After finishing his World Cup racing season in the French resort of Méribel last Sunday (20 march), British slalom skier Dave Ryding didn’t let the snow melt beneath his feet.
Dave inspects the Kandahar trophies with former club president Cleeves Palmer
He jumped in the car and sped through the Alps to the Bernese Oberland at the invitation of the Swiss resort of Mürren and its British ski racing club, the Kandahar, which counts Dave among its members.
Although he describes himself as ‘a one trick pony’ the slalom ace has an eye on Mürren’s annual downhill marathon, the Inferno.
The Kandahar’s past President Cleeves Palmer, a veteran of 35 Infernos, introduced Ryding to the Club’s collection of trophies, before a high-speed course inspection on the slopes of the Schilthorn (2970m).
The visit was an opportunity for Dave to unveil a commemorative stone celebrating a century of slalom racing.
His win in the Kitzbühel slalom, a first for a British skier in a World Cup race, came 100 years and one day after Arnold Lunn staged the first modern slalom on the Mürren practice slope on January 21, 1922.
Dave Ryding unveils the memorial stone in Mürren
“I’ve looked at Mürren from the other side of the valley so many times during the Lauberhorn weekend, and always wanted to visit the cradle of Alpine ski racing,” Dave told the assembled company of Mürren notables and the UK’s deputy ambassador Bill Longhurst, before lifting the Swiss and British flags to reveal the commemorative rock.
“Now I know the views are even better on this side,” Dave added.
After the unveiling, Dave headed home to Lancashire and Boskins café, which has been managed in his absence by his fiancée Mandy.
After a pre-nup holiday in Tenerife, the couple plan to tie the knot in May and are looking forward to the arrival of a daughter in June. Then, back to training for another World Cup season.
* The Skier & Snowboarder recently caught up with Dave Ryding in the Gurgl area of Austria where he trains. Topics included how he started racing, the Olympics, the cafe he has taken over with his fiancée, and what life could be like after skiing. For the full story CLICK HERE
Dave Ryding gets some air while skiing with Kandahar members on the Inferno course in Mürren
Categories: News, Racing, Switzerland