The number of people hitting indoor snow centres and dry slopes in the UK is on the rise, thanks in part to the success of British athletes, endearingly known as the “Fridge Kids”, at Sochi.
Snowsport England, which endeavours to encourage snow sports participation (there are similar bodies in other British regions), has recently published data showing participation up by 23.1%, from 2011 to 2014.
Now a number of facilities and organisations are hoping to keep that momentum going, by introducing new initiatives to keep people skiing on British slopes, as well as trying to encourage the next generation of Fridge Kids.
- GoSkiGoBoard Extended For 2014–15
The GoSkiGoBoard initiative, designed to make learning to ski or snowboard easy with low, fixed-price beginner or improver sessions offered at centres across England, is to be extended for the coming year.
The programme, which launched a year ago, sponsored by Austria’s Tirol region, has attracted more than 10,000 participants, and new initiatives, “Go Freestyle” and “Go Race”, are being added using the same formula, with a focus on skiing gates, or trying the jumps and rails in the park.
- Snozone-Sponsored Riders
Many Team GB Winter Olympic athletes use the slopes at Snozone in Milton Keynes and Castleford, and the company has recently selected 23 riders, aged from 11–44, to join Team MK, becoming Snozone-sponsored riders. It is hoped that with the support of Snozone, they will now have the potential for future Olympic success.
Several of the UK’s other indoor snow centres, in Hemel Hempstead, Tamworth, Manchester, and Glasgow, have announced their own initiatives to encourage new talent.
- New Ski Race Academy
In association with the British Alpine Racing Ski Clubs (BARSC), Skiplex, the UK’s only continuous, indoor, revolving ski slopes, have set up a new ski race academy offering “introduction to ski racing” sessions for young children.
The aim is to give young skiers the opportunity to fast track into ski racing, and the chance to train with top British race coaches.
Children aged 6–10, who are already able to ski in parallel and want to start ski racing, are invited to sessions beginning 14 September, which will take place every Sunday morning from 8–10am at all three Skiplex centres – Reading, Basingstoke, and Chiswick in west London.
- Freestyle Friday Nights
“Freestyle Friday Nights” has been launched by Active Nation at Alpine Snowsports in Southampton. The inaugural event this summer saw three dozen people come and have a go at freestyle skiing and snowboarding in the company of Sochi Olympian Billy Morgan, who was back at the slope where he started almost 10 years ago, riding the brand new freestyle features, and giving tips and advice to the adults and youngsters taking part.
“It’s been a few years since I’ve ridden down at the Alpine Centre like that. Rocking up to see heaps of people of all ages enjoying it like I did when I was younger is so inspiring. I hope that it carries on, grows the freestyle scene, and allows us to build on and improve the slope and features” said Morgan.