Cutting Edge 12-03-08
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Timed to Perfection with Citizen! Europa Cup Girls show us how its done!
City life brought to new heights Look Ahead… skiing...12.03.08 |
Timed to Perfection with Citizen! 
Snowsport GB is delighted to announce that Citizen Watch UK has come on board as the new timing sponsor for the 2008 and 2009 British Land National Ski Championships. Mark Simmers, Snowsport GB CEO said “We are delighted to have forged this new partnership with Citizen Watches. To have a quality company like Citizen Watches giving support to British Skiing is great news, and this will certainly enhance the British Land National Ski Championships over the next 2 years. Their watches are renowned for precision time-keeping, excellent quality and value, and will therefore be a great fit at the Championships.”
Citizen is a world leader in advanced technology, and at the forefront is its Eco-Drive collection, watches which run continuously in any kind of natural or artificial light for a lifetime of use, thus never needing a battery. Watch brand of the Year for the last 4 years, Citizen is the leading mid-priced watch brand in the UK.
They have become known across a wide range or sports, supporting events such as the US Open and the ISU World Figure Skating Finals. They also have a host of ambassadors from all over the sporting world including our very own Chemmy Alcott, Britain’s number one female skier, Kevin Pietersen (cricket), Paula Creamer (golf) and Eli Manning (American Football).
To celebrate this new partnership, Cutting Edge has teamed up with Citizen Watches to offer an amazing prize, Chemmy’s watch of choice – the stunning Citizen Eco-Drive Riva Chronograph set with 30 diamonds and a delicious mother-of-pearl dial.
To enter the competition simply answer the question on your Cutting Edge newsletter. Competition closes 25th March 2008.
With the British Land National Ski Championships in Meribel fast approaching, the best of British talent is gearing up for the competition.
World Cup skiing stars Chemmy Alcott and Alain Baxter will be in the resort to showcase their skills and battle for the British Championship titles, and will be joined by a host of young stars trying to make a name for themselves on the circuit.
The closing dates for applications for the skiers are 14 March for Seniors and Juniors and 21 March for the Children’s competition. The championships run from the 30 March to the 11 April - so don’t miss out, be part of the action and support our British skiers!!
To help you follow our budding athletes and keep up with all of the latest Meribel action, we are going to create a British Ski Champs 2008 Facebook page, watch this space for more details on how to show your support!
Europa Cup Girls show us how it’s done!
After scoring a string of personal bests it seems as though Pam Thorburn feels the need - the need for speed. The Strathaven skier recently celebrated her 22nd birthday while competing in the Citizens’ Super G at Haus im Ennstal in Austria, treating herself to presents worth remembering by finishing an impressive 8 th and 11th out of the 80 competitors, scoring her best GS FIS points of the season.
However she went one better the following week after scoring her best ever Downhill FIS points in a Europa Cup race over the same course. Pam finished 35th of the 60 competitors 2.2s behind winner Monika Springl of Germany; an improvement of a full second over her two training runs. It was her second best Downhill placing in the Europa Cup, but her best points by over 20.
Pam’s top tip for aspiring skiers is to always work hard and push the boundaries of your comfort zone. The main thing is to stick at it and know there is an amazing amount of satisfaction when you make it through the challenges.
Pam is no stranger to having to cope when the going gets tough - she was out of action for nine months due to injuring her knee. It has been her worst experience in the sport and also her biggest challenge, with the rehabilitation process proving difficult.
Skiing since the age of three on family holidays, Pam hoped to achieve consistency in the Europa Cup this season and by the looks of her latest results she seems to be very much on course. Her skiing aspirations are to have Olympic success and to one day stand on the World Cup podium.
Growing up in Andorra with both parents being ski instructors is the perfect way to get into the world of skiing. So when Sophie Readman won the Downhill at the British Junior Championships in her first year everyone started to take notice of the highly talented skier.
Now 19, Sophie scored her best ever Super G FIS points with 19th place in the Citizens’ Super G at Haus im Ennstal in Austria. FIS points are the performance standard awarded by the International Ski Federation by which all competitors are measured and which determine their starting position in races. So this is a great achievement for the young skier who views Downhill as her preferred discipline.
Making the step from the Children’s team to the FIS Team has been one of Sophie's biggest challenges of her career to date - “It took a while to get used to as it is a much higher level of competition.”
Britain’s number one female skier Chemmy Alcott is one of Sophie’s inspirations with her great skiing success, but she has always looked up to her Dad. Sophie also confessed that her skiing aspirations are: “To win everything to keep Dad off my back!”
Sophie’s advice to young skiers is to keep up the fitness and stretches as leg burn and injury aren't fun!
Auchterarder born Mel Piper has been skiing since she was only two and a half on family holidays and took to racing at the tender age of 11. She started racing on the dry ski slope at Hillend, and began skiing part time for the Scottish team. At 16 years old she joined the Development team and climbed to the British team last year in one of the best moments in her career so far.
Mel’s preferred discipline is Giant Slalom as it requires more technical ability rather than just speed, giving her more confidence when on a run. This is why Mel’s favourite place to ski is the wide-groomed Sidewinder trail at Park City, Utah in the United States.
Now 20 years old, Mel hopes to improve her world ranking and lower her FIS points this year and in doing so aims to qualify for the Europa Cup. Her long term goal is to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. Unfortunately this has been hampered this season due to injury. Mel has been out of action since November this season but we expect to see her very much back to form next season.
The World Cup Team has had a hard 07/08 season on the injury front. In the competitive world of sport, injuries can be all too common especially when you’re racing down mountains at 90 miles an hour. 
Of the nineteen members of the British Ski Team, ten have been injured at some stage throughout the season. Three of the five members of the World Cup Team have suffered injuries which have resulted in time out of the season. Rehabilitation and getting back to racing fitness aren't quick processes particular if bones have been broken and ligaments torn.
Noel Baxter – broke his arm at the end of September after a summer training in Chile. This resulted in him missing the first few races of the season and then competing with a cast. Just as he was hitting the form from the World Championships last season, in January crashed and damaged the patella tendons in both his knee’s, ending the chance of him racing this season.
Finlay Mickel – caught pneumonia whilst racing out in Lake Louise in November. He then crashed in Beaver Creek resulting in fracturing his left ankle (December). After making his come back at Wengen in January, Finlay had another accident in training Kvitjell, Norway fracturing his fibula and snapping his Achilles tendon.
Andy Noble – fractured his knee in December and has also been suffering from bone bruising and cartilage damage. Underwent surgery in February.
We wish all the athletes a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing them back to top form next season.
City life brought to new heights
The picturesque scenery and healthy mountain air of the small Italian town of Courmayeur is about to play host to the glitz, glamour and celebrity of the 2008 City Ski Championships.
From Thursday 13 March to Sunday 16 March, around 200 skiers from 40 different cities will travel to Italy to compete in the four race event. The main event is the hotly competed Giant Slalom on the Saturday but the skiers will also take part in the Parallel Slalom event where teams of four compete in a relay race, the Radar Trap, a speed skiing competition and a Boardercross event.
The competition is said to be attracting some of the rising stars of the British Alpine Ski team, including Dave Ryding and Pam Thorburn, as well as stars from the past such as regulars Konrad Bartelsk, who will be running the ever popular Snow + Rock pre-race ski clinics, and Graham Bell. They were joined last year by Olympic athlete Colin Jackson and Formula 1 racing driver Damon Hill, both of whom are expected to be returning this time around.
But the skiing is only part of the City Championships as the après ski is just as important. On Friday evening there will be a welcome party followed by dinner at various restaurants in the resort and then late night drinks. On Saturday there is a race side buffet, champagne reception and gala presentation dinner and for all of those people who still have the energy - clubbing till dawn.
The City Ski Championships promise to be a weekend to remember!
FIS Race Super G, Innerkrems, Austria- 26 February 2008
- Pam Thorburn - 40th place
- Emma Norton - 71st place
FIS Citizens’ Giant Slalom, Haus im Ennstal, Austria - 27 February 2008
- Pam Thorburn - 8th place
- Sophie Readman - 14th place
FIS Citizens’ Super G, Haus im Ennstal, Austria - 28 February 2008
- Pam Thorburn - 11th place
- Sophie Readman - 19th place
FIS Europa Cup Downhill, Haus im Ennstal, Austria - 5 March 2008
- Pam Thorburn - 35th place
FIS Europa Cup Slalom, Hoch-Ybrig, Switzerland - 6March 2008
- Alain Baxter - 3rd and 5 th place
Europa Cup Downhill, Bansko, Bulgaria - 7 March
- Ed Drake - 23rd place
Ed Drake scored his best ever Europa Cup downhill result with 23rd at Bansko, Bulgaria from 54 starters. It beats his best previous Europa Cup downhill result by nearly 30 places, and also gives him his best ever Europa Cup downhill FIS points.
World Cup Super Combined, Crans-Montana, Switzerland - 9 March
- Chemmy Alcott - 24th place
Chemmy Alcott scored her best World Cup Super Combined result of the season when she finished 24th to winner Anja Paerson of Sweden at Crans-Montana in Switzerland. Alcott was 19th in the downhill leg of the competition, her preferred discipline, 2.35s behind overall World Cup leader Lindsey Vonn of the USA but then dropped to 24th in the slalom run. Alcott, 25 now lies 28th in the FIS World Cup Super Combined standings.
Europa Cup Finals - 10th March-15th March, Les Orres, France
British Land Alpine Championships - 30th March-11th April, Meribel, France
