if anAmade ski pass is purchased; then you really do getthe best of both worlds.

I flew on Airberlin, a low cost airline, with flightsfrom Stansted to Salzburg, with the muchappreciated incentive of no charge for skis taken on

the flight. Using different types of skis to suit the great

variety of runs in the Kaprun/Zell am See area was the advice for British skiers from Trevor Wagner, the U.S. Ladies’ technical ski coach. The teamis based in this area, which is to the west of SkiAmade and mainly train on the black runs. I likeasking top coaches whether one piece of advice hashelped to change a skier’s career. He told one skier‘not to try to ski like everyone else, but ski your ownway’ - she did, all the way to Olympic gold and thetop of the world - which is what the GipfelRestaurant on the Kitzsteinhorn feels like. Her coachand I agreed that this is one of the best panoramicviews in the Alps.

On a final note, a study conducted by theUniversity of Salzburg and the Christian DopplerLaboratory, on ‘biomechanics in skiing’ proves thatskiing has a positive impact on physical and mentalwell-being. Ski Amade can arrange for a two hoursession where a wellness coach and ski instructorshow how health can be benefited with the rightskiing technique. With or without this session, do ityour own way and ski with winners inSalzburgerLand.Websites are www.skiamade.comwww.zellamsee-kaprun.com


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by Richard Barbour

The Coaching Strategy is takingshape following the formation ofthe England Group, which I’mdelighted to have been asked tochair.

Readers may wonder why thiswork is being done. It springs fromthe Whole Sport Plan (WSP) andfunding that resulted. A keyelement of the WSP focuses on “thedevelopment of the coachingsystem to underpin thedevelopment of the sport”. TheEngland Group was formed toensure that the Coaching Strategyis delivered by creating knowledgeand communicating it effectively.

Some of the activities andoutputs up to January 2011include:• Coaching Strategy for 2010-14published at the CoachingConference in September 2010• Four year Action Plan publishedin September 2010• England Group formed insummer 2010 – Goals reviewedusing SMART model (Specific,Measurable, Agreed, Realistic,Time-based)• Generic ParticipantDevelopment Model completed – tobe published soon• Discipline ParticipantDevelopment Models being created• Alpine and Freestyle TechnicalGroups established and arecurrently action-planning

For example the ParticipantDevelopment Model informs us how people access and progressthrough the sport. This willinfluence future coach educationand work is already progressing on coach-education material as a result of this and memberfeedback.

A diagram of the groups’composition is shown below. Inaddition to the Technical Groups wewill also form specialist taskgroups from time-to-time.

We have the support of SportEngland and Sports Coach UK indelivering the outcomes. AmandaScriven-Purcell, Sports Coach UKCoaching Systems Manager, hasbeen regularly involved in the work.

We’ve highly experienced,motivated people working on thisstrategy. As we work through thegoals I anticipate reporting on somenovel, sport –leading developments.These will support all parts of theUK snowsport scene including:recreational participants,competitors, coaches and facilities.

I mentioned the formation oftask groups from time-to-time. Ifyou have a particular expertise thatyou think could be of use, and youare willing to volunteer some time,please let me know [email protected] ortelephone 01452 618095 duringoffice hours.

ENGLANDGROUP

ALPINE TECHNICALGROUP

NORDICTECHNICALGROUP

SNOWBOARDTECHNICALGROUP

FREESTYLETECHNICALGROUP

COACHINGSTRATEGYTAKES SHAPE

NEWS


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WIN!

DISCOVER BOARDERCROSS WITHTHE NEW OLYMPIC CHAMPION

During this winter season, youwill be able to learn more aboutthis sport with the guidance ofDéborah in person. You will beable to improve all the technicalmoves such as how to take thestarting gate, riding the bumps,making clever turns...

Dates for the free guidancesessions with Déborah areFebruary 27th 2011 from 2pm –4pm and March 6th 2011 from2pm – 4pm. Meet up directly atthe boardercross.

On the Chavannes slopes, it isnow possible to follow inDéborah Anthonioz’s steps, ourvery own Vancouver Olympicschampion.

A new boardercross has beenbuilt on the Les Gets slopes sothat everyone can becomefamiliar with this new andgrowing sport. Moreover, this isone of the very few permanentboardercrosses that can greetinternational races andcompetitions.


SNOWSPORT ENGLAND UPDATE

Doesn’t time fly, 2011 already! I hopeeveryone had a great Christmas and NewYear and excited about the year ahead. Itlooks like another busy year ahead forSnowsport England with quite fewdevelopments happening.The new Snowsport England website

should be launched in February (fingerscrossed). I hope you find the new websitea big step forward and much easier touse. We will be putting videos up andwelcome clubs/racers/academies tosubmit videos we can use, more info onthis will be sent out once the site is upand running.We are currently testing an online

registration system which will belaunched shortly. This will hopefullymake it easier to register and a moreefficient process.We have been busy interviewing

for the vacant Sports DevelopmentOfficer post due to Vicki Pullin leaving in November and a third SportsDevelopment officer post that is due to start in April. Vicki is still workingwith us on the Snowboard side of thingswhich is great news. I am pleased toannounce that we have recruited to bothof these posts and more information willbe sent out when they have started.The coaching conferences dates have

been set. 17th and 18th September 2011at Chill Factor. The Key note Speak is Jim Taylor who is the world's leadingauthority on the psychology of skiracing. He has been a consultant to theU.S. and Japanese Ski Teams, the U.S. SkiCoaches Association, and has workedwith World Cup racers and on many ofthe top junior race programs in the U.S.This is a fantastic opportunity to hearfrom a world leading psychologist and Iam sure the conference will be a sell out!I will be out in Bormio again this year

as part of the organising team. I amlooking forward to watching all theathletes compete during the week andhaving a successful Championships.Please do come and talk to me if youhave any questions. We have also set theAGM date which is on the 18th June2011 and it would be great to see asmany members there as possible.Happy Skiing! Tim Fawke

CEO UPDATE

APR ORGANISER VENUESAT 23rd Welsh/English Indoor Champs CHILL FACTORESUN 24th British Indoor Champs CHILL FACTORESAT 30th Norfolk Ski Club – Club National NORWICH

MAY ORGANISER VENUESUN 1st ERSA – SSE Grand Prix NORWICHSAT 7th Welwyn – Club National WELWYN GARDEN CITYSUN 8th Bromley Race Club - Club National BROMLEYSAT 14th Stoke Ski Racing – Club National STOKESUN 15th Midland Ski Club – Club National STOKESAT 21st Celtic Cup 1 CHILL FACTORESUN 22nd Celtic Cup 2 CHILL FACTORESAT 28th Pendle Ski Club - Club National PENDLESUN 29th English Indoor BASS Slalom LANDGRAAF, NEDMON 30th English Indoor BASS Slalom LANDGRAAF, NED

JUN ORGANISER VENUESAT 4th Ravens - Club National SILKSWORTHSUN 5th NESA – SSE Grand Prix SILKSWORTHSAT 11th Ski MK Race Team – Club National MILTON KEYNESSUN 12th ERSA – SSE Grand Prix MILTON KEYNESSAT 18th Telford Ski Club - Club National CHILL FACTORESUN 19th WMSA – SSE Grand Prix CHILL FACTORESAT 25th Celtic Cup 3 PONTYPOOLSUN 26th Celtic Cup 4 PONTYPOOL

JUL ORGANISER VENUESAT 2nd Gloucester Ski Club – Club National GLOUCESTERSUN 3rd Inter Regional Championships GLOUCESTERSAT 9th Suffolk Vikings Ski Club – Club National IPSWICHSAT 9th Celtic Cup 5 GLOUCESTERSUN 10th Celtic Cup 6 GLOUCESTERSAT 16th Hemel Ski Racing Club – Club National SNOW CENTRE HEMELSUN 17th ERSA - SSE Grand Prix SNOW CENTRE HEMELSUN 24th Southampton Alpine – Club National SOUTHAMPTON

AUG ORGANISER VENUESAT 27th Scottish Dry Slope Championships HILLENDSUN 28th Scottish Dry Slope Championships HILLEND

SEP ORGANISER VENUESAT 3rd All England Championships NORWICHSUN 4TH All England Championships NORWICHSAT 10TH Welsh Artificial Championships PONTYPOOLSUN 11TH Welsh Artificial Championships PONTYPOOLSAT 17th ESSKIA Qualifying Races Regional venuesSUN 18th ESSKIA Qualifying Races Regional venuesSAT 24th British Dry Slope Championships HILLENDSUN 25th British Dry Slope Championships HILLEND

OCT ORGANISER VENUESAT 1ST Irish Championships KILTERNAN, DUBLINSUN 2nd Irish Championships KILTERNAN, DUBLINSAT 8TH ESSKIA Finals TBCSUN 9TH ESSKIA Finals TBC

With less than 6 weeks before the Champs don’t forget to enter, on-line entry can be found athttp://www.britski.org/online.htm Entry forms can be found onwww.englishalpinechamps.org.uk or www.britski.org

PROVISIONAL TIME TABLESunday 20th Feb 2011 FIS NJR SlalomMonday 21st Feb 2011 FIS NJR Giant Slalom and Children’s SlalomTuesday 22nd Feb 2011 FIS Super G and Minis’ Giant Slalom 1Wednesday 23rd Feb 2011 FIS Giant Slalom and Children’s Giant Slalom Minis’ Giant Slalom

2 (included in the CH GS)Thursday 24th Feb 2011 FIS SlalomFriday 25th Feb 2011 Children’s Super GFriday 25th Feb 2011 Prize giving for Children and Minis

ARTIFICIAL RACE CALENDAR 2011

15TH ENGLISH ALPINE CHAMPS, BORMIO 2011

Snowsport England are pleased to announcethat we will be holding 2 days of BASSSlalom racing at SnowWorld Landgraaf overthe spring bank holiday, May 28th to 30th2011.

The races will be held on Sunday 29thand Monday 30th. The race format each daywill be a standard 2 run Slalom withseparate events for Children and Juniorsand above.

There will also be the option to train onthe race slope on Saturday 28th May.

SnowWorld are proposing an all-inclusive package to include Full Board inthe on-site hotel including slope access forthe training and race days.

Entry: Should we need to restrict entry itwill be based on the following maximumentry levels of 140 girls and 140 boys in thechildrens races, and a maximum of 100Females, and 100 Males in the Junior andabove races. Should the races becomeoversubscribed acceptance will be on a firstcome first served basis. We will publishentry lists at regular intervals as the entriescome in.Costs: Indicative costs• Race entry fee of £5 per racePlus either • Accommodation (Full Board includingslope fee) at £75 per day based on 4 sharing(recommended for 17 years and below)• Accommodation (Full Board includingslope fee) at £95 per day based on 2 sharing(recommendation for 18 years and above) Or• Slope fee only at £30 per day (for thosewho opt to stay elsewhere – there is a rangeof other hotels nearby)

We are negotiating for theaccommodation package to run fromSaturday afternoon until Monday lunchtime– therefore you will require 2 days to covertraining on Saturday and racing on Sundayand Monday.

All rooms at the on site hotel do sleep upto 4 but this would be a very tight squeezefor 4 adults. Should any families decide tobook a room for 4, we are negotiating areduced race with SnowWorld for the adults.

We will be in a position to confirm finalcosts by the end of January.

Bookings for training lanes on the raceslope on Saturday will need to be made withthe event organisers; SnowWorld will nottake bookings directly. It would beappreciated if requests for training lanescould be submitted by clubs although wewill also cater for individuals who aretravelling independently. We would proposeto organise the training on Saturday in 2hour slots and we will endeavour to ensurethat every competitor gets at least one slotalthough this will depends on the number ofcompetitors that enter.

For groups or individuals who wish toarrive on Friday or earlier could you pleasebook any additional accommodation andslope access directly with SnowWorld.Andrea Grant, ASC Chair, Snowsport EnglandDermot Flahive, Race organiserEmail: [email protected]


WHO IS THE COURSE FOR?Cross-country skiers who wish to improve theirskills, whether their interests are in touring, racingor freeheel downhill. Alpine skiers who wish toimprove their downhill skills by converting tofreeheel downhill/ telemark skiing. Those wishingto be assessed for Snowsport England SkillsAwards. If there is sufficient demand a separategroup for members of the Snowsport EnglandCoaching Scheme who wish to be trained andassessed for, or revalidate, an award.

COURSE CONTENTEach morning will be devoted to skills training ingroups of similar ability. Afternoons will inc. a fullrange of activities, plus a full eveningprogramme.Patrick Winterton skied with the British NordicTeam for eight years. He is also an accomplishedtelemark skier. Patrick is a Snowsport EnglandSenior Tutor.Mike Dixon is the only British athlete to havecompeted at six Winter Olympic Games. Mike hasalso been British Champion twenty six times.Mike is a Snowsport England Senior Tutor. Andy Stewart is a Senior Tutor for SnowsportEngland in both Nordic and Alpine disciplines andis a qualified BASI Telemark Instructor. Ian Johnston has extensive coaching experienceand is a very experienced and able mountaineerand skier. Ian is a Snowsport England Tutor.

To encourage people to book early there will be a substantial ‘early bird’ discount.Bookings received by 31/12/10 £295 Bookings received 1/1 – 28/2/11 £330Bookings received after 28/02/11 £380Juniors (under 18) will receive a £50 discount.Non SSE club members should add a £20supplement

Participants need to book their accommodationdirectly with the Fjellstoge, E-mail:[email protected] Tel: 004 735 092 040, and make their own travelarrangements.Kvitavatn are giving us 15% off their normal fullpension price. With the discount, theaccommodation cost, per person, for the week,full board, ranges from 2499 NK (aprox £269) fora 4 person room without bathroom to 4732 NK(aprox £509) for a 1 person room with bathroom.

Participants are advised to book early to securetheir choice of accommodation. Participantsare advised to book early to secure their placeon this ever popular course and to takeadvantage of the ‘early bird’ discount.

For Further information contact the organiserWendy McRaeTel: 01274 670071E-mail: [email protected]

SNOWSPORT ENGLAND ON SNOW NORDICSKILLS & MULTI ACTIVITY WEEKKVITAVATN, RJUKAN, NORWAY 3-10 April 2011

Fifteen year old Sam Clissold (pictured),member of the British Alpine developmentteam, 2010 British Children’s SkiChampion, and Olympic Silver passportholder, has been getting some practice inhis home town of Richmond, NorthYorkshire.

Sam has been in Hintertux, Austriatraining with Olympians, Sean Langmuirand Alain Baxter and Colorado taking partin the selections for the 2011 YouthOlympic Festival. But with RichmondSchool closed because of the extra-ordinary weather conditions, Sam hastaken every opportunity to get extra mileson snow.

“The pistes are a bit short, and a liftwould be helpful, but the powder is asgood as any I have skied on!” says Sam.“And the best bit has been sharing mypassion with local mates.”

Lack of understanding of his

TRAINING ONHOME GROWNSNOW!

ENGLISH BASS INDOOR SNOW RACES ATSNOWWORLD, LANDGRAAF, NETHERLANDS

demanding sport is a problem for GreatBritain’s ski racers in their search forfunding but with an increasing number ofBritish people enjoying ski holidays, andartificial slopes offering a way into thesport, the situation is improving. “But ski-ing on our doorstep is simply the best wayto show my friends, what it is all about.”concludes Sam.


an enormous crowd assembled to see if Jamiecould hold his own against the Worlds BestSnowboarders in the final. Each rider had 3runs, the best of the 1st and 2nd werecombined with the final run to make up theiroverall score. Crucially the final run had to bedifferent to the previous two. As usual Jamiedidn’t disappoint, stomping a massive 1080doublecork on his first run, placing himself atthe top of the leader board. The mainly Britishcrowd went wild, could this be the year whenwe get a home victory at this prestigiousevent? Following a fall on the second run andsome impressive tricks from the big gunsJamie was no longer at the top of the tablegoing into the crucial final run. This was nail-

The awesome Freeze festival returned toBattersea Power Station in London on 29th to31st October. The huge Snowsports and musicfestival attracted over 30,000 people over thecourse of the 3 days. The snowboardingcompetitions kicked off on Friday with theBattle of Britain. The Battle of Britain saw aselection of the best freestyle snowboardersfrom our shores going head to head on thehuge kicker, which towered over the festivalsite. In the final, Billy Morgan landed adouble back to take 1st place, leaving ScottPenman and last years winner Jamie Nichollsin 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Away from thecompetitions there was more than enough tokeep the swarms of festival goers entertained

including, après ski bars, music stages, amountain bike display arena, a cinema tentand a large retail village, which had grownmassively from last year and moved inside.Moving the stalls inside provided shelterfrom the dodgy British weather whilstunfortunately it created a visual barrierfrom the proceedings taking place on theslope outside.

The flagship event of the festival wasthe Snowboard FIS World Cup on Saturday30th. Seventeen year old wonder kid JamieNicholls was on fire in the heats, executinga flawless backside 1080 doublecork tomake it comfortably through to the final 12in 3rd place. As the sun set over Battersea,

FREEZE FESTIVALRETURNS BIGGERAND BETTER


SNOWBOARDING

UPDATE

Ever dreamed offeaturing in asnowboardmagazine? Wellnow is your bigchance to getyour photo in themagazine andwin some greatprizes courtesyof WorldSnowboardGuide Media(www.worldsnowboardguide.com).Send in photos of your snowboardexperiences, whether park, piste,backcountry or your local dryslopeand we will feature the best picture inthe next issue of Piste. In addition youwill receive a free copy of the WorldSnowboard Guide, Snowsearch Japanand a selection of branded goodies.Check out these websites to get someinspiration from the professionals.

www.andrewmillerphotos.comwww.danmilner.comwww.dopeshots.comSend your photos to

[email protected] (subject:piste photo) including a briefdescription and the names of therider/riders and photographer. Goodluck! Any photographs must be withus by 1st August 2011 for inclusion inthe October 2011 edition.

black. To top it all off the riders are evenliving in the wilderness in tents this truly isextreme stuff. It is also in stark contrast tothe events taking place on the man madestructure outside, snowboarding truly hasmany faces and we love them all. Themountain bike display arena was alsodefinitely worth a visit. The bike display team

SNOWBOARDPHOTO COMPETITION

had been travelling the country and were atBattersea to put on some amazing shows tofinish off their tour. The guys wereshowcasing some very impressive tricks,taking every opportunity to put their lives onthe line for the excited crowd who weredesperate to get their hands on the freeRelentless, T-shirts and Muckoff that was upfor grabs. They gave the tip-off of the weekendin their penultimate show, telling everyone toget into the music tent for Jettblack, theirfavourite band of the tour. It wasn’t hard tosee the appeal, Jettblack are like a fresh-facedversion of Megadeath, Skid Row, Cinderallaand Bon Jovi all rolled together into a well-rounded four piece metal package. The tentacted as a time portal to the 1980’s; the stagewas awash with perms, spandex, bandanasand songs about hot girls. Jettblack areawesome and are definitely going places, besure to check them out for yourselves.

For more information:www.thefreezefestival.comwww.myspace.com/jettblackuk

AS USUAL JAMIE DIDN’TDISAPPOINT, STOMPING AMASSIVE 1080 DOUBLECORKON HIS FIRST RUN, PLACINGHIMSELF AT THE TOP OF THELEADER BOARD. THE MAINLYBRITISH CROWD WENT WILD.”

”biting stuff! The older and more experiencedcompetitors had tactically saved their besttricks till last; Marco Grilc landed a hugebackside 1080 doublecork to secure the win.Jamie finished in a very respectable 7th place,the best ever British performance at theLondon Freeze, not bad for a 17 year old fromHalifax.

Another highlight of the festival wasscreenings of Jeremy Jones’s new Freeridesnowboard film Deeper. There werescreenings throughout the weekend in thelarge cinema tent with free popcorn for all,wahoo! The big mountain legend himselfcould be found at the festival. Some peoplewere even drunk enough to track him downfor a dance, you know who you are DougTracey!! The Deeper project is about takingFreeride snowboarding to the next level.Forget helicopters, these guys are actuallyclimbing up the monstrous mountains, whichthey are riding. Things have gone full circle,heli’s are out and being green is the new


Following 10 months of rehabilitation sincethe Winter Olympics back in February inVancouver on her left knee and after UKSport’s decision to end all World classfunding of Snowboarding in the UK, ZoeGillings returned to competition at theweekend with a 3rd place finish on Sunday inthe Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS)French Snowboard cross Cup beating OlympicSilver medallist Deborah Anthonioz, re-affirming her position as Britain’s No 1Olympic snow sports athlete.

What makes this result stand out is thatZoe still hasn’t received the £31,000 offunding covering 1st October 2010 until the31st March 2011 and she has had to fund theWorld Cup SBX program herself with minimalpersonal finances. This funding is nownearly 3 ½ months overdue and its now overhalf way through the funding period.

Unfortunately Zoe doesn’t have theavailable finances to run the program herselfand as such she hasn’t had any coachingsince the Olympics. During this time Zoe hasalso undergone key hole surgery to her kneeto plug the cartilage she damaged during theOlympics. She has undergone a long andpainful summer of rehabilitation with zerotime training with her coach.

Despite this competition being a lowerstandard to World Cup, it attracted more thandouble the amount of athletes Zoe is used toincluding Olympic gold medallist MaelleRicker, Olympic Silver medallist DeborahAnthonioz and several other World Cupathletes. What makes this result even moreremarkable for Zoe is that she beat theOlympic Silver medallist by over 1.5 secondsand finished immediately behind the OlympicGold medallist – Ricker - who finished in 2ndplace.

Zoe commented after the race, “Obviouslyhaving had no preparations since theOlympics I’m really happy with the result aseven without any training with a coach andfollowing a serious knee injury I have proven Ican still beat the World’s best SBX athletes,Just imagine what I can achieve with afunded program. This is a true testament tomy current sponsors which include BMW,Pokerstars, Isle of Man Sport Aid and the Isleof Man Steam Packet company without whomI wouldn’t even have been able to turn up atthe competition never mind compete.”

British World Cup SBX Team Manager, DanBrier, commented, “Zoe knows she has a longway ahead of her to return to full fitness andto get back to her full potential which makesthis latest result quite extraordinary. Zoelikes to let her results do the talking and Ithink winning several World Cup podiums inthe last 2 years, being ranked 5th in the Worldin 2009, finishing 8th place at the Olympics inFebruary and most recently beating theOlympic Silver medallist despite the difficult

ZOE GILLINGS, BRITAIN’S NO 1 OLYMPICSNOW SPORTS ATHLETE ANNOUNCED SHE IS MORE DETERMINED THAN EVERTO AGAIN BECOME THE WORLD NO 1 SNOWBOARD CROSS ATHLETEFOLLOWING UK SPORT’S DECISION TOCUT ALL FUNDING TO SNOWBOARDINGFROM MARCH 31ST 2011.

In 2006, following Zoe’s 15th place finish atthe Winter Olympics in Turn, snowboardingwas allocated £248,000 by UK Sport for the next 4 year period. Zoe received anadditional Athletes personal award to put toward sporting and living costs of£13,500 per annum for the first two yearsand then in recognition of her success and results on the World Class podiumprogram this was increased to £19,500 for the last two years which ended in September2010.

Apart from the £248,000 (£62,000 perannum) that is used to put towards coaches,technician/team manager and physiotherapist

circumstances she has endured over the past4 years with funding and programmanagement, she has proved at the very leastthat she has the potential to reach the podiumin Sochi (Olympics) in 2014. I hope UK Sportare already reviewing their decision.”

when affordable, and pay for all their travel,accommodation and subsistence around theworld on a 12 month basis, Zoe was providedwith a full time dry land training base at theEnglish Institute of sport at Bath Universitywhere she had daily access to a strength &conditioning coach, physiotherapist, doctor and sports psychologist. Even with £248,000 it was extremely difficult running thisprogram, now, Zoe will receive no funding, zero.

UK Sport released a statement, “Whilstresults in Vancouver were of course taken intoaccount, it was decided that, at present, therewas not enough evidence to suggest thatBritish Ski and Snowboard would have theprogramme or athletes capable of reaching thepodium in Sochi in four years time or at theWinter Games in 2018.”

Zoe commented on this, “I don’t agree withthat: I am capable of reaching the podium inSochi. I may be biased as I'm talking aboutmyself but I believe results should do thetalking. World cup competitions in Boardercross are the highest level of competition with

GILLINGS TAKES3RD PLACE INFRENCH CROSS CUP

SNOWBOARDING UPDATE


all the top athletes in the World competing inthese competitions.” Zoe’s World Cup rankingsfor the last 5 years are:-

1) 2006 – 36th in the World.2) 2007 – 12th in the World.3) 2008 – 7th in the World.4) 2009 – 5th in the World.5) 2010 – 14th in the World. (An injury sustained at the Olympics meant

Zoe couldn’t fight for a World Cup ranking butfinished 8th at the Olympics in any case.)

Zoe continued, “Since 2006 I have stood onthe World Cup podium three times, that was in2008 & 2009, including a third place at theWorld Cup Finals in Valmalenco in 2009. I evenbeat the current Olympic Gold medalist,Canadian Maelle Ricker in the 2010 AustrianBoarder cross World Cup where I finished sixthoverall.” How can I not be capable of reachingthe podium?

The UK Sport website details a top 3, top 8or top 12 finish at World Championships orOlympics for UK Sport podium funding. Zoehas finished within this criteria both at thelast World championships in 2008 and at the

Vancouver Olympics in 2010.Zoe commented, “There are lots of

questions which I'm trying to find answersto, but the biggest is to understand how thedecision has been made. I appreciate there isstrict criteria on allocation of funding and ifyour performance is not up to scratch, thenfine, but my results have improved every yearsince the funding began and come well withinthe criteria set by UK Sport on their website.Why am I not being funded?”

Zoe commented about UK Sport, “Make no Mistake about it, I may not agree withtheir current decision but over the past 4years UK Sport have been the single biggestinfluence in my career and have allowed meto get to where I am today. They have helpedme in many ways with my World Classprogram including building me an indoorstart gate and producing me technologicallyadvanced equipment on the lead up toVancouver, they are not just about finance.They are a World Class organization and onerequired to take our top athletes to thepodium.”

Zoe now faces uncertain times ahead butshe is clear what direction she is going to take,“Even though this news is extremelydemoralizing and at the moment I literallydon't know how I'm going to fund the programgoing forward there is absolutely no question,I will be continuing in the sport, 100 per cent.I have faced many obstacles in the last tenyears – some minor and some very serious -and even though the answer to the currentfunding problem is yet to be found, there is noquestion I will continue.”

Zoe continued, “I've got a few ideas that I'mcurrently exploring. I am contacting some highprofile business men to see if they can helpmentor me as I try to set up a business. PeterJones from the Dragon's Den and MarkPearson from the Secret Millionaire pleasecheck your emails. I'm now more determinedthan ever, if anyone out there thinks they canhelp, please get in touch”

“I would like to thank my major sponsors,Pokerstars, BMW and Isle of Man Sports Aidas their assistance in my program is now themost it ever has been.” Commented Zoe.


TELEMARK UPDATE

Chris Stewart reportsSince the GB trials in late summer, the individualmembers of the 6 person team have beenpreparing for this seasons Telemark ski racing,sometimes together but mostly individually. Aftera hard summer of the occasional snow experienceand hard graft in the gym, on the slackline, rollerskis and on the building sites and up ladderswith a can of paint and brush, this yearsadventures began to get interesting.

My adventures started in Hintertux Austria inNovember. Great snow and first time on skis inwhile, amazing slopes also bumping into theFrench number 1 Telemark racer and world cupwinner Phil Lau and the national coach DenisGacon. Not many better ways to start the season.After this was another weeks skiing but mainlyoff piste in very challenging conditions inZermatt, skiing in flat light, unpredictableterrain, varying snow conditions from windblown to breakable crust and Hero powder snowwithin 50m of each other, this wasn’t just for funthough, this was on a mountain safety course.Not many things are better than being off thebeaten track.

After a week back in the home land once againthe skis were packed up and ski jacket on to gograce the slopes of Tignes and Val d’sare. What aplace. Great snow, wide pistes and hardly a soleon the slopes, time for some high speed carving.

In average temperatures of minus 20 to 25 andthen wind chill, it’s important to be in proper kit.Earlier this season I had met Andrew Denton,previous owner of Mountain equipment and afellow lover of the free heel. He decided to try andhelp me out on retaining my British title and mywardrobe once he knew about how hard it is totrain on snow never mind compete, so with hiscontacts and initiative I received amazingclothing sponsorship from Millet thanks to NickAnderson, Leki poles and gloves from Leki andcontinued support from Backcountry UK in Ilkleywith Skis and Boots. 3 weeks with the new kit andblue skies, moguls, powder, and of course gates,the legs are in fine shape for this years racing andretaining the British title.

Another passion of mine, racing, powder andbumps aside, is to coach! Last April I successfullypassed my Level 3 Tele course for SSE, The coursewas brilliant and enlightened my knowledge tonew levels, as part of the final stages of thecourse I also met John Shedden, Legend in theski world, great guy and a highlyknowledgeable man, he brought new ideas totable for me that day, improving my coachingability, overall skiing and analyticalknowledge. That’s it for now, off out to Rauristo the Army and British Telemark SkiChampionships, Let’s bring home that titleand climb the ranks on the world cup circuit.

Snowsport England and Club Hotel Edelweiss in Austria are offering a chance for members to ski together, network and have fun in aspecial week for instructors and coaches.

The week offers Snowsport England membersand their partners a great opportunity to ski withother enthusiastic skiers in the nine resorts thatmake up Austria’s largest interconnected ski area,the ‘SkiWelt’.

As the winner of many international awardsincluding ‘Best Ski Resort in the World’, theSkiWelt in Austria has to be on the ‘to ski’ list ofall good skiers. Now, Snowsport Englandmembers can join coaches, staff and othermembers in a week at Club Hotel Edelweiss,owned by Snowsport England coach PeterNeurauter and his wife.

SNOWSPORT ENGLAND SKI NETWORK WEEKPrice for 7 nights half board accommodation in a double or twin room, including buffetbreakfast and four-course evening meal: 392 euros (350 euros for Snowsport Englandmembers/330 euros for level 3 and 4 coaches).

For more information and to enquire about availability, please contact Alison at Club Hotel Edelweiss, [email protected], tel (0043) 533540232, www.clubhoteledelweiss.com.

To enquire about joining the Level 3 or Level 4Coaches Course, contact Jenny at Head Officeon 0121 501 2314 or [email protected].

Aimed at Snowsport England members fromaround the country, the week is a chance for oldand new instructors and coaches to get together,ski together, get advice, share ideas and discussnew initiatives.

The hotel offers excellent hospitality and great food, and there’s even a sauna to relaxyour tired muscles after a hard day on the slopes. And in the evenings you can eitherunwind in the restaurant or lounge bar over abottle of wine, or join in the fun of a bar quiz ornight tobogganing.

The week also coincides with the SnowsportEngland Level 3 and Level 4 Coaches Course heldat Club Hotel Edelweiss.

10% discount to Snowsport England members!15% discount to Snowsport England coachesand tutors!

19 - 26 March 2011

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