Delancey British Alpine Team Slalom star Dave Ryding has started the 2016-17 FIS World cup Season on a high by recording Britain’s best result in Alpine racing for a decade, taking sixth place in the opening slalom at Levi in Finland at the weekend.
Sixth is the best result in a decade for a British Alpine skier and comes after Ryding finished last season making the World Cup Finals by completing the tour in the world top 25.
In further good news for Ryding, Kent’s entrepreneur of the year, Quinn Estates MD, Mark Quinn, has announced an £8,000 sponsorship package for the slalom skiing star.
Dave Ryding’s 6th place on Sunday was a career-best in the World Cup Slalom. Lying in 4th place after the first run, Ryding looked impressive, and put in a solid second run to claim 6th overall, his first World Cup top 10 finish.
Ryding said after the race: “I am delighted. I am sure no-one expected a Brit in the top six. I have been working really hard all summer and specifically working on my steep sections. I have been skiing well and performing in training, but this was better than I expected. I really had to focus before the second run, and I knew I had to give it full gas to stay near the top.
“I was aiming to get a solid top 15, so 6th is amazing. I couldn’t have done it without my coaches Tristan and Ali, and without the support of BSS and my sponsors. I am now going to take a break before the next World Cup in Val d’Isere in mid-December.”
Ryding’s new sponsorship deal with Quinn Estates announced today is a return to his roots for company boss Mark Quinn (pictured below) as he also skied for the national team. Quinn went on to race on the international ski race circuit, before switching to pursue a career in ski coaching, becoming the youngest top qualified ski instructor and trainer in Britain. He retired, aged 24, to realise an ambition to set up his own business.
Twenty years since building Quinn Estates from scratch into one of the South-East’s most successful property development companies, Mark has decided to give back to the sport that first made his name.
Dave Ryding, the self-styled “Rocket of the Piste” from Lancashire, was introduced to the slopes as a child by his ski-mad father, Carl who encouraged him to take lessons at the local dry skip slopes near his home.
By the age of eight he was whizzing down the slopes at the French Alps resort of Samoens. It didn’t take long for his talent to get noticed – including selection for the England Ski Team and a place in the England and British Championships. In 2006 he became British Junior Champion.
To date he has taken part in two Winter Olympics – in Vancouver and Sochi – and has quickly rose through the ranks, cementing his position within Team GB as one of the UK’s top skiers.
The £8,000 sponsorship will make a significant contribution to his training costs as the 29-year old completes his conditioning to compete once again at the highest level and retain his place as Britain’s best slalom and giant slalom skier.
Mark Quinn, said there was nothing that gave him more pride than to back one of the brightest talents of British skiing.
“For me sponsoring Dave was a no-brainer. He, like many of our sporting heroes, depend on financial backing – and getting that backing can be just as competitive as being out on the slopes going for a PB, or a place on the podium.
“I am delighted to be able to back Dave in this way and wish him every success in the season ahead – including that gold medal at the next Winter Olympics in 2018. No pressure.”
“I am passionate about this sport, and while it’s been a few years since I skied competitively it is something that I continue to love – I can still spot a winner and for me Dave is just that, representing everything that is great about the sport.
“The success of Team GB in the summer Olympics and Paralympics in Rio proved the difference investment can bring in helping to bring home the gold medals that did so much to lift everyone’s spirits while the games were on.
Dave Ryding, thanked Mark and Quinn Estates for their support. He said:
“Its this kind of generosity that makes a sports person sleep easy at night and wake up ready and motivated to work hard.
“When Mark contacted me with enthusiasm and passion to support my ski racing career I knew he was a guy I wanted to work with. Driven, motivated and successful.
“Being a ski racer himself, he understands the challenges I face and the kind of goal I am striving to achieve. Skiing isn’t a main stream sport in the UK, but maybe one day people will wake up on the weekends ready to watch this beautiful sport on Eurosport before the football kicks off.
“My goals are to strive to be as good as I can be against the best people in the world. Nothing is guaranteed in sport, but I hope, that if I continue with dedicated practice and hard work I can continue to improve up the world rankings, to where?
“Who knows, but I do know the support from Mark and Quinn Estates, and my other faithful partners of course, will go a long way in helping me improve my program and take my mind away from stresses such as covering program costs.
“Support from Mark is tremendously important and is the foundation to which I can work from. I thank Mark and everyone at Quinn Estates for their generous support and I will continue striving to full fill my potential in Ski Racing.”
