 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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PG, There is a big tangent to follow up on your message. I suggest a new topic thread, rather than hijack this one.
Off to work, but i will find time to reply to your various questions at some point in the day.
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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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PG, ok then, to address your points one at a time [and i will try not to bring and dirty laundry into this]
Dry slope racing,
This is at least maintaining numbers in the national level races. Most regions also seem to be doing well on local races, alhtough i am not sure about all of them.
Indoor snow.
An attempt was made back in 1995/1996 to establish a race series at Tamworth, which was broadly quite sucessful. For several reasons, (main organiser went working in the alps, slope manager that encouraged it moved on, and the financial difference between race revenue and normal slope income) the project withered away.
Fast forward to the Xscape centres, a few years ago. What started as a few on off events has now become a bigger race series. This year has a 4 event series and a British Indoor Championships. The numbers are quite reasonable, especially as they have clashed with dry slope races this year.
There are a lot of options for the future, including discussions with FIS and the series is expanding with the new Glasgow Xscape opening.
The indoor format is a little different to the normal dry slope. The way that has been found to make it work is to get on with the racing as quickly as possible. The slope has to be returned to the public at about the same time a 2nd run normally starts on a dry slope race. This means bringing the timetable forward if possible, and maybe squeezing in a dual race or so before the time slot expires. All admin, protests etc done after getting off the slope, equals happy slope management and affordable racing. To date this is not compatible with the format of runnig dry slope races, and is run seperatly from the governing body at this time.
Governing bodies.
Not sure what you are meaning here? Personally I was Chair of Alpine Racing Commitee for england 2002-2004 (for my various sins). Graham Beck, who is in charge of the indoor races was Chairman of Snowsport England for 6 years, and then made honourary president.
Your Training initiative.
This sounds great, and is a real boost to the younger racers. Jenny is an absolute godsend to the sport, and the more help she gets the better. She manages to cop any/all the flak from various parents and knockers.
There are of course other groups that can do with help, that operate under other noble aims.
A side point, but have you considered the lottery sports grant/sport aid "matching" schemes to go with the support you get in? There are quite a few other ways, likley already discussed with you by jenny such as gift aid, where you get the tax refunded on donations. This may mean going through the skiers trust.
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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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Thanks for the breakdown. Yes, I knew of both you and Graham Beck!
I was thinking about the communication lines (or lack of) when I mentioned the governing bodies, a bit of a running sore for a number of years. The sense of dislocation when you talk to grassroots race circuit members and ask them about their knowledge of the system and its administration, the feeling that the governing body itself is concentrating on the elite and has little time for the ordinary members involved.
Of course all this - hopefully - will be a thing of the past, with all the new initiatives proposed by the Modernisation Working Group. Yet to be realised of course, but there's some hope! Some discussion of this on a couple of threads on SnowRacers, here and and here.
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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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PG, hopefully not all the stuff about me was bad....
As stated in line 1 of my brief I am keen not to bring politics into dicussions. If however you are interested in any specifics, just fire me questions.
Of more use, if you want a hand with any of these proposals, even just to bounce some ideas off, just let me know
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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paulhothersall, appreciate and quite understand your position on internal politics.
JC has tentatively backed the plan, suggesting the Alpine exec as the 'body of excellence" to pick athletes that merit consideration. Seems fair enough to me. Don't want any involvement in that side of things. Would be nice to see at least some kids put forward whose parents don't consider the cost of training camps in the Alps as "small change" however.
Will definitely get back to you when things are clearer, thanks for the offer...
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Welcome to Snowheads Milky Bar Kid...
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Sherlock Chalets, howdy doody!. That takes me back to the old kings dual slalom days..... I even considered putting together a team a couple of years ago, and would consider giving it a go for "team 1990's" or some such. Time to find stamper eltons phone number.....
Might need to learn how to mono ski for the occasion
PG, The alpine exec is a sensible body, by in large. I completly agree with your concept of money to those that need it most. The governing bodies find it difficult to be objective from this point of view, as support from these should be based on talent/opportunity only, not on individuals financial status.
I can suggest a list of names for this to, although obviously not in a public forum. Of course these are only people I know about, so there will of course be others.
One thing I am working on with the RAF at the moment is getting early year J1 (ish) kids out to do speed training and downhill racing, "on the cheap" if possible.
One idea that was put into place a few years ago was a prize from TUI/Thomson for "free" training camps for the winners of the childrens age groups for the dry slope grand prix series. Perhaps an idea for consideration, eg the indoor snow series, or for best "non-team" racer in a mixture of events? I am not trying to put you off the original idea, but possibly things to consider in the future.
One thing that is of use to a lot of parents/small clubs would be an opportuity to train within a local race club in the alps, wihout having to go through a lot of the costs of the alpine clubs/main teams. Les arcs IIRC has a really good race piste, and the members of the club I have met seem very friendly and open.
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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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Thanks for the suggestions Paul. Definitely food for thought, but for this season I've sort of burnt my bridges by giving Snowsport GB the go ahead. I did drop a hint in my letter to JC that I felt it would be a real shame if some element of assessing parents' means wasn't involved somewhere along the line.
I would appreciate that list of names. I'm going to ask the Les Arcs Club committee if they will consider a "twinning" arrangement. I think the biggest resistance to the idea will be from the trainers themselves though, and clearly it's something that will need financing from somewhere as our own means are already stretched.
This is why I'm trying to bring in a third party, a commercial partner that would benefit from the positive exposure (supporting young British athletes) and could provide the funding to get something off the ground on a bigger scale in Les Arcs. We would need to be able to use an extra coach, we can't expand the size of current training groups. Hence this year's trial with a couple of British youngsters at the most until we can structure this properly.
I don't want to tread on the toes of existing centres of excellence in the Alps for British youngsters, BARA and Malcolm's Les Houches outfit, and so another hurdle is how this could be coordinated with them. Nothing's easy!
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FAQ
snowHeads! 
