There comes a time within any sport when a touch of friendly competition can bring a new lease of life to your skills and development! Competitive spirit makes a regular appearance, at whatever level, in sports such as football, tennis and rugby; and there shouldn’t be any reason why a little sociable rivalry can’t come into play in snow sports.
The unfortunate reality is that, while most of us have seen or heard of the UK’s top skiers and snowboarders competing professionally abroad, it can prove very difficult to find a “just for fun” UK competition to show off the average or even advanced skills of British snow enthusiasts!
So, if you or your children have already put the time in on the snow and are looking to take your freestyle tricks, slalom skiing or snowboard cross to another level, or maybe you’re just looking to socialise with other snow-sports lovers on your home turf, keep an eye out for these open-to-everyone, friendly competitions.
> British Indoor Slopestyle Championships
If you’re planning on being the next Jenny Jones or Jamie Nicholls, land some tricks at the British Indoor Championships! Normally hosted at Chill Factore Manchester, the competition is open to adults and juniors, with categories for overall, under 16s and under 12s. A jam-style competition that sees plenty of creativity and some high-level tricks on rails and jumps, you will need to have previous freestyle experience to take part.
> Summer League Ski Racing
To enter most ski racing competitions you’ll need to be a member of your local dry slope or indoor centre’s race club. Once you have regularly attended the club sessions your coach will let you know when you’re ready to compete, but when they do, a competition like The Summer League will be a good starting point. The Summer League is aimed at all ages of skiers and is a good introduction to competitive ski racing in an informal and fun setting. Races are held at Ipswich, The Snow Centre Hemel Hempstead, Welwyn, Brentwood, Norwich, Bassingbourn and Tallington Lakes.
ersa.co.uk/ersa_summer_league_racing
> Morrow Jam
Britain’s longest-running friendly snowboard competition is now open to skiers and snowboarders! A slopestyle competition for all ages to land as many styled tricks as they can on boxes, rails and jumps. A competition famous for its “everyone gets a prize” motto runs annually at The Snow Centre Hemel Hempstead in early November. Competitors will need to have had previous experience riding freestyle features to enter.
morrowjam.co.uk
> Gap Nation
A slopestyle jam competition for skiers and snowboarders, adults and juniors, with the emphasis on fun! Whether you’ve only just started hitting the jumps or you’re imitating the likes of Aimee Fuller, with backflips over “big” gap kickers, Gap Nation’s park setups host a mix of beginner to advanced jumps, rails and boxes, and offer a variety of categories to win prizes in. Hosted at The Snow Centre Hemel Hempstead, the event usually takes place in June or July.
Check out their Facebook page to stay up to date!
facebook.com/GapNation
> English Indoor Ski and Snowboard Cross Championships
Organised by Snowsport England, the event normally takes place in June at Chill Factore, Manchester. In 2014’s competition over 90 adults and juniors took part, ranging from international-level skiers and snowboarders to athletes competing in their first ever event. So if you were inspired by the likes of Team GB’s Zoe Gillings during the Winter Olympics and you have a good level of snow-sports skills in the bag, this is an event not to be missed! The English Indoor Ski and Snowboard Championships also run mogul and slopestyle competitions.
Keep an eye on their Facebook page for their next event! facebook.com/EnglishSSBXChampionships