THE Feb/Mar 11 NOW AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL SKI SLOPE OR SKI CLUB pTHE MiAGAZsINE OF SNOtWSPORTe ENGLAND £2.50 ANDREW MUSGRAVE OLYMPIC ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 2011 RACE CALENDAR TELEMARK UPDATE RESORT REVIEW SALZBURGERLAND, AUSTRIA GILLINGS FIGHTS BACK PLUS ALL THE NEWS FROM ENGLISH SNOWSPORTS FROM THE SLOPES A NEW COLUMN BY GRAHAM BELL SEE PAGE 11 Fostering, promoting and developing the interests of English skiers and snowboarders E s V e A c S ri p %s rc 0 A s 4e L n o Le Coeur d’Or Bourg-Saint-Maurice Great value newly built MGM self-catering apartments including private pool, sauna, steamroom and spa peakretreats.co.uk/Bourg peak retreats call 0844 576 0173 UIFGSFODIBMQTTQFDJBMJTU Weekends Weeks Festive 3 Valleys Ski 6-8 days Breaks WIN! Chamonix 3ÊÊH/Board Ski 4-6 days a weekend for two Visit skiweekends.com to enter fr£199 fr£199 fr£299 CallC 084444 060600 ABTABTTA No. V41388 Follow Us On Twitter and Facebook Looking for a shop with a large product range and friendly expert advice??? FREESTYLE | FREERIDE | RACE | RECREATIONAL Ski Bartlett, Uxbridge Road, Hillingdon, West London, UB10 0NP 020 8848 0040 | [email protected] | www.SkiBartlett.com INSIDE NEWS FROM THE 4 Skiing winner of Olympic Athlete EDITOR of the Year 5 Insurance and drink risks skiers and boarders 6 Coach Frandl entertains 7 New Apps for iphones Well another winter season over for us, this programme with the money to fund it, not just is the last in the current issues of Piste for over 4 years, but 8 or 12 years, you will never 8 Dates for Snowbombing festival 2010/11. We start all over again in October hope to win medals. for Mayrhofen 2011. First we have to develop a programme that 10 Adaptive awareness course delivered is World Class, this needs looking at very SnOasis support for Army Air Corps The snow seems to be in abundance in most closely, visit other countries to see how they 11 Graham Bell starts new column for resorts, another year when those shouting successfully find, train and fund athletes to The Piste global warming seem to have missed bring through the system, get the right 14 Coaching Strategy, England Group something...again. Even the UK had to battle coaches with determination to succeed and against the elements prior to Christmas, the funds to make it happen. There are many formed particularly in Scotland,in some areas the from Mini’s up to Seniors, some who have 15 Win a copy of Where to Ski & battle goes on. With Easter being much later excellent chances of reaching the World stage, Snowboard this year, it will depend on whether the snow but they need the whole package of good 22 Snowsport England Ski Network can hang around long enough for those who funding , excellent coaches and training Week want a last blast programmes. So what of this season, we will have to I know we have no mountains other than RESORT REVIEW wait to see if those of you taking ski holidays in Scotland/Wales, but training of an athlete have increased this year, Crystal and the Ski is not all about being on snow, it is about Club GB both produce reports on the winter fitness, diet, technical ability and the 12 Ski-amade, Salzburgerland sports holiday industry annually. Hopefully determination to succeed. the tour operators have increased numbers on Many of the top European countries do SNOWSPORT ENGLAND UPDATE last year, even though the economy is still not have snow during the summer/autumn struggling. period, like many others they use countries 16 CEO Update Our athletes have struggled for funding who do, Chile, New Zealand etc. We have some 2011 Race Calendar released this year, with UK Sports announcement that excellent facilities and if those behind the Bormio Champs update there will be no more funding for any of our SnOasis project had more support from Skiers or Snowboarders. UK Sport released a government this major facility would be a 17 Indoor Bass Snow Races dates statement, “Whilst results in Vancouver were reality by now. So let’s get it together, I for one announced of course taken into account, it was decided would be willing to work to put together an that, at present, there was not enough organisation involving all those in the UK ski SNOWBOARD UPDATE evidence to suggest that British Ski and industry, Tour Operators (even the winter Snowboard would have the programme or sport countries that we all go to over the ski 18 London Freeze Festival success athletes capable of reaching the podium in season), ski & board manufacturers, retailers, 19 Snowboard photo competition Sochi in four years time or at the Winter Governing bodies, Clubs, commercial and Games in 2018.” independent ski slopes and the many others 20 Zoe Gillings – the story so far Well we never will unless someone funds who can and should fight for the GB athletes the right programmes for the athletes and the industry that runs alongside of it. If TELEMARK UPDATE climbing the ladder. It has to start we just sit by it will never happen. We should somewhere, they say ‘No medals – no all be prepared to put the effort into showing 22 Bags are packed, next stop Austria... funding’, do these people sitting in judgement that we can provide a World Class programme Chris Stewart reports not realise that unless you have a World Class and the funding to match. If anyone has any views on this subject, or feels they could get involved, please get in SPONSORS touch with me at: We acknowledge our grateful thanks to the following [email protected] organisations which provide us with sponsorship or products. In the meantime where ever you may be For sponsorship opportunities call 0121 501 2314 going – may the snow be with you. SPONSORS Sport England; Energiapura, AOSTA Valley, ExxonMobil, click4quote.com ALPINE SKI TEAM SPONSORS P&O Ferries; swyss; Leisureshack; Ski Bartlett; wastelandski.com; DFDS Seaways; Ski Out of the Blue; Chill Factore AFFILIATES snowrental; skiweekends.com; gear-zone.co.uk ALPINE SKI TEAM SUPPLIERS Barry Spouge Helly Hansen; BeyondX; Sage Physiotherapy; Gates; Holmenkol; solutions4feet ‘Piste magazine’, Countrywide Publications, 27 Norwich Road, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8BX SUPPLIERS email: [email protected] Marker; Carrs of Sheffield; John Nike Leisuresport; Sharks Ski Club; Ski Village; Swadlincote Ski & Snowboard Centre; Head; Tyrolia; Waymark Holidays; Atomic; Volkl; Fischer; Rossignol; ukskiersresource.co.uk; Salomon; Tecnica Produced by Countrywide Publications (a division of Micropress Printers Ltd) 27 Norwich Road, Halesworth, Suffolk, IP19 8BX Tel: 01986 834216 / Fax: 01986 834270 ISDN: 01986 874752 Published on behalf of Snowsport England Tel: 0121 501 2314/Fax: 0121 585 6448 e-mail: barry.spouge@ snowsportengland.org.uk Web: www.snowsportengland.org.uk All editorial and advertisement copy should be sent to Countrywide Publications at the above address. Correspondents: Snowboarding: Tom Allen; Freestyle: Martin Carr, Nordic: Iain Ballentine, Telemark: Andrew Clarke. Publishing Director: Barry Spouge, Tel: 01986 834216/ Mob: 07802 824120, e-mail: [email protected] Printed by Micropress Printers Ltd, Tel: 01986 834200 Opinions expressed by contributors in The Piste are not necessarily those held by the publisher or Snowsport England. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the specific written permission of the publisher. While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of information contained in The Piste, we do not accept responsibility for any errors or matters relating. Cover Picture: Skiing in Ski Amade region of Austria – feature centre spread. Photo courtesy Ski Amade tourism. the piste Feb/Mar 11 3 NEWS CHRISTMAS WORLD CUP IN VAL GARDENA On my recent annual trip to Val Gardena I met up with Ed Drake Britain’s speed skier competing on the World Cup circuit this season. Ed had just skied the Saslong course in the Super G event, one of the most difficult, after catching his breath he told me about the experience. “It’s a tough course, one of the toughest on the circuit and you are up against the best in the world”. Finishing in a time of 1.38.61 Ed met with us in the Press area at the foot of the course before heading back to his hotel. n o i t a i c o s s A c i p m y l O h s i t i r B y s e t r u o c o t o h P ANDREW NAMED OLYMPIC ATHLETE OF THE YEAR In December the BOA announced that Andrew Musgrave has been selected as the Olympic Athlete of the year for skiing. The BOA presented a trophy to each of the summer and winter Olympic sports organisations for them to award annually to their top performing athlete of the year. This is the first time a cross-country skier has been awarded the trophy by the governing body for British skiing and snowboarding. In the last year Andrew has produced the best results on record of any British cross-country skier. In the run up to the Olympic Games in Canada his world ranking earned Britain a second allocation for the men's events. His 15 km time trial race at the Olympics was the best result of any British cross-country skier at any Olympics, and his 30 km pursuit race was the 3rd best all time British cross-country result. His leg of the team sprint was an inspiration and was the third fastest of the day. He is a fantastic ambassador for British sport and sportsmanship in Norway and Sweden.