 Poster: A snowHead
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Call it what you will - a publicity stunt or a sincere ambition - but a skier from the English town of Milton Keynes is seeking to ski for Ghana at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Nkrumah-Acheampong learned to ski at the local snowdome, and is on a mountain for the first time - in Val d'Isere...
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| "I know people will poke fun at me but I'm serious," Nkrumah-Acheampong said yesterday. "And I don't aim to just mess around and make up the numbers in Turin. My aim is an Olympic gold medal for Ghana. |
Reports from The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph.
Is it time for another world-class anti-hero (viz: Eddie the Eagle, Eric the Eel), or must this man be taken seriously?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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After Eddie the Eagle, they brought in minimum qualifying standards for the Winter Olympics. Presumably this was partly for safety reasons?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Ian, many thanks for posting that. I'd clean forgotten our previous coverage and didn't even think of searching the archives.
Elizabeth , I'm not sure that there was ever a safety issue with Eddie. It was more that he was gaining ten times more publicity than people who'd struggled for years through the system, and they were pretty mad about it.
I know that Pierre-Yves 'PY' Gerbeau, of Xscape, is a master of publicity and wants a local hero from a British snowdome so I'm sure we'll hear more about Nkrumah. If he struggles down a slalom or GS the worst thing he'll damage is his pride, and if he wants to go for it for Ghana, good luck to him.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Over a couple of years I have sometimes seen a black skier at Milton Keynes who was, almost always, obviously the best skier on the slope and doing outrageously big jumps on every possible kind of ski. I complemented him once and gathered he worked there. I reckon it must have been him.
But of course the indoor slopes are quite gentle and you can never get going very fast. The speed and steepness of many real slopes, let alone race courses, will take some getting used to.
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A report about this guy on BBC World Service radio this morning. How long before his publicity machine penetrates snowHeads ??? And an article from 2nd Dec on MK Online including this astonishing paragraph ....
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| Kwame, who will wear a leopard print ski suit with a leopard's head on his helmet, has already attracted over £100,000 worth of sponsorship – with the BBC, ITV and ski magazines scrambling to cover his unlikely bid for gold. |
Doesn't seem fair that a guy who had never before skied outdoors gets £100K of backing while youngsters who are really trying to claw their way up the competitive ladder year after year get nothing.
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You've said it, Ian. It's totally ridiculous. He hasn't got a snowball's chance in hell of getting within sight of your average alpine club pre-teen come the Turin Olympics. Just another promotional stunt while so many really gifted kids can't afford the training they need.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Hey chaps, give the guy a break!
Life isn't fair - so what? I didn't get to set ski on snow 'til I was 25 but that doesn't mean I can't get behind this guy. Precious few of many potentially-talented kids (Brit and others) will ever get the chance to ski at all... let alone have family/friends with homes/businesses in the Alps (isn't that an unfair advantage by the same yardstick?).
So this chap's started late (maybe he never had the opportunity before?) and had a lucky break - that doesn't mean he's any less talented, dedicated or deserving - he just got lucky. Good for him and way to go!
If he does make it to Turin, then what a great day for Ghana! And it has to be a good thing to challenge the perception (some people have) of skiing as a somewhat, er, Anglo-Saxon sport.
Go Snow Leopard! 
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J2Dave, The fact is it's being done for the wrong reasons. It's a colour of skin, Xscape publicity thing and businesses that rarely if ever support genuinely talented youngsters immediately jump on the bandwaggon - pure opportunism.
So how does this argument of yours go? Because the majority with potential don't get the chance, why support any of those that do, unless there's a gimmick involved that might earn a few quid for the sponsor? And personally I can't think of anything much more demeaning and more likely to reinforce the idea of skiing as a 'white' sport than this kind of publicity stunt. Sure, he got lucky. But for the wrong reasons.
In ski racing unless you start early you haven't got a chance.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hey chaps, give the guy a break!
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I've got nothing against him and in fact wished him good luck earlier in this thread.
But the more I learn about the backers, the less I like the whole scheme. I do hope Kwame comes out of it, OK. He must be under terrific pressure now.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Ian and PG. Your points raise an obvious question: would the magnanimous sponsors of Nkrumah-Acheampong finance the activities of aspiring "youngsters" / "really gifted kids" (quoting yourselves) if Nkrumah-Acheampong withdrew from his project?
Perhaps one problem is that competitive wintersports have become an Aunt Sally for publicity operators who think (could this be true?) that activities on snow have opportunities for humour. There was also, of course, the Jamaican Bobsleigh Team.
We have two options: to get seriously angry about all this, or laugh along with a man who's either a pawn in a commercial game, or a shrewd operator.
I suspect that the IOC will have one or two things to say about this anyway. Watch this space.
Remember that these characters are arguably the result of the historic decision of the IOC to permit professional athletes to compete in the Winter Olympics (search 'Karl Schranz' for more on that):
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| The Olympics should be a contest for all sportsmen, with no regard for colour, race or wealth. |
That was Karl being a bit disingenuous, but he always was a 'cheeky chappy'!
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
| Ian and PG. Your points raise an obvious question: would the magnanimous sponsors of Nkrumah-Acheampong finance the activities of aspiring "youngsters" / "really gifted kids" (quoting yourselves) if Nkrumah-Acheampong withdrew from his project? |
They certainly would, if the dinosaurs that are, essentially, in control of British competitive snow sports, were to get their act together and promote the sport properly.
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You know it makes sense.
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| PG wrote: |
| So how does this argument of yours go? Because the majority with potential don't get the chance, why support any of those that do, unless there's a gimmick involved that might earn a few quid for the sponsor? |
PG, lighten up mate - I didn't say anything of the sort.
I'm no less cynical about the motivations of those putting up the money / publicity than you are - but that's no reason not to wish the guy well.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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J2Dave,
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| I didn't say anything of the sort. |
 True, but I was just imagining where the logic went ...
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| that's no reason not to wish the guy well. |
Of course not, who doesn't! But he's being exploited, no doubt about it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
| But he's being exploited, no doubt about it. |
As long as he's being exploited all the way to the bank, I don't suppose he cares that much!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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laundryman, Reckon it depends whether he genuinely believes he is doing something positive for the black community.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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As long as he's being exploited all the way to the bank
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could as easily be the blood bank. Let's not forget the guy had never been on a piste before this month. Now he's got to do race training for a full season. He better be good just to survive undamaged, physically. As to his mental state ...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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kuwait_ian, perhaps he should try something less dangerous. Maybe Vitali Klitschko would give him a title shot next year.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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If having first seen a proper piste aged 30 he does the downhill in a year's time, lands jumps at 80 mph after 100 feet plus airborne, and gets to the bottom in one piece in anything under 3 minutes, I hereby promise to eat my beret.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Ghana's one-man Olympic Ski Team is interviewed by Graham Bell for Ski and Board magazine. There's an extract on the SCGB site.
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I'm meeting up with Graham Bell at the Eurosport commentary box this weekend, assuming the races go ahead. If I ask him, do you reckon he'll tell me what he really thinks?
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What about the man at the centre of this triumph/scandal/farce/fun? Has he now left Val?
Sounds like he could use a pair of those mitts that Adam Ruck recommends in his piece on Chamonix. Maybe his sponsors could buy him a pair!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Saw this guy up MK. It was quite surreal what with the Ghanaian flag on the slope and this guy camping there overnight! Fair play though!
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PG, how do the French serve up their berets these days? 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Kwame is totally nonconnected to Xscape other than by the fact he trains on the slope and used to work there.
The sponsorship he has got is through countless phonecalls, e mails, letters, knocking on doors and hard work.As they say if you dont ask you dont get.
When I met him 5 months ago he was on a pair of rental ski boots and skis and had never seen a mountain.
He now has more product support than most brit racers and is spending the rest of this year in Meribel.
It is completley possibe for anyone to acheive there goal you just have to have blind determination and let nothing stop you from reaching your goal.
The only thing that stops you reaching your goal is yourself.
Kwame said what he wanted to do and hes going to give it his all to get there.
He wants to race, he wants to race for his country, he wants to go to the Olympics.
So big up the Leopard and give him your full support. and if your sitting there wanting to do something yourself, get on and do it!!!!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Watch out for the leopard on Channel 4 Skiing this Sunday he will be on around 8.30am
We are heading of to meet president of Ghana this week to see if we can get some support for coaching fees, transport and fuel costs
Wish us luck
Happy New Year to everyone and may the force be with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
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You know it makes sense.
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hello
sorry to butt into your conversation, but i thought i owe it to myself and you guys to answer some of the questions above (kind of give an overview of what i am trying to achieve and why). i don't know if any of you are online now but here goes my story.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Welcome to snowHeads bigwavedave and snowleopard. 
It is entirely appropriate to butt in on a conversation about yourself!
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Poster: A snowHead
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snowleopard, Welcome aboard but the link never showed in your post 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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okay
first of all it might seem a joke to most but it is not to me. i have given up a job as an assistant ice rink manager to do what i am doing. i have a family who depend on me having a job and they understand why i have made the sacrifice for my sport. what are you prepared to sacrifice to achieve a dream?
i have always wanted to go to the olympics and do something unique. i am lucky to be quite strong for my size and have proven time and time again that i can hack it with the best in the sports world. i have kind of entered skiing and snowsport from a more traditional sporting background e.g athletics, football etc. skiing came as a result of my working at Xscape. this is to [snowball].. yes i am the chap who was doing outrageous jumps on all types of skies. to be precise snowblades and i was landing every single one of them because i never wanted to get injured and have to give up flying of the jumps. back to the issue at stake. as bigwavedave has pointed out everything i have achieved up to this stage has been through the sweat and toil of my coach , myself and others who want to see me make it.
aha most of you will like to know about the 'why'. why should i not compete? and why if i am allowed to compete, should i not go all the way to the top. i am a very realistic minded fellow and will never bite more than i can chew. i am not attempting to break my neck (which i kind of want to keep ) with the help of my coach who incidentally does not get a penny for all the help he is giving me, i am going to start gradually. i am going to get used to the mountains as quickly as i can.....i read above that some forum contributors don't see a 30 year old surviving the season on a mountain after skiing for only 2 years indoors. lovely that this has been pointed out i will get back to this comment later. the only way i can show people what i can do on skies is to ski with some of you guys, if not in meribel then it will have to be at xscape. i am in milton keynes till the 9th of this month. still on the why, how many africans have entered the winter olympics? to answer this we have seen the kenyans - cross country, a senegalise, south africans, so why not a ghanaian. the winter olympics is currently can not be said to be a truly global event, so are africans begrudged trying to make this sporting event global. and what if, just what if we are good at skiing etc etc will africans competing not raise the bar. i might not become the next superstar in ski racing, but will at least open the doors for other africans, as well as punters who dream about competing on a high level. let me post this up before i continue
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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hello freelandskier
i just started using this fantastic forum so i will soon get the hang of it and put things right
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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yup the why
apart from wanting to compete because i love a challenging myself, getting other ghanaians and africans involved in snow sports, i want to find out for myself what does it take to become an olympic ski racer. if i make it to the olympics which i am going to do, then it will beg the question .....why does it seem so tough to get to the top in snow sports
1. is it a lack of talent and ability
2. sponsorship and money,. then what must be done to rectify this anormally in snowport in the uk and other countries
3. for me the most important is that making it to turin will mean that it is not really necessary that you should have been born with a set of skies or a snowboard on your feet to stand a dog's chance in competing at the international level.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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snowleopard, a warm welcome to snowHeads!
Having started this thread, I hope we can promise you a fair hearing on this forum. It goes without saying that what you're doing is highly unusual, highly ambitious, and raises lots of questions. I guess the press and public would find it valuable to have your responses to a kind of rolling interview here, if you'd welcome that.
Let's start at the beginning. Where were you born, and when and how did you arrive in the UK?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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enough of the why, now how
how have i managed to get this far into international press. simple a unique story, but this story started about 7 months ago. i have to give lots of thanks to my coach. he has shown he is not only a coach but a friend. he has helped me so much and it is true i was using a pair of rental skies and boots given to me by my former manager before i left snowzone.
the papers said a £100,000 worth of sponsorship, yes but in product. i have not been handed a cheque for this amount or sitting on a box full of cash. i have vertually had to beg and prove my point to get to where i have reached. no sponsor wants to through away a good pair of skies on some african guy who will fall on his face every time he stands up. i have had to do demos to show that not only can i ski but i have the natural ability to accelerate when needed.
i do need money as i will have to survive throughout the season and beyond to the olympics. but i do understand that i have to prove myself on the piste in a real race. so guess what i am going to race as soon as my coach says go. i am itching to do it, but coach says 'until he says so' so i wait for the day. what we have done from some of our team uniform has been done with our own money [i and my coach], we have had to do fund raising to generate some money and accepted whatever help we have been given [both financially and in kind]. i am competing for ghana but have even stated in writing to the officials that i will not be bitter or give up if they can not help the team financially. i am currently sponsored by bloc sunglasses, scott, head, xscape, beyondx, kandie imports, esporta milton keynes, and base camp.
VERY IMPORTANT
i am a christian and believe in my God, who i am proud to say is my biggest sponsor. with him in my life, i can do anything. so if i have a fantastic family, coach, church, friends and God behind me what is there to stop me apart from myself
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okay i was born in scotland 'glasgow'
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most of my life has been spent in africa, mostly in nigeria and ghana,. i came back to the uk to finish my education, that is a masters degree in Tourism Management, gain some working experience and see a bit of europe and the world [basically to experience life on my own]
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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waiting for your next question mr goldsmith
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in the meantime i am giong to answer and coment on some of the stuff i have read randomly.
yup i might not have a snowballs chance, but how will i know or anyone know for that matter if i do not try? so to answer this question i am going all the way to where i will definately get my answer
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FAQ
