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GB Speed Skier Jan Farrell retires

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
GB speed skier Jan Farrell retires .

About Jan Farrell

British downhill speed ski record holder
Overall FIS World Cup Speed Ski DH Champion 2014
Top speed of 231.66kph (Speed Masters Vars 2015)
2x World Record holder
Third fastest human in the world on downhill skis
Speed 1 World Cup rank 2020: 5th
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Wow - he had slipped under my radar. That is quite resumé - respect!!
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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?
@offpisteskiing, anyone who takes part in speed skiing events has my respect. If you fall in excess of 200kph you're going to have a bad day..... Shocked
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Wow! How come he never got mentioned on eg Ski Sunday? One would have thought a world champion would get something!
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Didn't he do a bit with Graham Bell when he turned his hand to speed skiing?
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@Richard_Sideways, perhaps I just missed it but his achievements certainly weren’t widely celebrated!
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Alastair Pink wrote:
@offpisteskiing, anyone who takes part in speed skiing events has my respect. If you fall in excess of 200kph you're going to have a bad day..... Shocked


I used to race on the velodrome with guy who had been a speed skier. He had friction burn scars from sliding on the snow after a fall. Apparently bouncing and rolling is preferable to sliding at those speeds.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I'm going to be discussing Jan's career with Chemmy Alcott in the next episode of The Ski Podcast - www.theskipodcast.com
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Gordyjh wrote:
Wow! How come he never got mentioned on eg Ski Sunday? One would have thought a world champion would get something!


As an analogy I guess it's a bit like long drive competitions in golf, the people doing it are really good at what they do but it's not really the same sport, just an odd offshoot, so of little interest to people.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
One of my friends is the World Champion for short track speed skating for his 50+ category...proper niche!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@rungsp, yet as an Olympic sport, gets TV coverage every 4yrs. If that's niche what's that make speed skiing?

I'll bet Elise Christie's name is known by a lot more people than Jan Farrell.
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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.
Hi everyone, thanks for being there, see you on the snow!
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 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
@farrell - if that is really you.
Very impressive
https://www.youtube.com/user/janfarrell
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Many years ago Tignes ski school used to do a tourist speed ski event. Two friends did it, one reached the impressive speed of 73 MPH. Both where amazed at the accelaration.

Kudos to anyone that does it for "real"
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@iainm, Get the man in for real.
farrell wrote:
Hi everyone, thanks for being there, see you on the snow!

BTW, I enjoy your podcasts Iain.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Impressive career!

There was a great article in the FT about speed skiing with Jan: https://www.ft.com/content/f4c4251e-0816-11e8-9e12-af73e8db3c71

and I also recall watching a Rancho episode where, in his typical comedic way, he gives speed skiing a try:


http://youtube.com/v/8LE_Q1ufr54
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
So what will he do with the speedsuits & helmets now he‘s retired, save them for Apres ski?
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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?
Thanks @Grinning

re @farrell and his old helmets, having spoken to Chemmy yesterday, I can confirm that he very generously lends them out! Watch Ski Sunday this weekend (or possibly next) and see if you can spot it. Will do my best to get this week's pod out today so you can hear before Sunday's episode.
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The speed suit and helmet would go down great during Fasching week 2022. Imagine getting on the lift with him. Wonder if he would have to wear a COVID mask with that helmet. Is there a downhill speed record for an indoor ski hall?


Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Fri 29-01-21 10:24; edited 1 time in total
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
farrell wrote:
Hi everyone, thanks for being there, see you on the snow!


Welcome to snowHeads.
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DB wrote:
. Is there a downhill speed record for an indoor ski hall?


Yes there is and I think Farrell still holds it...
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
extremerob wrote:
Impressive career!

There was a great article in the FT about speed skiing with Jan: https://www.ft.com/content/f4c4251e-0816-11e8-9e12-af73e8db3c71

and I also recall watching a Rancho episode where, in his typical comedic way, he gives speed skiing a try:


http://youtube.com/v/8LE_Q1ufr54


The FT article brings back memories for me.

At the time of the 1992 Olympics I was the SCGB rep in Les Arcs. The event took place over four days. The first day they started about two thirds of the way up then moved progressively up to the top by the fourth day, eliminating the slower racers as they went. It was actually classed as an exhibition Olympic event.

I think there was only one fall during the racing and the racer, although taken to hospital, was not seriously hurt. The fatality occurred on the last morning, when a piste, probably red, was opened early for the racers only, so they could warm up. As the article said, a racer skied into a piste machine which presumably should not have been where it was. I thought it doubly tragic that it did not happen in the race itself.

The article also refers to the death of an English lady, Caitlin Tovar. That happened some years later. To get to the start point you had to cross the top of what was normally a steep black usually mogulled piste. The bigger teams had someone to carry their racing skis across for them, but the smaller teams had to get across on their 230 racing skis, which as the article points out, do not even have sharp edges. She slipped and fell down the moguls and wearing a slippery racing suit had no chance. I could not understand why firstly they did not prepare a track for racers to get across and secondly why there was no fencing to catch anyone that fell.

I felt it tragically ironic that both of those deaths could have been prevented.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Chemmy talks about Jan at about 53mins in although please feel free to listen to the whole podcast Happy Make sure you watch the next Ski Sunday to see her in action with Jan's helmet atop
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