Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

first world cup SL points since Baxter

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
well thats it, Dave Ryding has got some world cup points on the board

cracking run Dave, next stop top 15 then the podium!!!
snow report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I was shouting at the TV screen... C'mon Dave. Cracking result. Cool
snow report
 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?
Dave's 1st run will be shown in the highlights at 7pm on British Eurosport 1.
Very Happy
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Excellent!
ski holidays
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Great news. Gillian, send him some of your cake top 15 no problem. Toofy Grin
snow conditions
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Well done Rocket!!! Fantastic news!!!!!!!
Look out also for Henrik Kristofferson, only a 1994er, the guy has a massive future in the sport Madeye-Smiley
snow conditions
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
gsb, There's an idea! wink
ski holidays
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Just in case anyone has not seen it


http://youtube.com/v/cAzyP877qDQ&feature=share
snow report
 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.
Nice one Dave snowHead
snow report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Fantastic result Dave. From bib 55 as well Very Happy
Probably the only guy on the World cup circuit without a ski tech to do his skis and no physio, etc etc! Just good old Tristan G-D as his coach. Great work guys!
Thanks BSS!!! rolling eyes
Just shows that real hard work and talent pays off. Dave is an absolute machine in the gym, just like Alain was (remember Super stars?). Hopefully this will be the start of bigger and better things.
Let's hope it can also inspire the speed guys ( TJ & Dougie) in the DH & SG's ion North America. I'm sure they are absolutly made up about it.
ski holidays
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Plugboy wrote:
Probably the only guy on the World cup circuit without a ski tech to do his skis and no physio, etc etc!

Come on guys stop feeling sorry for yourself Wink Until last season, Tina Maze was without physio, and she was 2nd skier on world, not 100+th. She still has team of 4 people (including serviceman and physio, who is not following her on all races anyway) and she does all 5 disciplines... on a bit different level then any Britt. Andreas Romar for example has one guy who is his serviceman, coach and everything else, yet he still managed to finish top 15 in last years SG WC. And there's quite few others in similar position with similar results.
You don't really need to have support like Austrians have, to be good. Not to mention it's kinda funny to expect someone ranked 153 on WCSL to have serviceman, physio and god knows what else. People do much better, without all this. I'm not saying it's easy, but it can be done.... and it needs to be done, because with being 153th doesn't bring you money for all this thing. You need to show something first, before you will get proper founding and proper support. Even in Austria or Switzerland, people who are placing 50th on EC races, don't get any support. They get support when they bring results, but until then, they are on their own.
ski holidays
 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.
Damn...Tina Maze needed a Physio? I would have done that job for free wink Laughing

As for funding... Dave is the No.1 Brit for Slalom now, so surely he should get some funding?

The same for Dougie, TJ and Chemmy. All the best Brits at their dicipline.

It's all very well putting money into youth, but there is no gaurantee that these youngsters will continue on that career path.

At least the aforementioned have all proved their worth by continually trying to compete at a lot of their own cost.

Surely that is worth something.

Look at the BSS website...if you can find it, and apart from Twitter feeds, there is no mention of Daves achievement...poor show imho.

In fact the BSS site should surely have updates of what all the GB team are up too? How training is going etc...or am i barking up the wrong tree. I simply don't get it. They want more sponsership, but don't let the World know what their athletes are up to on a weekly basis. How is that going to attract sponsership?
ski holidays
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
spud wrote:
and apart from Twitter feeds, there is no mention of Daves achievement...poor show imho.

I just saw someone answering McQuoid's twit about about exactly this issue, today morning... It went somehow like "do you think office is run 24/7?"
Well... yes! Unfortunately most of races are done through the weekends. Considering someone most likely has job there, and most likely doesn't really overwork him/herself through the summer (probably through the year), he/she could be able to write 100 letter twit about this, even if it was on Sunday. Afterall, top 30 is not something anyone can make it, and it's not really like you would be Austria, where placing 26 wouldn't mean a thing. But with attitude like this, it's pretty normal there's no founding. Who would pay for something, what even athlete's own federation doesn't think it's special achievement.
snow conditions
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
That's a superb result. Be great if he can achieve something similar at the upcoming slaloms in Val d'Isere and Campiglio.
ski holidays
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Great result! And agreed BSS should be making something of this to help generate more sponsorship.

The UK is the worst for providing sponsorship. When I was down in New Zealand for a couple of seasons a friend of mine managed to go out and get sponsorship at a basic level and he had no competition pedigree whatsoever. Not even regional squad status. That would never happen in this country. We can't even support our national level athletes sufficiently!

Also these guys should have servicemen, physios etc as they are the best Britain has got, whereas an Austrian getting 50th in EC is far from the best they have so understandable they get no or little support from their national federation.
ski holidays
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
skir67, things are far from perfect somewhere else too. Get over it, since just whining here won't really help. Somewhere else, people who are top 20 on WC need to pay their own tickets for summer training in Chile, other's who are still top 40 in WC need to pay everything (approximately 15.000eur/year). And they do belong in top 3 or 4 in country. Some place elsewhere, guy finishing top 15 in last years overall WC (in discipline) has budget of 30.000eur/year... for everything. Coach, serviceman, travel, lift tickets, course reservations... Yet he still finished in top 15 last year (and it wasn't in SC Wink) .
Money and support comes, when you have something to show. 26th place is great start (but let's wait for another race before everyone starts to celebrate new SL star, since this race was pretty specific), but with his, and every other Brittish skier's, results till today, it's kinda hard to demand some huge founding, to be able to afford stuff Austrians do. Don't you think so?
snow report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Nice little interview here... http://racer-ready.co.uk/
snow conditions
 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?
I actually had a gym session with Alain Baxter last week, I can confirm he is still a machine in the gym...

(Part of a BASI course).
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
stevomcd, Common Theory?
snow report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Primoz is correct, if British skiers get results then funding will come. Obviously it's chicken and egg because someone needs to make the breakthrough that will help out the others. We can't compare our situation with the Austrians - it would be a bit like the Austrian national cricket team wanting extra funding from the powers that be in Vienna !
ski holidays
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
rob@rar, aye! Gym session with Alain, circuits with Noel, conditioning & injury prevention with Lesley McKenna. People you're inclined to listen to!
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
ArseneWengen wrote:
Primoz is correct, if British skiers get results then funding will come. Obviously it's chicken and egg because someone needs to make the breakthrough that will help out the others. We can't compare our situation with the Austrians - it would be a bit like the Austrian national cricket team wanting extra funding from the powers that be in Vienna !


Will it though?

We only have 4 people in the Senior Team now. All of them are achieving to some degree.

I understand most of the funding is going to the development squad and Juniors. How long do they keep funding them and when do they expect them to return results?

If they turn in the same type of results as the Seniors, will their funding stop or continue?
latest report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
stevomcd wrote:
rob@rar, aye! Gym session with Alain, circuits with Noel, conditioning & injury prevention with Lesley McKenna. People you're inclined to listen to!
nice, although you will have missed the joys of squatting with Gil (which Common Theoryers from before the recent change will, I'm sure, appreciate). Lesley was on the course at the same time as me a few years ago, so good to see BASI using quality athletes in the membership.
snow report
 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.
spud wrote:
ArseneWengen wrote:
Primoz is correct, if British skiers get results then funding will come. Obviously it's chicken and egg because someone needs to make the breakthrough that will help out the others. We can't compare our situation with the Austrians - it would be a bit like the Austrian national cricket team wanting extra funding from the powers that be in Vienna !


Will it though?

We only have 4 people in the Senior Team now. All of them are achieving to some degree.

I understand most of the funding is going to the development squad and Juniors. How long do they keep funding them and when do they expect them to return results?

If they turn in the same type of results as the Seniors, will their funding stop or continue?



and does anyone know actually how much this funding is??? i cant find any figures anywhere.
snow report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
iskar, No you won't find any figures because even though BSS said they were going to be an open and transparent organisation they are not. No one actually knows who is getting what.
This is as far as I know what the teams are getting.

Senior mens tech team (slalom), Racing World Cup & World champs - Dave Ryding - Coach and expenses paid for by BSS. Use of a team van during season. Dave has to pay all his own personl expenses, travel, accom, food etc - prob around £15-20K

Senior Mens Speed (DH, SG, SC & GS) Racing World Cup & World champs - TJ Baldwin & Dougie Crawford - Use of team van during European season. - They are paying for their coach all his expenses and all their own personal expenses for the whole season. The coach will be staying in the team coaches accom in their base at Zell am See whenever they are there (around 25 days in the winter). Total cost for each of them will be around £45-50K

Womens Senior team (DH, SG, SC, & GS) Racing World Cup & World champs - Chemmy Alcott - Nothing! She is training & racing with the Canadian team and is funding it all on her own.

Womens Junior team (called the FIS/Europa cup team) SL, GS & SG - Racing FIS races (no Europa Cup or higher) - Alex Tilley, Charlotte Guest, Cara Brown (full time) + 1 other part time. - Coach & expenses paid for, New van hired for season. - Think they are all paying £25k for the season for all their own expenses to stay at the Dutch team academy in Zell am See.

Mens FIS/Europa cup team (SL, GS & SC) Racing FIS races (no Europa Cup or higher) - Rob Bullen & Brad Morgan - Training with the Dutch academy in Zell am See - again I think £25k each to pay.

All the other Junior girls and boys are on their own programmes that are all funded by parents, some very wealthy! - some are very very expensive with better set ups and more staff for just 1 boy than the whole of the GB team put together.

All GB team athletes who sign the athletes agreeement will get team clothing which BSS has spent around £20k for as they only managed to get a 'buy at cost price' deal with VIST! They also do not get this clothing until just before Christmas, so are using Colmar until then.

Just a complete mess in my books!!
snow conditions
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Plugboy, Yes a shame and a shambles, wonder what portion of the pot goes on admin, BSS "officials" travel and expenses, attendance at meetings, mileage allowance and on and on ...when are they going to show a real set of income and expenditure - but garaunteed they'll jump on the bandwagon of success if any athlete comes good, it makes my blood boil.
snow conditions
 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.
briand6868, They will probably claim that their new policy of just backing tech is working after Dave's result at Levi.
They have had no input into his training at all. His coach has had no contact with the performance director for months and he has been left to carry on as he did last season.
I have been asking how much has been spent on what for months and had no answers. I asked last month about how much had been spent on the team clothing. No response, it was just an educated guess to the £20k for the 30+ athletes & coaches that are getting it. It might be more?
My blood has been boiling for months the way they have treated both TJ & Dougie. You would not believe some of the emails that I have had from various people at BSS. They are treating the athletes like children who know nothing, and yet the performance director has never even skied!! He knows nothing about what it takes to be a top alpine racer.
snow conditions
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
From The list of GB Team skiers Plugboy mentioned above, there was one omission. Lets not forget Jai Geyer, Mens FIS/ Europa team. He has competed in a Europa cup last year, and could potentially do so again this season.

BSS also offered Jai the option to train with the Dutch Squad, £25k plus additional cost for a late trip to Argentina, alongside Brad Morgan and Rob Bullen, but decided on training with a French group Orsatus, headed by Olympic Silver medallist ('06) Joel Chenal instead.

Funding is always a major problem for Jai and the french option was slightly cheaper and more importantly offered more flexibilty on payment. He is still desperately seeking help with funding btw.

On a more cheerful note the weather looks great in Tignes atm so he is no doubt getting in some good training runs.

Meanwhile off topic for a moment
I was sure I would hate the Heather Mills programme on Sky Sports News the other day but if nothing else I thought it was a good profile for disabled ski racing, she does bring something to the party, I have to conceed, and Tony M came across pretty good too.
snow report
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
oh for some transparency!!! still what do we know or deserve, we are only the grass roots and obviously must be treated as the sheep we are !! wink
snow conditions
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Plugboy, A performance director who has never skied - who the hell decided he/she is qualified to do the job - stinks of cronie-ism / old school tie carry on. I have to say the set up in Ireland seems to me to be a little more transparent, still not a whole heap of funding filtering down, but the people running the show (the ones I know of ) are definitely skiers/instructors/racers.
ski holidays
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
briand6868, he is an "outsider" with a background in elite athlete development, strength and conditioning, Premiership football and National team rugby... dont think it is cronie ism but we shall see if the changes he makes shakes up the sport. A shake up is needed and they dont have any money to start with...

I am of mixed mind of the British central approach of only funding sports which have achieved top results and medals. It has worked for cycling and rowing but should the winter budget be spent primarily on skeleton bob and curling, two very niche sports with few competitors and few who participate recreationally compared to a popular sport like alpine skiing.. What is government funding meant to do? Make us feel good as a country when the medal tally clocks up or to encourage the next generation to participate and stay fit. Is it only through medals and podium finishes that gets the general public increasing their participation, fitness levels going up and healthcare burden going down? Does one Mo Farah count for more than a dozen in the 100 who we never hear about, I dont know ..

In Alpine skiing many have had to drop out due to a lack of funding but it is an expensive sport with few financial rewards, should our national team level athletes who compete internationally be fully or even partially funded, tough one....
ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
It is a very emotive subject skimottaret, and you make some interesting points...especially

Quote...

'What is government funding meant to do? Make us feel good as a country when the medal tally clocks up or to encourage the next generation to participate and stay fit. Is it only through medals and podium finishes that gets the general public increasing their participation, fitness levels going up and healthcare burden going down? Does one Mo Farah count for more than a dozen in the 100 who we never hear about, I dont know ..'

When you think about it, all these Athletes are hard working and talented...but they are living the dream...lots of us would have loved to be in their position, but for many reasons aren't...whether by fortune or not good enough.
I realise many Athletes make sacrifices...but many of us have to in life also.

Over the last few years I've been trying to live my own little dream. Qualifying to become a Ski Instructor and Race Coach and doing Race training courses. None of that has come cheap and it continues to drain any income. To continue training and become better. I had to sell my house and business to help finance that dream. I had some disposible income the other month and wanted to help out TJ and Dougie a little... then my Insurance for the season turned up and some new skis were needed...so that had to come first. I've digressed a little....but the point i'm trying to make, is that many of us try to live our own little dreams and it costs us....especially if we all have the same love of skiing.

In a perfect world we all would hope that those representing GB would get funding and the best training... but it's not...and far fewer companies are now sponsering. Everyone is pulling their belts in.

Having done a little research, it's not just the GB team that are struggling. Many other Athletes from other Countries are in the same or similar boat to us.

My love of Skiing came about by watching Martin Bell racing on Ski Sunday. Racers can influence our lives for the better...

How the Government can't fund or part fund our Senior team i'll never understand. £500,000 would do it surely?
Makes me sick when you know that figure is a months wages to many footballers. Different ball game i know.

It certainly is a catch 22....
snow conditions
 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?
"My love of Skiing came about by watching Martin Bell racing on Ski Sunday. Racers can influence our lives for the better..."

Me too Spud. I was lucky enough to go skiing for the 1st time with school around the same time Martin Bell was achieving top 10 finishes and I got hooked. My dad thought it was odd that I looked forward to Ski Sunday more than Match of the Day ! I grew up almost thinking that top 15 finishes in World Cup skiing was the norm - 30 years on I realise how hard it is for our skiers to compete at that top level against the Alpine/Scandanavian and the North American nations.
latest report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
ArseneWengen wrote:
"My love of Skiing came about by watching Martin Bell racing on Ski Sunday. Racers can influence our lives for the better..."

Me too Spud. I was lucky enough to go skiing for the 1st time with school around the same time Martin Bell was achieving top 10 finishes and I got hooked. My dad thought it was odd that I looked forward to Ski Sunday more than Match of the Day ! I grew up almost thinking that top 15 finishes in World Cup skiing was the norm - 30 years on I realise how hard it is for our skiers to compete at that top level against the Alpine/Scandanavian and the North American nations.


Laughing It's funny when you look back. I actually taped all the Ski Sundays onto Video back then. I had loads of 'em... so sad i threw them all out when i sold my last house. Embarassed I would love to watch them all again. Great memories.

Funnily...even back then, I had a good idea, that what the Bell bothers were doing was something awesome considering.
I used to shout my encouragement at the telly box... still do nowadays, as recently as Levi with Dave Ryding... Laughing Embarassed All my mates think i'm totally nuts... Cool
snow report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
"I would love to watch them all again. Great memories."

Ha ha yes me too. As it was before the internet I used to be on the teletext on Saturday desperately checking it to see if the result was in yet and if he'd grabbed another decent result. If only there'd have been Eurosport back then or the BBC red button....

Saying that, my wife and kids go potty in the winter when they go to the Sky Plus box and it's full of recordings of Eurosport skiing. I've still got the Lauberhorn race from last season on there in case I needed a fix of it during the summer months. Sad but true!

And like you say, it's not really the sort of thing you can discuss with your mates in the pub... "Blimey, did you see Dave Ryding get 5 points in Lapland at the weekend ? 26th place for a Brit !!!". They'd look at me gone out !
ski holidays
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Invictus, Well said for Jai,
snow report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
ArseneWengen wrote:
"I would love to watch them all again. Great memories."

Ha ha yes me too. As it was before the internet I used to be on the teletext on Saturday desperately checking it to see if the result was in yet and if he'd grabbed another decent result. If only there'd have been Eurosport back then or the BBC red button....

Saying that, my wife and kids go potty in the winter when they go to the Sky Plus box and it's full of recordings of Eurosport skiing. I've still got the Lauberhorn race from last season on there in case I needed a fix of it during the summer months. Sad but true!

And like you say, it's not really the sort of thing you can discuss with your mates in the pub... "Blimey, did you see Dave Ryding get 5 points in Lapland at the weekend ? 26th place for a Brit !!!". They'd look at me gone out !


We lead very similar lives when it comes to viewing Ski Racing Laughing
Weekend mornings now tend to find me hooked up to Europsport online with the GF bringing me copious amounts of Coffee and moaning about the bloody ski season again... Laughing

Wish we had the internet and Eurosport when the Bell lads were Racing. Would have been awesome. Cool
snow conditions



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy