Bulletins
PARENTS SKI EVENINGS
Dan and Dave will be recommencing the Thursday evening sessions from 30th April for parents looking to improve their ski technique. The sessions will run from 7.30pm to 9.30pm, costing £8.75 for race club/centre members and £13 for non-members.
New helmet law in the Alps after spate of deaths
A new law requiring all children under 14 to wear helmets on the slopes has been rushed into resorts in Austria following the death of a mother in a high-speed collision on the piste. Beata Christandl died of head injuries after a collision with a German politician, Dieter Althaus, at a combined speed of 60mph. Althaus, who was wearing a helmet, survived the impact, but suffered a skull fracture and remains in a coma. Read more...... From The Sunday Times January 18, 2009 Chris Haslam
SKI CROSS
SRSA racers take to Europe
Ski cross – The most exciting thing to happen in ski racing in years and Colette Carpenter has been bitten by the bug. Joining Martin Trotter and the rest of the England team at their base in Switzerland in December Colette started her ski cross training that will see her compete in National Championship Open events in Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Spain this season.
Trading the relative safety of her slalom skis for faster, more demanding 191 GS’s Colette is as committed to her training and making a name for herself in the sport as she is to her summer slalom racing. Picking up a pre season VIST ski deal through Andrew Phyn – Managing Director, www.Junkigear.com and an equipment deal through Colin Iseard of SNOWTRAX www.snowtrax.eu is a massive bonus for Colette and she knows just how lucky she is, but with the sort of domination she has shown on the UK scene few would bet against her future potential in Ski Cross as it builds momentum towards the Winter Olympics.
With the support of her family and friends she is able to train and compete as an athlete in a sport that is surely got her name written all over it.
“Opportunities like this don’t come along very often. I don’t have the luxury of spending the whole season on the mountain so when I’m there I will make every second count”.
Colette however is under no false illusions. She knows she has to work harder than ever before, just to keep up in what is becoming a very competitive field. Her goal for her first season will be to gain valuable European race experience, but when others are competing hard for podium places the first season will provide a valuable learning curve. No amount of training and preparation can replace the lessons learnt through competition and with plenty of opportunity to race in 2009 Colette will be a better racer as a result.
The biggest challenge for Colette like many others in the sport will be not only competing against the mountain but also getting the better of the three other racers on the same demanding course. Even great downhill racers have struggled to overcome this aspect of ski cross and that’s what makes this sport so appealing to racers and spectators alike.
Fitness plays a big part in ski cross and the right dry land training will pay dividends throughout the long season for those well prepared, but even the fittest and best prepared skier will struggle if they don’t have the right mental attitude. In this department Colette has all right attributes and those who know really know her, both on and off the slope will understand why this is such a great sport for her.
A painful start to competition saw Colette take a hard fall in training in Austria, but in true style she composed herself well enough to complete a timed run and get valuable on-course experience.
Recently returning from Zweisimmen, Switzerland, Martin Trotter just missed out on qualification in the Europa Cup on Saturday in heavy snow conditions but setting the second fastest time amongst the GB racers in the improved conditions of the Swiss Open on Sunday, making a huge improvement to finish 32nd in a European field of 66 racers.
Colette too qualified in the ladies event and with a solid run finished 30th from 36 in her first ever Open event.
Christine Findlay – Ex GB Alpine Squad member made her third start in the sport and showing all her experience coming in a respectable 24th /36.
As a result of the popularity of the Indoor ski cross event in the UK – new girls Danielle Freeze, Joanna Llewellyn and Grace Lake all made their debut on the Sunday. Danielle doing very well to qualify in 31st just behind Colette.
Video footage of the recent race in Zweisimmen, Switzerland from youtube – GB ski cross 2009
Anyone interested in getting involved should contact Steve Trotter or Ian Findlay.
