Across the Board 16/01/2008
Welcome to the latest edition of Across the Board from SnowsportGB which will keep you updated on all the latest from the British Snowboard team. Along with results, we'll be featuring profiles of the athletes and teams, will hear from the coaches and sponsors and will keep you informed about the main news and events throughout the season.
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‘This One Time at Camp’…The British Junior Snowboard Squad bring in 2008 in Avoriaz
The British Junior Snowboard Squad brought in the New Year training and exhibiting their skills and abilities on the French slopes of Avoriaz. The athletes responded brilliantly to the coaching of Sonia Shaw and Lesley McKenna – guest coach for the week – and each showed great potential to progress in their disciplines. 
The camp kicked off on Saturday 29th December and finished on Saturday 5th January. Each morning started with stretches and general core training. The first day in Avoriaz was used for freeboarding to show off some of the abilities and strengths of the boarders. The freeboarding session was used to judge the athletes and take note of their snow abilities and technique. The rest of the week saw the team train in various techniques and disciplines and ended with the team meeting Swedish team coach, Simon Whyte.
Along with training, the Junior team made their TV debuts. They were interviewed for Channel 4 as well as being filmed for Snowfix TV, which will be aired on X-treme Channel. These features, alongside photographs by Mike Myerhouser will help bring out the full potential and confidence of the athletes to showcase their full capabilities and push them to perform.
The Avoriaz camp gave the team a brilliant start to the young athletes' journey and to their possible future careers in snowsports.
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Wakeham’s Super Start to Season
Dan Wakeham finished an impressive 2nd place at his first competition of the New Year, The Airwaves Invitational Halfpipe Competition on 9 January in Tignes, France.
Dan fought off tough competition from 3rd place winner, Gary Zebrowski of France to take the €5,000 prize. Wakeham triumphed over Zebrowski, who finished 6th in the Halfpipe in the 2006 Winter Olympics, and Finnish World Cup Champ, Janne Korpi. Dan’s winning run included a frontside crippler on his first hit, to McTwist, frontside 720, cab 720 and huge air to fakie.
Dan commented: “There were loads of people watching and it was great to get cheers from the fellow Brits in the crowd when the MC announced I was dropping in for my run. I’m just super stoked to get a podium spot pretty early on in the season as it really stands you in good stead for all of the other competitions to come”.
The Burton European Open is taking place this week in Laax, Switzerland. Lesley McKenna is riding well for the British World Cup Half Pipe Team, qualifying in 1st place in the half pipe. Unfortunately Sam Cullum and Ben Kilner have both sustained injuries and Dan Wakeham failed to qualify. The British Freestyle Team are still going strong and the Junior Squad had a solid competition with Aimee Fuller finishing 5th in the Junior Girls Slope Style competition. For regular team news updates go to www.snowsportgb.com.
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Promising Prospect - Zoe Gillings
Zoë Gillings is Great Britain’s number one female snowboarder. With 11 years experience and a world ranking of sixth - at just 22 years old - the Boardercross rider has achieved so much already.
Making her first appearance in the 1998 British Championship at only 12 years old, Gillings embarrassed a few older competitors by finishing 3rd. Following her impressive performance, it was no surprise that Zoë was picked to represent the British Junior Team. Gillings dominated the youth category in the British championships, winning an amazing 37 consecutive competitions.
After moving to Canada in 2001 to concentrate on her snowboarding, 16 year old Gillings earned 14th place in her first World Cup performance. Three years later, at the World Cup in Chile, Gillings took gold and silver medals.
Following her 9th place finish at last weekends World Cup Snowboardcross at Bad Gastein, Austria, there is no doubt that Gillings has the potential to progress to the finals and bring home a gold medal.
Keep an eye on Zoë Gillings’ performance on Channel 4’s World Cup coverage and the Snowsports GB website, www.snowsportgb.com.
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The World Cup team recently spent time in Breckenridge, Colorado for an intensive training camp. Dan Wakeham gives us his thoughts on the trip.
We flew out to Calgary, Canada on 16th November with Zoom, the team's airline sponsor. As soon as we arrived, we hired a car and drove down through the States to Colorado. I was amazed at how good the conditions were considering there was hardly enough snow to cover the slopes. In America I think they really have their priorities right, they know that at this time of year the majority of people buying passes are the snowboarders and the ski racers.
There was a good British contingency out in Breckenridge. With the World Cup Half Pipe and Freestyle Teams, there were nine British Team riders in total. Having the most perfect halfpipe to ride everyday combined with so many familiar faces to spur you on, made everyone's progression and amplitude noticeable.
This was our first real training camp where we could really get used to working with our new coach Leo Addington without having to worry about a fast approaching competition. Everyone is really happy to work with Leo as he has a good understanding of the tricks and general halfpipe riding, and he often drops in to the pipe himself!
The trip proved to be a real success, there’s a great feeling within the team and we are all looking forward to the season.
ANGUS LEITH: With Leo’s help I've made my competition run a lot more solid and I feel really good going in to the new season. As well as being a good training ground for the rest of the year, I've have got some really great photos as well.
BEN KILNER: Leo's enthusiasm towards coaching the team has been great. It's good to have someone onboard with such good technical knowledge of snowboarding.
SAM CULLUM: This is my first trip back from my broken leg and so far it's been great - I haven't been out here as long as the rest of the guys but nonetheless being back on snow again is a fantastic feeling. I am starting to get back into doing tricks again and am looking forward to competing in the New Year. Leo has been great, staying in contact with me through my time off, and a great help now I am back riding again - really doing everything to help me get back to where I was.
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Going to the Premiere: Winter X Games kick off 2008
With the winter season providing some excellent results from the British Snowboard Team, Snowboardcross competitor Zoë Gillings will represent Great Britain for the second time at the prestigious Winter X Games this January.
2008 kicks off the 12th X Games competition, to be hosted in Snowmass, Aspen, Colorado in what will be the New Year’s premiere winter action sports event. The event will take place from 24th – 27th January, with 22nd and 23rd January as practice and elimination days.
Athletes from across the globe will be competing for medals and prize money and with the New Year setting new challenges for the Snowsport GB team we look forward to seeing some great performances and results.
The X Games will provide a good starting ground for the upcoming World Cup events in which both the British Snowboardcross and Half Pipe teams will compete. The next World Cup competition will take place in Bardonecchia, Italy (26th and 27th January) before moving to Sungwoo, Korea from the 15th – 17thFebruary, with the following World Cup competition being held in Gujo-Gifu, Japan between 22thand 24th February.
With recent successes from Dan Wakeham and the rest of Snowsport GB, the team is going from strength to strength and will be gunning for more podium finishes.
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Watch out for…snowboarding...(16.01.08)
· World Cup Snowboarding on 4 – Saturday 20th 2.15am – 4.10am (or 3.15am on Channel 4+1)
· Results from the Burton European Open, 10th January – 18th January
· Action from the X-Games, 24th – 27th January
· Action from the Half Pipe in Bardonecchia, 26th – 27th January
