Team GB Park and Pipe Freeski team Head Coach and Manager, Pat Sharples, has been recognised as the leading light in the elite training of British Freeski athletes. Pat first set up Freeski Training Camps along with Warren Smith over 15 years ago when freeskiing was just taking off and founded the hugely successful Salomon Grom Camps in the UK and Ireland. It has been another busy season for Pat, who has also become brand ambassador for award-winning British watch brand Elliot Brown.
So how busy are you?
This winter has probably been the busiest and most hectic winter I’ve ever had, to be honest! All very positive though. We have travelled around the USA, mainly for training and competitions, including the Dew Tour, World Cups, X Games and Boston Big Air and then went over to Pyeongchang in February for the Olympic test event in South Korea.
How are the team doing?
Our athletes have been doing great. Lots of awesome results including a few podiums, and more importantly, everyone is progressing well and loving the journey!
Are you seeing any rising stars?
Yes, we have many up-and-coming athletes who I couldn’t be more excited about right now. Molly Summerhayes, who won the World Junior Halfpipe Champs at the end of last winter, has been on great form.
Madi Rowlands, who is my youngest athlete (15) on the team, has been working incredibly hard, and she’s just been crowned the Youth Olympic Halfpipe champion, which is a fantastic achievement for her!
Are the Salomon Grom Camps you initiated still feeding the UK scene with talented youngsters?
The Salomon Grom Camps are still going strong, and we’re currently working to try and get some new dates for this year. It’s much harder trying to fit these in myself now as I’m consistently on the road, but it’s great to see so many other Freeski camps around the UK now, and all the ski and snowboard centres are making a huge effort to have freestyle sessions at their centres when they can.
Have you been to any new places or events you’d like to tell us a little about?
There have been so many places I have been to recently that it’s hard to think properly, but one of the places that has stood out to me is Winter Park in Colorado. I went there for my first time with the team in January, and we had a great couple of days. Also, the first-ever World Cup Big Air in Boston was an experience! Having this event at the Red Sox stadium in Fenway Park in front of over 15,000 people was pretty damn incredible! I hope this is the start of more events like this for the future.
Then there is Pyeongchang in South Korea, where the 2018 Olympics are going to be held. I have to say, this place is amazing, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. The people are great, the course locations are perfect and the food is interesting!
