Ahead of the upcoming ski season and all the 2015/2016 ski and snowboard competition, Ski In Luxury have got the low down on all things snow-sports from the official governing body – British Ski and Snowboard.
SIL – Who are British Ski and Snowboard?
BSS – British Ski and Snowboard are the national governing body for snow-sports in the UK. We look after all the elite ski and snowboard teams across all snow sports disciplines and support the athletes in their quest for success on the world circuit, including the Olympic Winter Games. The disciplines we look after include Alpine skiing, Park and Pipe (which includes both skiing and snowboarding), Ski and Snowboard Cross, Moguls, Aerials, Telemark, Speed Skiing and Cross Country.
SIL – British Ski and Snowboard offers memberships. What can people expect from becoming a member?
BSS – You can become a member of British Ski and Snowboard, which helps support our national ski and snowboard teams. Your membership fee will go towards the ongoing costs of running the teams. You will also receive regular updates about the teams and our athletes’ progress as well as being entitled to special offers from British Ski and Snowboard partners.
SIL – British Ski and Snowboard supports all the snow-sports disciplines. Can you tell us a bit about each discipline?
BSS – Alpine skiing has historically been the most well-known snow-sports discipline, and even non-skiers will have seen the thrills and spills of downhill racing on BBC Ski Sunday or whilst watching the Winter Olympics. At the moment, Great Britain has one skier in the World Top 30. Dave Ryding is a slalom specialist and will start the 2015/16 season in the top 30 on the world circuit, and will be looking for top 10 finishes this season. Other British alpine skiers to look out for include female skiers Alex Tilley and Charlie Guest.
GB Park and Pipe are the British skiers and snowboarders competing in Big Air, Halfpipe and Slopestyle. These are the newest Olympic snow sports disciplines and those that captured the imagination of the British public during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, especially when Jenny Jones won her bronze medal in the Snowboard Slopestyle event. British riders to look out for this season include snowboarders Jamie Nicholls and Rowan Coultas and skiers James ‘Woodsy’ Woods and Katie Summerhayes.
There is nothing quite like the excitement of Ski and Snowboard Cross where skiers or snowboarders go head to head on a course of jumps and berms. Not for the fainthearted, Great Britain has many stars and rising stars in ski and snowboard cross, including three time Olympian, snowboard cross racer Zoe Gillings and British ski cross racer, Ed Drake.
Moguls and Aerials are the two traditional freestyle disciplines, with skiers demonstrating breathtaking skills on either a course of bumps and jumps (moguls) or large jumps (aerials). Great Britain has a true star in the making in Aerials. Last season Lloyd Wallace finished 2nd in the overall Europa Cup standings, landing his first ever triple on snow. In Moguls, our leading athlete is Ellie Koyander, who went to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Last season she finished 2nd in the overall Europa Cup circuit. You can read more about Ellie in our Ski In Luxury blog dedicated just to her.
Telemark skiing is sometimes regarded as the most purest form of skiing. Similar to alpine skiing but where the skier has his or her heels free, telemarking racing is dynamic and highly skillful, with some of the races involving jumps as well. Jaz Taylor is Great Britain’s biggest Telemark star, winning a bronze medal in the World Championships in Steamboat Springs last season.
Speed skiing is a crazy, awe-inspiring sport where skiers wearing special speed suits and with long skis try and go as fast as they can on a downhill slope in a straight line. Last season, Jan Farrell, British Speed Skier, beat his own personal best result earlier this month with a time of 231.660km/h, 20km/h over his previous record, narrowly missing out on the British record. This rounded off Jan’s first FIS World Cup season in S1 category, in which he finished 6th.
Cross country skiing, or Nordic skiing as it is also known, is one of the best endurance sports in the world. There are two types of cross country skiing, classic and freestyle (or skating), both as good for fitness as each other! On the elite circuit, athletes race in a range of different distances, from 5km to 50km. Andrew Musgrave is Britain’s most famous cross country skier. He rose to fame when he won the Norwegian Championships in 2014 Another name to look out for is Musgrave’s teammate Andrew Young, who had his first top 20 finish in a World Cup race last year.
SIL – What was British Ski and Snowboard’s role in the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics?
BSS – During the Olympics themselves, the British athletes are looked after by Team GB, the British Olympic Association (BOA). British Ski and Snowboard look after the teams and the athletes the rest of the time, including in the lead up to the Games, and also work with the BOA to select the athletes for the Olympic team.
SIL – What are the plans for PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics?
BSS – Even before Sochi 2014 finished, British Ski and Snowboard were already working towards the next Olympic cycle. After Jenny’s bronze medal in Sochi we have become even more focused on winning more Olympic medals, with some world class performances on the way. At present, several of the GB Park and Pipe team receive funding from UK Sport via British Ski and Snowboard, with UK Sport identifying these athletes as the most likely to podium in 2018.
SIL – What advice would you give to any youngsters looking to become professional skiers or snowboarders?
BSS – If you think you have the potential to become a professional skier or snowboarder, the best thing to do is get involved with a club, either at your local slope or overseas. This will allow you to train with coaches, and also enter into races or competitions via your club.
Snowsport England, Snowsports Scotland and Snowsports Wales look after the grass roots side of snowsports in the UK, and also the national squads that feed into the British team. Have a look at their websites, or if you are just getting started in snowsports, have a look at the GO SKI GO BOARD website, where you can find your local sessions at slopes around the country. In terms of what it takes to be a professional skier or snowboarder, you need dedication to training and fitness, a hard working attitude and you must love the sport!
SIL – How can you be considered for a place on the British Ski and Snowboard teams?
BSS – Most of our athletes come through the Snowsport England, Scotland or Wales system, particularly in Alpine skiing. Sometimes athletes are spotted when they are a bit older, or if they are training overseas, particularly in Park and Pipe. If you think you have the talent to ski or snowboard for your country, get in touch with one of the home countries governing bodies who will look at how you ski or snowboard and the pathway will start from there if you have the skills!
British Ski and Snowboard, supported by principal sponsor Delancey (www.delancey.com), aims to see more British skiers and snowboarders on the podiums at World Cup and Championship events and Olympic Winter Games in the next four to eight years. www.teambss.org.uk
British Ski and Snowboard is seeking sponsorship for the British teams. If you are interested in sponsoring any of the teams, contact BSS by emailing bss@teambss.org.uk
