Cutting Edge 19/12/2007
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Anatomy of a Skier Head to Toe - Part 1 Bridgedale Ski Socks support the team |
Welcome to the latest edition of Cutting Edge from SnowsportGB which will keep you updated on all the latest from the British Ski 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.
SnowsportGB is delighted to announce that an agreement has been reached with the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust, which will provide SnowsportGB with funding over three years to allow the implementation of a new Development Plan for the British Children’s Alpine Skiing. The donation of £100,000 per annum for three years will start from December 2007, and is ring-fenced by the agreement with the Trust to fund the Development Plan. The primary objectives of this Plan are:
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Provide administration support to the current British Children’s Ski Team volunteer group and then create a long-term sustainable professional set up for the British Children’s Ski Team.
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To create a clear and consistent pathway to podium for all young British Alpine Skiers.
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Establish a UK-wide Talent Identification programme, which aims to attract talented young athletes into skiing, and to encourage young recreational skiers to compete in the sport.
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Establish a long-term athlete development plan for all young competitive skiers in the UK.
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Establish a dynamic database which registers and tracks all young competitive skiers in the UK.
The funding will allow SnowsportGB to create two new full-time roles within the organisation:
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National Children’s Alpine Ski Manager/National Performance Manager
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National British Children’s Alpine Skiing Coach
The Development Plan will be implemented by SnowsportGB, and will be overseen by a Steering Group, including representatives from The Roger De Haan Charitable Trust, UK Sport, the British Olympic Association, and Sports Aid. A working group will be created by the National Children’s Manager, which will include representatives of HNGB’s, clubs and academies, to provide input into the implementation of the Development Plan.
SnowsportGB is very excited about this opportunity for Snowsports and Children’s Alpine Skiing, and looks forward to working with the Roger de Haan Charitable Trust, and all the constituent members of SnowsportGB to deliver the objectives of the Plan to the benefit of all young skiers.
Facts:
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Age: 23
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Home: Edinburgh, Scotland
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World Rank : 113
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Nicknames: Nobby or Nobsy
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Favourite Food : Roast lamb and mum’s homemade apple-meringue pie
How long have you been skiing?
I started when I was three and have been skiing full time for over five years.
Preferred discipline?
Giant Slalom
What would you do if weren’t skiing?
I’d probably be a city banker or playing tennis if I were not skiing.
What’s on your i-pod?
What’s not on my i-pod? I can’t live without it.
What’s you best sporting achievement so far?
I would say probably winning the British Championships last season which was my first major title.
What would you say was a low point for you?
In 2000 I suffered a series of major injuries. I broke my back, punctured my lung, and ruptured my spleen. It was really difficult to recover and I didn’t ski for nearly three years.
Who inspires you?
In sport I would say Matthew Pinsent. He seems to make a continuous effort and has the motivation to do it!
What’s your favourite place to ski?
Val D’Isere.
Do you have any advice for young skiers?
I would say just make sure you listen to what your hearts says. If you love something, then keep doing it!
What has been one of your biggest challenges in skiing?
Getting over my injuries - because I didn’t want to ski after that. There were also mental and physical challenges to get over, but I just had to get on with things.
What do you normally do before a race?
I try not to stick to any real routines as they can go wrong.
What’s your top tip for skiers?
Always work as hard as you can.
What are you favourite sports besides skiing?
Tennis, rugby, football, and cricket.
What do you do in your spare time?
I really like to play poker, and I’m also taking Higher German at the moment.
If you could have any super power what would it be?
I would like to be able to heal myself, and also to fly.
Andy's top results include:
- 29.11.06, Europa Cup, Levi, Finland, Giant Slalom 25th
- 28.11.06, Europa Cup, Levi, Finland, Giant Slalom 27th
- 25.11.06, Europa Cup, Salla, Finland, Slalom 47th
- 08.01.07, Europa Cup, Serre Chevalier, France, Giant Slalom 47th
Anatomy of a Skier Head to Toe - Part 1
Have you ever wondered how our athletes can race all winter long when you have been feeling the hurting limbs and the cold on the slopes? The right equipment can make all the difference to performance when there are seconds between the racers and podium places. The equipment needs to be right for the conditions to achieve the best performances during championships.
Chemmy Alcott
As an athlete of the GB Alpine ski team, Chemmy Alcott wears uniquely designed skiing equipment that protects and enhances performance.
Cébé Goggles and Helmets
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| Chemmy Alcott - see profile |
Cébé is one of the leaders in ski goggle technology. Founded in 1892, Cébé has been at the forefront of ski eye wear for more than a hundred years, with their stylish designs they are a must for Chemmy this winter. Cébé also develops helmets and with top skiers like Chemmy able to surpass speeds of over 100kph, Cébé helmets help to avoid any serious injuries after a fall and with Forcefield body armour she can compete to the best of her ability.
Level Gloves
During the winter, hands can become really chapped and sensitive. To protect them, Chemmy wearsLevel gloves which provide the warmth and the grip to hold her Leki ski poles.
Craft Wear
Chemmy wears Craft wear under her salopettes. The Swedish brand Craft manufactures light durable clothing that can withstand extreme conditions like intense cold. Craft has been working closely with the British Ski team to design the high performance ski clothing.
Besson, Dress to Perform
On the slopes, temperatures can sometimes fall below zero during winter. To optimize her performance, Chemmy dresses in Besson salopettes to keep her body warm and protected from wind chill. Besson is the brand leader in ski fashion and has vast experience in providing outerwear for many international ski teams - including the British and the Austrian ski teams - and has used this experience to manufacture ski garments that are worn by skiers worldwide.
Tecnica Boots
As with hands, feet are really sensitive to the cold weather, Bridgedale Socks allows Chemmy to feel warm in her Tecnica boots. Tecnicahas developed special boots for women, well adapted to thin ankles and narrow heels to ensure performance and comfort while maintaining warmth.
Völkl Skis
Chemmy is used to going down the snowy slopes with Völkl skis and Marker bindings. The German ski brand combines cutting-edge technology and high quality to ensure a fast downhill performance.
(image courtesy of Chemmy Alcott)
Noel Baxter is part of the World Cup Ski team and his equipment needs to be the very best.
Uvex Helmets
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| Noel Baxter - see profile |
Noel Baxter uses Uvex helmets, which are fitted and styled using the best technology to ensure a high level of protection for every skier who wears them. And to protect his eyes from the high luminosity on the snow-covered summits, Noel also wears Uvex goggles and sunglasses.
To ensure warmth and protection against the cold, Noel wears Besson salopettes and the Craft thermals.
Forcefield Body Armor
For championship skiers, it is important to have the right protection, as no one wants the season to be ruined by an early injury. Forcefield body armour helps ensure the safety of Britain’s top skiers by providing back protectors, upper body guards and impact shorts.
Bridgedale Socks
As any skier knows, feet are really sensitive to winter weather and cold feet can distract any skier from performing at their best. Bridgedale designs the most comfortable socks on the market with reinforced heel and toe areas to keep Noel warm and dry on the slopes. Noel wears Level Gloves as well, to protect his hands from the cold weather.
Leki Poles
Noel is skiing with light and durable Leki poles. Leki have taken on board ideas from ski racers and other ski enthusiasts to help develop, improve and enhance the quality and performance of their equipment for every skier’s pleasure.
Lange Boots
Noel wears Lange boots which keep his feet warm and protected against the cold. Lange, the boots brand of Dynastar, is made with flexible and light composites to ensure the best comfort on the slopes.
Elan Skis
Noel uses Slovenian Elan skis. These highly engineered skis put an emphasis on functionality and design which assist the wearer and the development of his technique and style.
So if you want to look like a champion on the slopes and at the same time enjoy this winter season safely you won’t go wrong with any of the above mentioned equipment.
(Image courtesy of Mitch Gunn photography)
Bridgedale Ski Socks support the team
Snowsport GB is delighted to announce that Bridgedale is sponsoring the World Cup Ski team with the view to extending this to cover the whole ski team next year. 
Bridgedale is the market leader in the manufacture of technical outdoor socks and its wintersport socks are designed to offer enduring comfort for a range of mountain activities. There is nothing worse than cold wet feet. The highest quality yarns and superior design ensure that with Bridgedale you're feet are comfortable and warm all day on the slopes.
Bridgedale use a combination of Merino Wool for softness and warmth, and polypropylene, Endurofil TM. These yarns are spun together before the socks are knitted in a process called WOOLFUSION TM. This means that the socks are warm and also kept dry.
The ski socks use elastic in specific areas to ensure they fit the foot and stay up all day. The women's socks are also a specific fit - narrower toe and heel and a lower volume fit. The range includes the All Mountain sock with cushioning throughout and Precision Fit with specific areas of cushioning.
Bridgedale socks are made to the highest quality, the most advanced design and built to last with a three year guarantee and a perfect fit for the British World Cup Team.
Vital Support from the British Olympic Association
The British Olympic Association (BOA) offers a variety of services for athletes to help support them on their pathway to Olympic success. One of the most important services provided by the BOA helps injured athletes recover back to full fitness. 
Athlete Medical Scheme
The Athlete Medical Scheme is an insurance scheme offered by the BOA in order to aid athletes who suffer injury or illness. It aims to help athletes in their time of need and support the well being of all its member.
Olympic Medical Institute
The Olympic Medical Institute (OMI) is a specialist national support centre for high performance athletes from both Olympic and non-Olympic sports. At its heart is the national residential rehabilitation centre, providing intensive treatment for athletes recovering from serious injury.
Conceived as a partnership between the British Olympic Association and the English Institute of Sportand evolving from the British Olympic Medical Centre in 2003, the OMI offers world class care to athletes in the form of residential rehabilitation, out-patient sports medicine and physiotherapy services, squad-based sports physiology and cutting edge research developments.
The OMI’s highly experienced multi-disciplinary team provides both short-term and on-going support to athletes from a wide range of sports, offering an individually tailored package that minimises time lost due to injury and maximises optimal performance and recovery.
The location of the OMI at Northwick Park Hospital means athletes benefit from full clinical back-up on site, the only facility of its kind in Britain. The availability of specialist technology such as MRI scans at the hospital helps to ensure quick diagnosis and effective treatment for the athlete.
The services are provided primarily for athletes on the BOA Passport Scheme or a recognised World Class Programme but are also available to professional sports. There is also a private sports injuries clinic available to other athletes who are serious about their sport. Please contact the Institute on 020 8423 7200 for booking details.
For more information on the BOA, Athlete Medical Scheme and the Olympic Medical Institute please see the website www.olympics.org.uk
Chemmy Alcott has been in action twice since the last edition of Cutting Edge. On Saturday 8th December she was in action at the second World Cup downhill race of the season held at Aspen, Colorado. Chemmy, Britain’s top lady skier, managed to place 25th in the end, an improvement of three places on her race earlier this month at Lake Louise, Canada.
Her achievement was all the more remarkable given the challenging weather conditions at the race. Low cloud and falling snow contributed to two major crashes and eventually led to the abandonment of the race.This weekend saw her competing at St Moritz, Switzerland. She had mixed fortunes finishing outwith the top 30 in the downhill, but improved her skiing for the Super G on Sunday finishing 29th.
Chemmy is now preparing for this weeks World Cup at St Anton where she finished 9th in yesterdays downhill (Tuesday 18th ) so watch this space…..
Alain and Noel Baxter enjoyed varied fortunes in the weekends World Cup Slalom at Alta-Badia. Neither athletes qualified for the second run but both skied well with much improved performances, Noel was unfortunate to miss out on the top 30. Alain has been competing successfully on the Europa Cup circuit, finishing 18th in a very competitive field at Obereggen on Wednesday 12 December. Two days later, Alain followed up that result with a 12th place at the Europa Cup at S. Vigilio di Marebbe.
Jan-Michael Kochalski, from Torphins finished an excellent 12th and highest Briton out of 150 starters in the second Giant Slalom at Filzmoos in Austria also on 12th December.Glasgow skier Dougie Crawford had mixed fortunes in the same races, finishing 13th in the first of two FIS Giant Slalom races, setting the third fastest time on the second run, but he wasn’t classified in the second race, after failing to finish the first run. Leylandskier David Ryding finished 18th in the second race. All the boys will soon be starting their Europa Cup campaign.
