Mark Nicholls enjoys a sparkling weekend of early season skiing and World Cup slalom racing in Gurgl, Austria.
There’s already a buzz in Gurgl – the ski season is barely days old and the slopes are deep with snow.
Racing
A school day in the life of one of Britain’s rising ski stars
Jump out of bed, throw on your uniform, grab a quick breakfast and run to catch the school bus. That may sound a familiar morning routine to many of us but what would it be like to start your school day on the side of a snow capped mountain?
Holiday auction set to raise funds for injured ski racer
Max Laughland, a promising skier sponsored by VIP SKI, encountered a setback last week during training as he suffered a broken collarbone and hand.
Despite this setback, Laughland had recently achieved a significant milestone by securing spots in four events for the GB Team in the Junior World Championships, which commenced last week.
Netski announces support for young British Team skier, Luca Carrick-Smith
PHOTO: racer-ready.co.uk
Netski, the newest brand in the family that includes the world’s largest ski rental chain SKISET, has announced a new partnership with a rising star of British skiing, Luca Carrick-Smith. The partnership deal includes support for the young ski racer that will help cover some costs as he goes into his first season targeting the Europa Cup races across Europe.
British Snowboarder Mia Brookes’ achievements recognised by Guinness World Records and European Olympic Committee
British Snowboarder Mia Brookes has been officially recognised as the youngest snowboarding world champion in the history of the sport, reports the Guinness World Records organisation.
Mia Brookes pictured earlier in her snowboarding career when she became the Junior World Freestyle Snowboard Champion.
At the age of 16 years 39 days, she won the women’s snowboard slopestyle at the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships in Bakuriani, Georgia, on 27 February 2023.
Halti and Snowsport England team up in new partnership
Outdoor clothing company Halti and Snowsports England have announced a partnership which will see coaches and staff wearing the Juonto M/W DX jacket, Trusty M/W DX pant, Streams Layer Jacket and Olas XCT Jacket.
English Alpine Championships serves up another nine days of thrills and spills in Bormio
British Racer Robert Holmes rounds-up the action from the English Alpine Championships held in Bormio recently
The English Alpine Championships is Snowsport England’s premier Alpine event when hundreds of the UK’s ski racers, along with their families, head to Bormio in Italy every year to compete – from children as young as eight right through to senior athletes.
Ladies Ski Club competes at Amateur Inter-Club Championships in Cortina
Some of the Ladies Ski Club members after the Super G race
Members of The Ladies Ski club travelled to Cortina d’Ampezzo recently to compete in the 15th Amateur Inter-Club Championships (AICC).
The competition was hosted by the ski club SC18 and the event got off to a resounding start with a Super G race on a stunning piste below the Cinque Torri.
Sierra Nevada victory moves Bankes into top spot in Snowboard Cross World Cup standingss
Charlotte Bankes on the winner’s podium in Cortina.
In her first World Cup competitions since the Bakuriani World Championships in Georgia, (see results below) Charlotte Bankes sealed brilliant back-to-back World Cup gold medals by winning the Sierra Nevada Snowboard Cross World Cup.
Mikaela Shiffrin’s 87th World Cup victory overtakes record set by Ingemar Stenmark
Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates her 87th World Cup victory in Are, Sweden.
Mikaela Shiffrin has cemented her place in skiing history by becoming the all-time leader in World Cup victories, surpassing Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 86 wins.
The American ski racer won her 87th World Cup race in Are, Sweden, on 11 March 2023, breaking the record held by Ingemar Stenmark and solidifying her position as the greatest skier of all time.
British freestyle skier Zoe Atkin gets March underway with a silver medal at at the Bakuriani Freestyle World Championships
Zoe Atkin, the 2021 World Championships Halfpipe bronze medalist, delivered a brilliant silver medal winning performance in the Women’s Freeski Halfpipe competition at the Bakuriani Freestyle World Championships at the beginning of March 2023.
Impressive month for GB Snowsports skiers and snowboarders
GB Snowsports athletes added another four podiums during February contributing to what could be become the most successful UK ski and snowboard season in history.
At the top of the class is Snowboard Cross Crystal Globe holder Charlotte Bankes (pictured). She recorded her second World Cup victory at the Cortina d’Ampezzo World Cup in Italy in early February. It was her first World Cup win in Cortina and moved her up to second in the season’s overall standings, behind Chloé Trespeuch of France. Britain’s Huw Nightingale took 41st place in the men’s races.
The BRITS Snowboard and Freeski championsips return to Cairngorm in April
Britain’s Freestyle Snowsport championships, the BRITS, return to the UK on 1-2 April 2023 and will be hosted on Cairngorm Mountain in Scotland.
The event, which has previously welcomed current and former British World Cup, World Championships, and Olympic Games athletes including Billy Morgan, Kirsty Muir, and Mia Brookes, will see hundreds of Freestyle athletes compete for the Ellis Brigham British Freeski Championships and the TSA British Snowboard Championships, as well as Banked Slalom and Rail Jam titles.
Chamonix-Mont Blanc’s spring ski touring event returns and is open to everybody from beginner to expert
‘La Trace des Grands’, Chamonix-Mont Blanc’s International Ski Mountaineering and Freeride Event, returns to the French resort for the second time on the 4-5 March 2023.
Conceived and organised by the Outdoor Legacy Association, this year’s event has three races to choose from following a route above the Argentière basin at the Grands Montets. The courses have been designed to cater for everyone from beginner to expert and allows public access at various strategic points, to create a festival atmosphere.
Magnificent Mia becomes the youngest British snowboarder to win a Freestyle World Championship
British snowboarder Mia Brookes has twice made history in Bakuriani, Georgia, becoming Britain’s youngest ever Freestyle World Champion in Freestyle Snowboard Slopestyle.
The 16-year-old from Cheshire (pictured) came into her second final run in silver medal position, but delivered a stunning performance which saw her land the first ever CAB 1440 double grab in a women’s snowboarding competition. That’s four full rotations. The incredible move scored her 91.38 to take a breathtaking World Championship Gold.
Carrick-Smith twins star in Pila
British ski racer Robert Holmes provides a round up of the January racing scene
The January ski racing calendar was extremely busy.
The New Year race scene started off with British children’s races in Austria with Ambition Ski Racing academy run races at Hinterreit and The British Ski Academy Anglo Scottish Championships in Pila, Italy.
Flaine hosts British Schoolgirls Races
The British Schoolgirls Races (30 & 31 Jan 2023) returned to Flaine after a three-year absence for its 62nd event.
Two competitors battle it out during the British Schoolgirls Races.
The competition, organised by the Ladies Ski Club, attracted 143 girls from 26 schools who competed over two days in excellent conditions in front of a large crowd of spectators including teachers, parents, coaches and a guest appearance by former British Racer and Olympian Chemmy Alcott.
Ladies’ Ski Club members go back in time for centenary celebrations in Mürren
by Matthew Lumb
As part of a series of events to celebrate the centenary of the Ladies’ Ski Club, members and guests were invited to take part in a fun costumed slalom race in Mürren, Switzerland. The race was held on 23 January 2023, the 100th anniversary, to the day, of the founding of the club.
British racer teams up with Dan’s Trust charity
British ski racer Charlotte Holmes, one of the Skier & Snowboarder magazine’s racing correspondents, has become an ambassador for Lancashire charity, Dan’s Trust which will now contribute towards the funds she needs to compete at the highest level.
Soak up the atmosphere at the Alpine World Championships while enjoying the charm of Les Menuires and Saint Martin de Belleville
If you want to enjoy the atmosphere of watching the Alpine World Championships being held on 6 – 19 February 2023 in the neighbouring French resorts of Meribel and Courchevel but prefer to get away from it all, the locals have the answer.