Schools Snowsports Magazine 22-23

Welcome to the newest edition of Schools Snowsports magazine. Out in time for the schools ski racing season 22-23.

What a year it’s been! It was still difficult for a lot of schools to travel to the alps which fed the desire for UK based events and built on the National Schools Leagues through last winter, with over 100 skiers new to racing through that series, we are really proud of it’s success and excited to see it grow year on year.

As usual, we’ve been really busy with the National Schools Leagues keeping schools ski racing running at a local level, culminating in a national final in May, with over 100 racers at the finals, held at Swadlincote. More info on page 20-21.

After a bit of a false start, we are go for the Alpine All Stars and we’ve been adding events to our calendar, including running some bespoke events for schools organisations such as SATIPS and IAPS.

Our Sponsorships and Partnerships have grown with partners such as Halsbury Ski at many of our events.

The National Schools Squad programme increased and over 30 children took part in alpine training with us from the squad.

experience life as a member of a squad such as this.

Our most successful British Schools Alpine Open Championships race, so far, ran in Pila and we have great plans to build on this for the coming season – see page 32.

Our GCSE filming and Private Lessons are growing, offering more and more to schools and its pupils across the UK.

Our Schools Instructor Programme has continued with it’s success and we are at over 50 newly qualified instructors through this programme – our next step is to run a pilot level 2 course for some of those who have already completed the Level one.

As with last year, we continue to innovate and expand what we are doing with schools, becoming a more holistic schools snowsports organisation which can only help to bring more children into this great sport that we are all passionate about.

I hope you enjoy this edition and would welcome any feedback or, if you would be interested in contributing to the next edition, please contact us on office@schoolssnowsports.co.uk

Phil Brown

THE NATIONAL SCHOOLS SQUAD WITH THE NSSA

The NSSA are proud to select and run the National Schools Squad each year, with children selected from the NSSA Races in the UK. Off the back of a tough year in 20-21, with very little action for the National Schools Squad, we were very pleased to be able to run a programme for the squad throughout last season. With the support and formal recognition from Snowsports England, this was a great boost for our organisation.

The squad remains in place to help smooth the transition from schools racing into the club environment, we have partnered with Impulse Racing to offer a pathway into the club racing world. Impulse have been running training and races for us since their inception and are headed up by an ex national team coach with over 30 years experience within the British system.

We are the only schools organisation, affiliated to Snowsport England with a fully transparent selection criteria – children know exactly what they need to do to be selected and invited onto the squad. A medal winning performance is needed in one of the selection events. This can be as an individual or part of a school team.

For the 2022-23 squad, the selection events are and have been:

• The English Schools Indoor Open Champs – April 2022

• The National Schools League Finals – May 2022

• The British Schools Indoor Open Champs – June 2022

• The National Schools Indoor Open - North – Sep 2022

• The National Schools Indoor Open – South – Oct 2022

We are also looking at an additional intake from the following races

• The National Schools Outdoor Open - South – 12th Nov 2022

• The National Schools Outdoor Open - North – 13th Nov 2022

• The UK Schools National Outdoor Open Champs –20th Nov 2022

Last season we ran two successful squad orientation days with several alpine and Landgraaf camps allowing choice for all squad members and giving them options which allow them to continue with other sports they may take part in as we believe that, for young athletes, multisports is a great way for them to improve. The numerous dates also allow for minimal time off school for those that may be unable to take this time off.

We ask that those selected, if wishing to take up a place, take part in the following: UK orientation day – this consists of skiing and other activities.

Then, either two short Landgraaf Camps or one Alpine camp. There is a choice of several dates for each of these and the emphasis is on these camps is on skiing. We talk about fitness but believe this is not done on these camps at this level as it will increase fatigue, leading to a drop in ski performance and, potentially, injury. We have seen this happen with other groups trying to run above the level of the group and feel that the fitness side is best built at home, in the UK.

All those attending the UK day will receive a squad members hoody for that year and those with full commitment receive jackets which they are free to wear to school, training with their club etc.

If you are invited to the squad, please reply with whether you are interested or not. We appreciate that not everyone can commit due to other pulls on their time, whether that be other sports or other skiing commitments.

For information, selection events for the following year will be as follows:

• The English Schools Indoor Open Champs – April 2023

• The National Schools League Finals – May 2023

• The British Schools Indoor Open Champs – June 2023

• The National Schools Indoor Open - North – Sep 2023

• The National Schools Indoor Open – South – Oct 2023

With an additional intake from the following races

• The National Schools Outdoor Open - South – Oct/ Nov 2023

• The National Schools Outdoor Open - North – Oct/ Nov 2023

• The UK Schools National Outdoor Open Champs –Nov 2023

For any further information or questions, please contact us at; office@schoolssnowsports.co.uk

GCSE PE SKIING

Working with the NSSA, Impulse work to run sessions that deliver both the Competitive and technical elements required by exam boards for GCSE PE – Skiing.

The majority of the exam boards currently require candidates to be assessed on snow and not on dry slopes which is very unfortunate as we would love for the exam boards to recognise the excellent work that is going on training our skiers and racers on plastic and indoors in this country.

Tips for planning for your GCSE skiers for the foreseeable:

• Have they got any historical footage that you can use? You will not get away with footage of them hurtling down a slope after their parents at 5 years old but your moderator may accept footage from a school, competition or family ski trip from the past couple of years.

• Take them to an indoor slope to record the skills and if you can, some competitive skiing. The National Schools Snowsports Association can help with this.

• Are they planning on a family ski trip? Encourage them to ask their parents to film them on a variety of runs. Write a check list for videoing for the parents to follow, keeps them on track! If they are in lessons, brilliant perhaps the instructor can do all the work!

• Contact the NSSA if you’d like to know about how they can help with putting on GCSE PE training

sessions or advising on the quality of footage that you have gathered. We are here to help.

• Many schools have ski trips planned for the upcoming season. Who knows? Have a plan ready if they do. If you have a number of skiers on the trip requiring filming, assign a couple to each member of staff and use your rep and instructors. Ask your rep and the ski school to organise a race with the GCSE skiers during the week. Take a laptop with you and get the candidates to edit their own footage during down time or evenings! Let them take some responsibility, they are also usually much quicker than we are at doing tech stuff!

Most UK exam boards ask for competitive skiing to be filmed and the footage from a phone, with poor zoom facility will, in most likelihood not be sufficient. This is where the NSSA can help with the use of professional coaches, experienced in filming these skills for numerous years and using good quality HD cameras with adequate zoom facilities.

For more information, or to book your school or individual for this service, please contact office@schoolssnowsports.co.uk for information and assistance.

Finally, good luck to you and all your candidates.

Need to get some good footage for your GCSE PE?

The NSSA, working with Impulse, has great experience in collecting the relevant footage for numerous exam boards.

We run these through coached sessions at our partner indoor centres and in the alps.

GCSE AND BTEC ASSESSMENTS

• Carried out by professional coaches in the UK and the alps

• Including hi resolution video footage, edited for each trainee

• We cover the technical and competitive elements required by most Exam boards

• More cost effective than a ski trip and submitted in an accepted format

• No need to take up part of your ski holiday

A LEVEL ASSESSMENTS

We can offer specialist, professional advice on how and where to do these, take the required video and set up the competitive element in a mountain environment.

For information and to arrange and book these sessions please contact us on the below e-mail, or telephone 01279 444621 www.schoolssnowsports.co.uk | office@schoolssnowsports.co.uk

The NSSA proudly support the work of Snow Camp who have been turning young lives around with the power of snowsports since 2003. With the charities 20th anniversary year in 2023, and over 1000 young people being impacted by their work year-on-year, there’s never been a better time to get involved, take on a challenge, fundraise or support Snow Camp’s life-changing work with young people across the UK. To find out more visit snowcamp.org.uk, or get in touch with Dan Keeley at dan.k@snow-camp.org.uk who’ll be very pleased to hear from you.

SNOW-CAMP IN 2022

TURNING YOUNG LIVES AROUND WITH THE POWER OF SNOWSPORTS

By using a unique combination of skiing, snowboarding, life-skills training, qualifications and vocational opportunities, Snow-Camp engage youngpeople-at-risk by offering an alternative path away from the inner-city estates and the issues that may be facing them on a daily basis, to new horizons and positive opportunities which simply wouldn’t be available to them otherwise.

Coming back strongly from the pause which we all experienced with Covid, we spoke to Dan Keely from SnowCamp.

Firstly Dan, how did you get involved with Snow-Camp?

With a background in sports development, a passion for social impact and having qualified as a BASI Level 2 Ski Instructor in 2011, I jumped at the chance of joining the Snow-Camp team in early 2012 as the Snowsports Community Manager.

I remember on day 1 thinking about the impact the mountains had on me when I was lucky enough to go on my first school ski trip, and now having the opportunity to channel my professional experience towards offering this opportunity to those less fortunate than I was, just with 10x the impact given the background of so many of the young people we work with!

What does the team look like today?

We have an amazing & dedicated team working tirelessly behind the scenes at Snow-Camp; both from our HQ in Brighton and in each of the regions we’re running our programmes across the UK. We’ve also grown our Apprenticeship programme over recent years, helping us to deliver our programmes and inspire the next generation of young people coming through our programmes. It’s a privilege to be a part of.

How has Snow-Camp grown to where it is today as an award-winning & nationally recognised youth charity.

For the first 10 years of Snow-Camp we were solely working with young people from London. That was until we received & responded to the call to support young people in Scotland which kick-started our ‘5NOW’ national expansion to establish our programmes today in 6 UK regions by and now comes the next chapter for all the team as we work with over 1000 young people each year, with more young people than ever before completing the full Snow-Camp journey culminating with a life-changing week in the mountains and gaining a Snowsport England or Snowsport Scotland Level 1 Instructor or Assistant qualification.

You’ve prided yourself on being integral to the snowsports industry from the beginning. Tell us about the partnership with the National Schools Snowsports Association.

Knowing we provide opportunities for young people that would otherwise never get the opportunity to experience snowsports and the mountain environment has always been something we’ve celebrated in collaboration with the governing bodies and all corners of the snowsports industry.

Our partnership with the NSSA has been evolving year-on-year, which for us offers the perfect synergy as we’re both so passionate about supporting young people from all demographics with the power of snowsports. It’s this season where we’re taking things to new heights by getting our young people involved with the UK & overseas racing events wherever possible whist constantly evolving our partnership through other fundraising initiatives and raising awareness of each other’s work.

How can the NSSA community support Snow-Camp looking ahead to 2022/23?

We would love to hear from any coach, teacher, parent, pupil or club would like to fundraise for Snow-Camp or discuss a new charity partnership!

Every £100 raised for Snow-Camp pays for one new young person to join us on our 2-day beginner First Tracks programme. Every £500 raised enables one young person to experiences the mountains for the first time on our Excel programmes. Every £2000 paying for a full Snow-Camp Bursary – sponsoring one young person through the full life-changing Snow-Camp journey.

Over the past few years we’ve had some amazing supporters, school groups and ski clubs taking on a whole variety of fundraising challenges & events – one of our

favourite still being a school group who skied continuous laps of a dedicated ski slope one afternoon on their annual ski trip entirely in fancy dress. In this particular case there were 65 pupils rocking their onesies on the snow who collectively raised over £850 towards our work.

Whatever the challenge or whichever way the NSSA community want to get involved with Snow-Camp as we look towards the next 15 years of turning young lives around, we want to hear from you!

To get involved, please contact Dan directly by emailing dan.k@snow-camp.org.uk or by calling 01273 241383 or 07803 876455. To find out more about Snow-Camp, visit www.snow-camp.org.uk

Thank You

SNOWSPORT ENGLAND

The NSSA are pleased to be affiliated to Snowsport England as an approved schools organisation, delivering programmes through schools, aligning with the Snowsport England vision.

As most of you will know, Snowsport England are the National Governing body for snow sport in England and are directly funded by Sport England. It is our responsibility and mission to promote the interests of snow sport enthusiasts and all aspects of their sports, both in England and abroad too.

Our vision is inspiring participation in snowsport at every level from Alpine skiing and Snowboarding to Freestyle and Nordic skiing too. We try to look after everybody, including those who are just starting out in the sport, through to supporting those who compete and everybody in between.

As with any sport, getting people involved is one of the biggest challenges and the last couple of years have

been a difficult for everyone, snow sport included. It has, however, given us a chance to look at how we approach schools in general and how we can attract more children to take up the sport. Some of the current initiatives include:

The Futures Project and new Talent Pathways Snowsport England have also recently re-started The Futures Project with some new talent pathways for young people. This initiative aims to support and encourage young people aged between six and eighteen to get more involved in snow sports and develop their Skiing and Snowboarding skills. As part of this, an exciting new Ski Cross initiative has been created, building on the successful Futures Sessions, and is being launched and delivered in partnership with GB Snowsport this summer

Starting with a series of events at one of the official Snowsport England Futures hubs at Norfolk Snowsports Centre, the initiative is open to both young people who

are completely new to ski cross and to those that have already competed. Ski Cross is head-to-head racing around courses which typically incorporate features usually found in freestyle skiing, like jumps and highbanked turns. Ski Cross is considered a freestyle discipline, but utilises alpine skills, and so is open to competitors from every background who may want to get involved.

This is a great opportunity for development if you are an Alpine or Freestyle athlete and are looking to try something new or to expand your existing skills into the adrenaline packed world of ski cross.

If you require anymore information about what we are currently doing and how we do it, please go to www.snowsportengland.org.uk an email to info@snowsportengland.org.uk

5 “MUST DOS” FOR

RACE-DAY SUCCESS

A fundamental question you need to ask is: “What do I need to do to be totally prepared to ski my best on race day?” If you ask the top-ten men and women on the World Cup, you will probably get 20 different answers. But, having asked this question of many world-class ski racers, I have found five themes that underlie their responses.

Must-do #1: Control Or Not To Control

The life of a ski racer can be stressful. There are many things that you can worry about and that can make you depressed, angry, frustrated, and distracted, all of which will hurt your skiing. Unfortunately, many racers worry about the wrong things. The big problem is that many racers get stressed out about things over which they have absolutely no control. In your ski racing life, there are some things you should think about and others you shouldn’t. Things that you should pay attention to are those things over which you have control. These include your physical condition, effort, attitude, thoughts, emotions, behavior, equipment, and preparation. All of these are within your control, so by thinking about them, you can ensure that they are all working for you rather than against you.

At the same time, things in your ski racing life that you have no control over, yet you still may think about, include competitors, coaches, officials, parents, start number, weather, terrain, course, and snow conditions.

If you think about these, you’re creating stress, wasting energy, and preventing yourself from focusing on aspects of your skiing that will actually help you ski fast.

The next time you find that you are under stress, ask yourself one question: “Is the thing that I am worried about under my control?” If it’s not, let it go and focus on things you can control. If it is within your control, instead of worrying about, do something about it!

Must-do #2: Expect The Unexpected

A major source of stress for ski racers is the unexpected things that can come up on race day. The natural reaction to unexpected events is to, well, freak out. You worry, lose confidence, become tense, and get distracted. In that mental and physical state, you have little chance of skiing your best.

During the course of a race weekend, all kinds of things can wrong. On the way to races, airlines can lose skis and bags can be stolen. At the races, skis can get broken, goggles can become fogged, and buckles can break. If you’re not prepared, you’re going to stress out and probably ski poorly.

There are two ways to deal with the unexpected. First, expect the unexpected. This can be accomplished easily. Take a sheet of paper and on the left side of the page, make a list of all the things that can go wrong at a race. Think travel, weather, gear, and race schedule, for starters. Then, on the right side, list solutions to these events. For example, if skis are stolen, racers should know someone beforehand who has an extra pair of skis that is similar to their own and who is willing to lend them. Or, if racers have fogged goggles, they can carry some napkins or

have an extra pair in a bag at the start. Using this strategy, you prevent yourself from freaking out by preventing the unexpected event from being, well, unexpected.

Of course, you can’t anticipate everything (s#*& happens in ski racing!), so the key then becomes how you react to that unexpected thing (e.g., the lift stops and you might miss your start). You have two choices here. Either experience the aforementioned freak out, which I’m sure you would agree doesn’t do you any good. Or stay calm and look for a solution to the unexpected event. I can assure you that you will feel and ski a whole better if you can keep your cool. And it’s been my experience that, with 20/20 hindsight, that thing that caused you such stress wasn’t really worth the reaction.

Must-do #3: Trust Your Ability On Race Day

A disagreement I have gotten into with coaches involves whether it is good for racers to think about technique right before and during a race. They argue that if they don’t think about technique they won’t ski well. But it’s my belief that if you have to think about technique on race day, you haven’t fully ingrained it and one of two things will happen. Either you will not be able to use the technique in a race or you will be so focused on the technique that you forget to go fast. Yes, for some racers, particularly young ones, a specific technique may allow them to ski fast. But good technique and speed aren’t always connected. There is a time and a place to think about technique. That time is during training. It is here that you analyze your skiing and focus on a particular part of your skiing in order to develop it. With repetition in training, the new technique becomes automatic and it will then help you to ski faster in races.

But when race day arrives, you shouldn’t question, doubt, analyze, or think about technique. If you do

not have a technique down by the time you get to the starting gate, you probably won’t be able to use it effectively in the race. Whatever capabilities you bring to the start, trust yourself, and go as fast as you can with what you have on that day.

Must-do #4: Start Area Preparation

The most critical period before your race run is the time you spend in the start area. What you do there will often dictate the success of your run. There are three things that must be done to ensure that you ski your best. First, you must prepare your equipment: bindings, edges, bases, boots, clothing. The last thing you want to worry about before your run is your equipment, so you want to get it ready first.

Second, you must get physically ready. This involves stretching, doing warm-up exercises, and making turns. The best measure of whether your body is ready to ski its best is if you have worked up a sweat. A sweat indicates that your muscles are warm and loose, and you have plenty of oxygen and blood flowing through your body.

Finally, you must get mentally prepared. This phase involves putting on your “race face,” that is, narrowing

your focus onto the race, using mental imagery to rehearse key parts of the course, thinking positively, and actively moving toward your ideal intensity. This preparation will lead to a level of readiness in which, as you enter the starting gate, you are totally prepared to ski your best and you only have one thing on your mind: skiing as FAST as you can!

Must-do #5: Commit Yourself To Your Race Runs

Before every race run, you have a choice to make. Should you “bring it” and risk a mistake or DNF? Or should you ski tentatively and try to finish? Well, as we all know, cautious skiing is always a recipe for disappointment and regret. If you go easy, at best, you will be slow. At worst, you will be really slow. One of the most important things you must do when you get into the starting gate is to be totally committed to going as fast and aggressively as you can, in other words, choose to go “full send,” while accepting that it might not work out.

To ski fast, you have to be 100% committed to skiing the very fastest you can. Unfortunately, as you develop as a racer, you will often come upon courses, terrain, or conditions that you think are over your head. You may be uncertain about going all out. This uncertainty creates doubts and anxiety. If you try to ski with this mindset, you are going to ski tentatively and bale out at the first sign of trouble.

So before your race run (in fact, training runs too), make sure that you are focused on skiing to as

aggressively as possible. Make sure you are totally committed to doing it all the way. If you aren’t totally committed, get refocused and committed, then GO FOR IT! By being committed, you will ski better and faster, have a better chance of getting the results you want, and have a whole lot more fun.

Must-do Bonus Tip #6: Avoid One Emotion and One Question

You only have one shot race (well, actually for slalom and GS). Have you ever played it safe in a race, saw how slow you were, and kicked yourself for not having gone for it more? It’s a terrible feeling! You look back up the hill and wish you hadn’t skied so timidly. Finishing just doesn’t feel very good when you’re slow. After every race run, you want to look back up the hill and, whether you finished or not, be able to say that you were going for it. If you DNF, there’s the frustration of having not finished, but the satisfaction that you were going really fast.

There is one emotion you never want to feel and one question you never want to ask in your ski racing (or life). The emotion you don’t want to feel is regret. What’s regret? Wishing you had done something different (unless you have a time machine, that was an opportunity that you can’t get back). The one question you don’t want to ask is “I wonder what could have been?” After your race run, race, season, career, and life, the statement you want to be able to make is “I gave it everything I had.” And the emotion you want to experience is pride in knowing that you left it all on the hill.

Want to make mental training a part of your winter training and race program? Here are a few options:

• Read my Ski Racing blogs.

• Read my latest mental training book: Train Your Mind for Athletic Success.

• Sign up for one of my online mental training courses for racers, coaches, or parents.

• Work with me 1:1.

Jim Taylor, Ph.D., Psychology is an internationally recognized authority on the psychology of performance, parenting, technology, and popular culture.

Dr. Taylor speaks regularly to elementary and secondary schools, parent and education associations, and youthsports programs around the US and in the UK.

TRAINING OUTSIDE the winter season

As you finish the ski season, we look toward how to keep yourself sharp through the summer to ensure that you ‘hit the ground running’ when the next season begins.

Fitness

You can help yourself get the most out of your skiing next season by keeping fit for skiing and, whilst aerobic training such as cycling or jogging can help, skiing is a largely anaerobic sport where we exercise in short bursts which can be heavy on muscle use.

Things like sprints (bike or running) and HIIT are really good training for skiing so I’d recommend these types of training throughout the year to keep fit for skiing.

ON SKI TRAINING

UK:

There is nothing like actually practicing the sport to keep ‘match fit’ and there are multiple opportunities for this in the UK either at one of the many outdoor, dry slope facilities or in one of the 6 indoor snow facilities. And don’t forget the several indoor, rolling carpet facilities which, whilst they feel odd to begin with, give the longest ski run to practice on.

To get the most out of training on your skis in the summer, rather than just free ski on the UK facilities, get some training or coaching. Not only will this help improve you, it will make your trip to the slope much more interesting and give you focus. Just skiing without focus on 150-170 metres might not keep you enthused so look into this.

Further Afield:

There are some great facilities not too far across the channel with 300+ metres of indoor snow. Landgraaf in the Netherlands is one that we have been using for 15 years, with 3 slopes of 30 metres wide and half a Km long, this really has to be tried. At -5 indoors and, in the summer, maybe 30 outside, it’s certainly something to experience.

Landgraaf is 3-3.5 hours from Calais and has a hotel on site, a gym, bars and restaurants to make it a self contained year round resort.

A weekend here can yield as much skiing as some people get in a week on a mountain. With guaranteed conditions, It’s great for improving skiing and as a social trip.

There is also the choice to head to one of the European glaciers – these are dotted about the alpine countries with varying dates for opening and closing. To give a true alpine trip. Beware that the conditions can be tough, variable and, with the glaciers being high and exposed, prone to closure for a day or two. That said, the conditions, weather and skiing can be amazing!

What To Do? And How?

You can pop along to your local facilities and just book a session or a coached session, join a club or just take some time to practice.

We run some coached sessions at facilities in the UK and private training at both Hemel and Manchester indoor centres.

We are also visiting Landgraaf for a few trips in summer between May and October to avail of that great facility. Why not join us? Drop me a line –phil@impulse-racing.co.uk

Get prepped for your ski season

That feeling of freedom on the slopes...

... gently carving through powder

No one wants aches and pains leading up to the ski season and no one wants to get injured on a ski trip either, but sometimes we get unlucky.

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By delivering gentle, specifically formulated bioelectrical currents via discrete, stick-on pads that attach to the area or muscles that are injured or niggling, you can use mitouch on the go without anyone even knowing it’s there Skis on or off, mitouch supports you as you want it to with tailored treatments when you need or want them.

It's already being used by doctors, physiotherapists and pro athletes to both manage pain and aid recovery In fact, it's become an important part of training and recovery for over 40 elite, professional and Olympic athletes including GB team, and world champion skiers

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Back to being you.

AWARENESS IN MENTAL HEALTH SOARS

Based at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead, Snowbility have created a safe environment with an infinite sense of adventure and fun, where each student feels special, and every course is tailored to deliver a unique personal experience. This engagement, in a purposeful activity, enhances their social, emotional and communication skills, whilst improving fitness, balance, concentration and self-confidence.

Snowbility’s coaching methods go way beyond teaching their students to ski or snowboard. They work in partnership with them, their families, carers, and other health and social care professionals to develop a personalised programme centred round the needs of every individual. This enables the team to read how their students will react, whilst developing their nonverbal communication skills, ability to balance and continuously building their confidence by charting and rewarding their progress.

Individuals with additional needs and mental health challenges are gaining invaluable life-changing skills through skiing and snowboarding with Snowbility. With their slogan, ‘It's cool to be different’ Snowbility are supporting SEN schools, their students, families, and carers to achieve amazing results.

Snowbility is the first of its kind to receive Accreditation Status and Commendation from the National Autistic Society (NAS). They have also been accredited by the NAS for their online Yeti Fitness Academy where they deliver virtual activity sessions for anyone with social, sensory, physical, or mental health challenges who find it difficult to get to a gym or other exercise facility.

Snowbility is the brainchild of Ski Development Coach, Richard Fetherston, and here is what he had to say: “Our aim is to enrich the lives of our students, parents, carers, and teachers we work with, by giving those with additional needs and mental health challenges the opportunity to develop both emotionally and physically through skiing and snowboarding. Once we get our pupils skiing and their families start to see the changes, then they all benefit; everyone gets involved. It is truly humbling to see lives change in such a positive way.”

The team are fully qualified ski and snowboard instructors with the knowledge, experience, and passion to provide tailor-made coaching for a wide range of complex physical, psychological, and mental health needs, including learning disabilities, autism, dyspraxia and hard of hearing.

Here is what West Lea School in London had to say: “Simply one of the best experiences our learners have had during their lifetime. Our learners have different complex needs, but the instructors were still able to ensure everyone had the same opportunity and fun. Our learners have not stopped speaking about their ski-trip and are hopeful to take part in more in the future.”

To find out how we can support you, contact Kathy Morris at kathy@snowbility.co.uk www.snowbilty.co.uk

NATIONAL SCHOOLS RACE LEAGUES

Launched during the pandemic as a way of keeping some schools racing going, this series has proved very popular.

The success and hunger for the programme gives us great pleasure and the year on year growth is gratifying to see.

Having run these local events for two years now, we are expanding to more slopes and having some clubs run these on our behalf at slopes we cannot feasibly get one of our coaches to.

This programme Provides a nationally accessible competition framework for schools and individuals representing their schools whilst ensuring that events worked within the current rules and guidelines from both the government and sports governing bodies.

In the last two years, nearly 2 hundred first time racers have got involved in the sport through these great events.

WHAT IS THE NSSA NATIONAL SCHOOLS RACE LEAGUES?

How does it work?

At each slope taking part, a course will be set and marked*. Then at least twice per term, the NSSA or the local club will run sessions at the slope on the same day. Sessions will be 1.5-2 hours long and include some gate training.

Results for both teams and individuals will be available on our website and likely on GBski, updated after each session.

The leagues are followed by the National Leagues Finals in May. To be selected for the final a racer must finish in the top 3 in their gender and age at a venue. With a potential 12 timed runs on the same course at each venue, racers have plenty of chances to improve their times and placing.

*Due to the need for the course to be the same and marked, the leagues will take place on dry slopes only.

Can I take part in more than one date/venue?

Absolutely! It is possible for anyone or any school to take part at whatever venues they wish and as many times as they wish.

National Final

Those individuals and school teams that are in the top 3 of each league for age and gender, will be invited to the national final, to be held during summer term at a venue to be decided. Should numbers be great enough, we may need to run semi finals.

Who is it aimed at?

Skiers of all levels, representing their school. They can be National level, club level, or just wishing to try racing.

How do I get involved?

Dates and Venues are on our website and the opposite page and we will be publishing dates and venues each year during the early part of the autumn term for that academic year. Entry will be online. To ensure that you are kept in the loop, please sign up to our newsletter or follow us on social media. We can also be contacted below

NSSA website www.schoolssnowsports.co.uk Leagues info - https://schoolssnowsports.co.uk/nssanational-schools-race-leagues/ e-mail: office@schoolssnowsports.co.uk

NATIONAL SCHOOLS LEAGUES

2022-2023 CALENDAR

The list below shows the 2 hour open events scheduled for the coming academic year.

There will also be events run by some local clubs.

Schools can book bespoke sessions, through the NSSA, at any of the slopes taking part.

Contact office@schoolssnowsports.co.uk

WELWYN - Sat Oct 1 12.30 | Sun 27 Nov 12.30

Sun Jan 15 at 12.30 | Sun Mar 5 at 12.30

BRENTWOOD - Fri Dec 2 18.00 | Fri Jan 20 18.00

Fri Feb 10 18:00 | Fri Mar 10 18.00

ALDERSHOT - Fri Nov 25 17.30 | Fri Jan 13 17.30

Fri Mar 3 17.30

SANDOWN - Sun Oct 9 14.00 | Sun Dec 4 14.00

Sun Jan 22 at 14.00 | Sun Mar 12 at 14.00

SOUTHAMPTON - Fri Nov 4 19.00

Fri Dec 9 19.00 | Fri Feb 3 at 19.00

Fri Mar 17 at 19.000

GLOUCESTER - Fri 18th Nov 19.00

Fri 6th Jan 19.00 | Fri 24th Feb 19.00

Fri 24th Mar 19.00

SWADLINCOTE - Sun Oct 2 16.00

Sun Nov 27 16.00 | Sun Jan 15 16.00

Sun Mar 5 16.00

TELFORD - Fri Oct 7 18.30 | Fri Dec 2nd 18.30

Fri Jan 20 18.30 | Fri Mar 10 18.30

ROSSENDALE - Sat Nov 5 14.00

Sat Dec 10 14.00 | Sat Feb 4 14.00

Sat Mar 18 14.00

LLANDUDNO - Sat Nov 19 17.00

Sat Jan 7 17.00 | Sat Feb 25 17.00

Sat Mar 25 17.00

BOWLES - Thurs 20th Oct | Thurs 1st Dec

Thurs 2nd Feb | Thurs 2nd Mar

All 17:00 to 19 00

IPSWICH - Fri Oct 14 18.00 | Sat Dec 10 16.00

Sat Feb 4 16.00 | Sat Mar 18 16.00

We are currently talking to slopes and clubs in addition to the above where the slope or club will run the league sessions to our standard operating procedure. These include Silksworth, Pembrey and at least two venues in Scotland. Watch our social media for announcements.

HOW TO CUT THE CARBON COST

of Travelling to a Ski Resort

Iain

Martin, founder Ski Flight Free & The Ski Podcast

Whether you are a group organiser, parent or student, you will be aware of the global importance of reducing carbon emissions.

Val d'Isère has just announced that will not be opening their Pisaillas glacier for summer skiing due to lack of snow. Tignes is equally concerned that they will have to cut short their summer season.

Last year’s COP26 in Glasgow agreed that we all need to take further action to put the brakes on global warming.

There are many ways you can reduce the impact of a ski holiday. This can be as simple as selecting a resort powered by renewables; renting or borrowing clothing instead of buying new; choosing more vegetarian meals; or deciding not to use single-use plastics.

However, the single most important decision you can make about your skiing holiday is how you choose to travel.

A recent study by the French ski areas of La Clusaz, Le Grand Bornand and Tignes concluded that travel represents 74% of the carbon footprint of a day’s skiing for a UK holidaymaker travelling by plane. With that in mind, here are our three key tips for reducing the carbon impact of your ski trip:

1. Travel by Coach

According to specialists, Snow Express, travel by coach and ferry to a ski resort generates only 13% of the carbon emissions of flying and then taking a transfer.

To put that in context, it’s the equivalent saving per passenger of using a tumble dryer every other day for a year or boiling a kettle 3000 times.

2. Travel by Train

Train travel has a similar footprint to coach travel, but is a faster and perhaps more civilised way of travelling.

The ‘Travelski Express’ direct service from London to the Tarentaise in France was revived last winter and will operate again in 2022/23. Alternatively, you can travel by Eurostar to Paris and change on to connecting trains to the Alps.

And as with coach travel, a huge advantage of travelling by train is that you have no additional baggage fees.

3. If you have to fly, don’t go long-haul

It’s not always feasible to travel by coach or train as not everyone is based within easy reach of London or Dover. However, if you do have to fly, then be mindful that there is a huge difference between flying to Europe and flying to North America.

A return flight to Denver in Colorado generates about 1206kg CO2 per person according to Atmosfair, compared to 169kg for a return flight to Zurich.

USEFUL LINKS

www.skiflightfree.org www.snowexpress.co.uk www.atmosfair.de/en www.uk.travelski.com

Sourcing your ski kit MORE SUSTAINABLY

Skiing and snowboarding require the right clothing and equipment to stay warm and comfortable on the mountain.

Most ski gear is only worn once or twice a year and when it comes to kids, they often outgrow their skiwear from one season to the next.

Buying new, even from clearance stores simply isn’t a sustainable option. The resources and emissions involved in manufacturing and transporting ski kit to market are significant. Combined with the little wear these items get, the ‘cost per wear’ to the planet (not to mention to you, the customer) is high.

So how can you source your ski clothing and equipment sustainably and potentially save some cash in the process? We have five top tips to share with you:

1. Borrow: Globally, we have enough clothing for the next 6 generations. That means there is probably plenty of ski kit hiding in wardrobes and lofts in your community. It’s just about getting hold of it! Tap up your friends, neighbours or post on local groups online to see if anyone can lend you a pair of salopettes, gloves or a jacket for your trip.

2. Buy pre-loved: If you’re unable to borrow, then why not try buying second hand? Car boot sales, charity shops, second hand or pre-loved rails are all gold mines when it comes to finding great quality second hand ski gear. Or check out the likes of www. bluebirdexchange.co.uk and www.whoski.com to buy second hand ski gear online.

3. Rent: You’re probably used to hiring skis and perhaps boots too but did you know you can now rent ski clothing? Check out www.ecoski.co.uk. They stock great quality ski gear from top brands for adults and kids. Another upside of renting is that you don’t have ski gear cluttering up your wardrobes year round.

4. Repair: Have an old pair of ski pants with a hole or a tear? Get a patch and a needle and thread and set

to work. For difficult repairs, use a service like www. sheffieldclothingrepair.com. Simply send your gear to them and receive it back as good as new.

5. Revive: If the waterproofing of your current jacket or pants isn’t as effective these days, we recommend www.nikwax.com products which are environmentally friendly, pfc-free and reproof your clothing whilst reviving its breathability too. Winner!

This information has been provided by Re-Action, a social enterprise working towards a greener outdoor industry. Re-Action works with its member organisations to encourage them to save resources, reduce waste and cut carbon emissions. Visit www.re-action-collective.org for more information.

PROTECT OUR WINTERS UK

Act Now

Big ideas start small, and solving the climate crisis is not different. Get started on your journey to climate advocate and stand up for the places you play with these simple actions.

1. Educate Yourself

Dive deeper into the subject, read the news, a book, or listen to a podcast on climate science solutions . Pro-tip, follow us on Instagram for staff picks or enrol in our carbon Literacy Training.

An informed community is better equipped to influence decision makers and make change happen.

Protect what you love

The outdoor community is big, beautifully diverse, and inspiring. Time and time again, people use their passion for the outdoors to push the envelope forward. From human performance to equality, when we harness our passions, amazing things can happen.

But there's a hard truth. The places we love to play: the mountains, the slopes, the trails, the woodlands, and the lakes. The places we shred, climb, run, and send it. They are at risk, alongside our people, communities, and wildlife.

Our lush green forests are ablaze; ancient glaciers are evaporating; homes and lives are being destroyed. As I write this, devastating floods are taking place across Pakistan. We are in a climate emergency and the time to act is running out.

If the outdoors community acts as one voice, we can be a hugely influential force. Together, we can help protect the people, places, and things that we love from climate change. It's not too late, but we must act now.

What do we do?

Protect Our Winters UK is an outdoors climate action charity, and we help passionate outdoor people, like you, become effective climate advocates to achieve systemic solutions to climate change.

What do we mean by systemic solutions? We mean renewable energy, electric transportation, green finance, and a managed decline of fossil fuel extraction.

We value progress over perfection and action over apathy. As a human, we all have a carbon footprint. This does not dismiss your voice from fighting for the places you love. Your ability to influence change is greater than your individual footprint.

2. Speak Out

Normalise conversations about climate change with friends, family, and colleagues, at home, work, or on the slopes or trail.

Put that knowledge to good use!

Vote

Whether it's a general or local election, your vote matters. So when the time comes, stand up for the places you love and vote with climate in mind.

These may seem like small actions, but the outdoors community is vast, made up of backpackers, trailrunners, skiers, climbers, bikers and hikers. Together, this community can accelerate the adoption of systemic policy change.

Want to learn more? Visit https://protectourwinters. uk/take-action-for-individuals and sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest news, updates, and actions straight to your inbox. No fluff or greenwashing.

PRIVATE LESSONS

Build the Skier - Create the Racer

We have a tagline ‘Build The Skier – Create The Racer’ and this is key to improvement as too much time skiing gates will slow progression as the skiers are, in the main, not focussed on their skiing but on such things as completing the course, hitting the gates, or even just staying upright and this is really not the most efficient way to get better.

Effective race training is focussed coaching. Training through poles can be part of it but actually improving skiers takes place outside the poles and mainly on terrain conducive to the trainee/client to build confidence and ensure effective movements. Repetition of effective movements is also important to make any positive change permanent.

This is where our private lessons are useful. Working with one of our expert coaches in a sessions tailored specifically to you.

SUFFOLK VIKINGS

As a dry slope racing club it is sometimes easy to get stuck in a routine, you turn up to coach, the athletes turn up to be coached and in some cases this becomes a stagnant cycle. That’s close to where we found ourselves, past glories of national level athletes are just memories to the older members and the youngsters don’t even recognise the names. In national terms ‘Suffolk Vikings Ski Race team’ is probably known to a handful of local regional racers. But with new impetus and a young crop of potential this sad story comes to an end.

We now find ourselves, as a club, becoming more ambitious, more focused and driven to allow our grass roots athletes to express themselves freely on the slopes and develop to become the best skiers they want to be. On a weekly basis, training at our home slope Suffolk ski centre, Ipswich, the progress is clear to see, the growing enthusiasm from all is clear. The last piece of the puzzle, the next step in the expressive growth of our athletes is to get some good honest time on the planks and get miles under the feet. For many clubs, this is a problem that needs solving. We, like many, have coaches qualified to run such a trip but like many other volunteer based organisations it relies on the time of individuals to organise all the aspects of a holiday along with the specific needs of ski racing which is something we do not have.

So, the solution? Find someone to do everything for you! Impulse Racing/ NSSA and their partners are the solution for any club looking to go further to give opportunities to all, to see what a future in ski racing could be like.

We arranged to take a group of about 10 athletes ranging in age from 8 yrs to 43 yrs old, plus parents,

for a weeks training at their base of operations in Pila, Aosta, Italy. This is like no other training camp, with a combination of training and family holiday, a difficult balance in many cases. After meeting and having a bit of a general ski together we were split into groups. Each day started with warm up exercises, a combination of technical exercises and exercises design to get the body moving. Not all race training is about skiing gates, technique and experience is a necessary base to build on. We started the week with some giant slalom training, running drills outside the gates before moving into a pre set course, courses designed to practise what had been learnt in the warm up sessions. Then a few days of slalom training following the same pattern gave the athletes an opportunity to practise something that they all do weekly at home and develop the stamina and mindset required to ski gates for up to a minute and beyond. We were supported and encouraged by the coach the whole time. For the children this was their first experience of snow race training and it is with great credit to the coaching team of Impulse Racing that the kids had such a great time and came away making significant developments not just in their racing but in their all round skiing. Running such a trip at Easter quite often puts a limit on the length of day available so with this in mind we spent the mornings working on technique and getting some time in the gates, over the course of the week working on both slalom and giant slalom. After a decent meal on the hill the afternoons would see the snow conditions deteriorate and this was a good time to explore the mountain with the coaches, a time to develop other skills and express ourselves, laps of the snow park, little runs through the trees, all develop skills and for those experiencing snow for the first time, confidence.

Now back on plastic and those involved have continued to grow, it is clear to see how the fun experience and expert education has opened their eyes to another world, a world more than 15 seconds long and a world of future enjoyment.

View from the

NON RACING SIDE

What a season that was. In the autumn of 2021 when I was looking ahead to the ski season to come, things were looking pretty bleak. The autumn covid wave was well and truly upon us, travel was restricted everywhere and there seemed to be no end in sight to the global pandemic that touched everyone in some way.

But it got worse, towards Christmas, the discovery of the Omicron variant in the UK had France ban not only visitors from the UK but even UK tourists transiting through France were banned. Shortly after that and for about a week or two, the Swiss also put a ban on visitors from the UK.

It was chaos with emails, calls and understandably worried messages from clients. Rescheduled trips, cancellations and the dreams of many to get back on snow were dashed again.

And then strangely, as soon as it all came, it all went away again. In January, when governments began to see Omicron as the end of the pandemic rather than another twist in the saga, travel restrictions were relaxed and the bolder people started to test and travel.

From then on until the end of the season, it was extraordinarily busy. In fact it turned out to be our busiest ever year, including all of the years pre covid. We put this down to a combination of people having funds built up from a lack of vacations during covid and just an utter desperation to get away after two years of doing the right thing.

The best part for our ski instructor team was seeing the joy on people’s faces when they realised that they hadn’t forgotten it all in the time that they were away. That everything was still here and still in the same places that they remembered and that it hadn’t all been swept away.

I think the best bit for me was to see families out skiing together, some with young children who hadn’t been on snow before, seeing mums and dads introducing their little ones to this sport that we all love. It was an utter pleasure to spend time with people who had the chance to get away, let all of their stress go and just enjoy being one with the snow.

This year, we are planning on the basis of business as usual. I don’t think we are going back to where we were and we aim to get back to normal and continue to enjoy the fresh mountain air and joy of movement that skiing brings.

Dave Burrows is the owner of SnowPros Ski School based in the Swiss Portes du Soleil and in Villars. He also hosts The Ski Instructor Podcast.

ALPINE ALL STARS 2022/23

After a couple of difficult years for both the ski industry and schools, The NSSA will, this year, launch a first nationwide entry-level participation programme for Snowsports, with the aim of getting more children involved in the sport.

A new generation of families will be introduced to snowsports through Alpine All Stars, a major new grassroots initiative which starts in October 2022.

Alpine All Stars will be delivered at local ski centres across England and Wales throughout the school Year, giving some children their first experience of the sport and others an insight into where they can go within the sport.

After signing up, schoolschildren will receive information on their nearest centre and the options available to them during the School year – We anticipate 10-12 sessions per school from October to April at their local participating centre, with the emphasis placed firmly on learning how to ski or developing the fundamental skills in a fun, safe and inclusive environment. Children will also learn the social development skills that team sport brings.

NSSA will Fund the programme with centres partnering with us to assist with the costs, making the programme free to participating schools. The programme reflects the Snowsport England framework for growing the sport at every level.

In the summer term, we will be running an event for all these children to take part in to show the benefit of building the fundamental skills.

NSSA Chair Phil Brown said: “We have strong ambitions to significantly grow the sport and this programme is all about putting more children on skis or a board at an earlier age. First and foremost, we want to make snowsports a fun and enjoyable experience for children and give them a passion for the sport to last a lifetime”

“Drawing kids to the sport at an early age will develop more participants, create more fans and show the power of snowsports in developing physical and social skills.”

Registration for 22-23 is open until the end of September. After this date we welcome your registration and interest for 2023/24. We will look

at schools who do not currently have any type of ski programme and Children that have not skied before.

https://schoolssnowsports.co.uk/all-stars-application/

To register your interest in the Alpine All Stars programme, please e-mail office@schoolssnowsports.co.uk or go to website for more information

https://schoolssnowsports.co.uk/alpine-all-stars/

Looking to build on your schools experience in UK races by taking pupils to the alps for some organised races?

Does your school team want to take part in one or more schools alpine events?

GUIDE TO SCHOOLS ALPINE EVENTS FOR 2022-2023

This event allows individuals to enter as well as school teams and, as with the schoolgirls, sees a vast array of abilities and experience taking part.

Races here also include both slalom and giant slalom, with a parallel (head to head) event usually taking part one evening under floodlights.

February - The British Schools Alpine Open Championships 2023

This Great event is now in it’s 7th year. Held in Pila, Italy in early February. With two race days including slalom and GS events and finishing with a fun dual pro slalom, It’s proving to be a popular event.

Looking to build on your schools experience in UK races by taking pupils to the Alps for some organised schools Alpine races?

Does your school team want to take part in one or more schools alpine events?

December – The Independent Schools Ski and Snowboard Championships 2022

Held in Sestriere, Italy and, under management of Halsbury Ski, this unseeded event usually has over 300 racers across a week, including training which can be with local instructors or, for a small additional fee, with specialist race training set up, Impulse.

The event is open to all UK schools and has racers from a range of age groups, including under 14s, under 16s and under 18s. All age groups compete in GS and Slalom races, and there is also the chance for schools to go head to head in Parallel Slalom, which some believe to be the most exciting race of the three days competition.

January - The British Schoolgirls Races 2023

Over 150 girls from schools across the UK descend upon Flaine each January as they take part in two days of racing as part of the British Schoolgirls’ Races.

Unfortunately not for junior schools but senior school only.

January - The British School Boys Races 2023

This event is held at the end of January each year by the DHO Club at their base resort of Wengen in Switzerland.

Run under the NSSA, many schools choose to attend for a week, taking in training offered by Pila resident coaches from Impulse Racing.

Being in Pila means transfer times are just over an hour from Turin and less than 2 hours from Milan MXP.

Entry can be made as race only or as a package to make it easier to organize for many teachers contact office@schoolssnowsports.co.uk for more information.

March - The Artemis Interschools Ski Challenge 2023

The Interschools Challenge an established alpine race events for schools, with individuals representing their school also catered for. This year sees the event Return to Pila.

The event usually sees in excess of 350 children racing over two days with three events per day. The events are usually split between the younger racers (U10 and U12), and then the two sets of older age groups (U14 then U16 and above) racing separately.

March – IAPS Race 2023

This event is for IAPS schools only and is held in Passo Tonale during March. For more information, contact IAPS.

The NSSA, working with Impulse, will be offering training and race support at all of the above events.

For more information on these events, or on training and race support for any of them, please contact office@schoolssnowsports.co.uk

SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAM

At the end of the day, participants learn how to manage a crisis situation and search for burial victims.

Why we need it

• Approximately 200 people die in avalanches each year in the Alps, the US and Canada.

• 90% of fatal avalanches are triggered by the victim or someone in their party.

• 1 in 2 avalanche victims die.

• The number of freeride and backcountry enthusiasts is increasing every year.

• Access to off-piste areas is easier than ever.

• More and more people own rescue and survival gear.

WEMountain, the future of mountain safety education, has announced the launch of the first international avalanche training program.

Combining online (E-Learning) and terrain-based (T-Learning) training, the program caters to practitioners of all levels, from occasional backcountry skiers to experienced freeriders and tourers.

In fact, the Freeride World Tour has just made the first course of the series, OFF-PISTE Digital, mandatory for all licence holders.

Available as of today in English and French, the courses were designed by mountain guides, ski instructors and experts from all disciplines involved in backcountry safety and risk management: nutrition, sport psychology, weather, snow science, first aid and education. All courses benefit from our unmatched risk management approach A2R : Avoid - React - Rescue

T-Learning courses are currently offered in six countries: Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Spain. They are taught by IFMGA mountain guides, touring guides and certified ski instructors who have completed WEMountain’s instructor training.

Learn where and when you want

Thanks to WEMountain, backcountry enthusiasts can now learn – in their free time and without having to travel – how to stay safe in the mountains and how to react if an avalanche occurs.

Accessible to everyone, the WEMountain method is progressive, fun and based on a simple, universal language that enables clear, borderless communication.

How it works

After completing the online course, participants put their knowledge into practice during a day of training i n the mountains.

The first part focuses on knowing yourself and your environment, followed by risk assessment and terrain identification in the afternoon.

Training teaches how to use the gear, but more importantly, how to assess and prevent risk, so that it never has to be used in the first place. For WEMountain, the most valuable safety tool is education: Gear is good, but knowledge is vital! WEMountain, so that the best days of your life don't turn into the worst Good luck is not a strategy, Education is

About WEMountain

WEMountain is the future of mountain safety education. Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, the company is founded to save lives and reduce risk by providing unique training courses and an exceptional client experience.

The unique WEMountain ecosystem brings together all mountain stakeholders: riders, brands, resorts and instructors. It’s an international community built around shared values of Freedom, Enjoyment and Safety Join us at www.w3mountain.com

For more information, please contact: Dominique Perret +41 79 214 34 64 dom@w3mountain.com

WEMountain’s Smart Guide to Safe Riding

Learn safety guidelines Become conscientious and responsible Rider Prepare smarter so we can enjoy your Adventures

Here are the top seven mistakes to avoid:

• Neglecting Health and Fitness

• Neglecting Nutrition and Hydration

• Neglecting Proper Gear Maintenance

• Insufficient Project Planning

• Lack of STF’s Knowledge

• Riding Beyond Your Competences

• Not Taking Personal Responsibility

WORLD CLASS TRAINING

World Class Training has been established since 2014 and has been busy developing and expanding to ensure we deliver the best training and the most easily accessible training for first aid and safeguarding in the Snowsports sector.

Since the Covid crisis the Blended approach to first aid has become our main course of choice and is proving very popular. The feedback we have has been outstanding which has encouraged us to develop this further. This method helps those with a busy lifestyle learn at their own pace and also practice the vital practical skills required when dealing with first aid. With courses taking place from Cornwall to Lapland our spread has taken us further afield to help more people in learning the skills of first aid.

Do you all carry a first aid kit when out in the mountains? If not it would be a great idea to have with you a basic kit. A small kit which you can attach to your belt is then always accessible. Most countries insist you have one if you are working with groups. These kits have the basics in for most emergencies, however, learning how to improvise is a great skill to have when dealing with first aid incidents. Learning to improvise and be effective is one of our teaching mantras.

To keep up to date for those with a busy lifestyle and members of SnowSport England we have created a specialist Snowsports Professionals First Aid CPD online module. This ensures that snow sport teachers remain up to speed when it comes to first aid. This course is strictly online only.

If you would like to know more about WCT or if we can help you in anyway, please contact us. Our Office land line is 01803 467373 or just email us on info@worldclasstraining.co.uk

THE NATIONAL SCHOOLS OPEN RACES 2022-23

Since our first race in 2013 at The Snowcentre, Hemel Hempstead with 180 schools skiers, the National Schools open events have grown Phenomenally to 6 indoor events, 3 outdoor and the popular National schools leagues running over the Autumn, Winter and Spring (see pages 20-21) at venues throughout the country.

Last year saw a return after covid with some changes being made to the larger events in respect of capacities, with racers taking part in batches and a numbers cap of 300 (the biggest events previously have been over 400!).

We have now stepped fully into National Schools dry slope events with the UK as we believe there needs to be greater inclusivity at grass roots level in our sport, we started with a UK National Schools Open Championship event back in the autumn of 2019 at Swadlincote, a slope which had just returned to traditional matting with resurfacing taking place over that summer, making a great venue for the event.

Over the last 2 years we have added to this race with two other open championship events on dry slope, and the National Schools League (initially set up to work within covid guidelines but proving very popular)

With the numbers capped at the three Snow Centre Events, Hemel Hempstead, we hope to see growth over the other events we run and this was borne out with the British Schools Indoor Open Champs at Chill Factore, Manchester in June, attracting nearly 180 racers. By far the largest number we’ve had at that venue.

As always, accessibility is very important for these open events with an unrestrictive race entry. Many other schools events tend to restrict entry by insisting schools are members of the organisation running the events or restrict the entry to teams of single age group only.

This excludes small schools or schools with less than 4 skiers. It also handicaps schools which cannot raise a team consisting of skiers within a single age group. The NSSA format allows for mixed age groups and individual entries, so being more inclusive and less intimidating for many children.

These events work as a great feeder series into local races, club national and GBR events with many racers competing for the first time alongside children from the national team and full time academy programmes. This gives the newer racers some inspiration and exposure to skiers that they may not usually see. The NSSA Races are responsible, over the last two years, for more than 200 racers trying the competitive side of the sport for the first time!

Placings in the races and series will qualify racers for selection to the National Schools Snowsports Squad for the following school year/season with squad training camps, races and exposure to a national programme for these pupils. More information on the squad can be found on page 4-5.

In addition to our open schools events, we have been working with a number of schools organisations to run races exclusively for their members and we are proud to work with the ISA, IAPS and SATIPS.

For more information on any of these events or, if you’d like an event run for your school, school trust or against another school, Please contact The NSSA, or Impulse Racing, who run events on our behalf.

NSSA website www.schoolssnowsports.co.uk e-mail: office@schoolssnowsports.co.uk

PISTE RESPONSIBILITY

GAZ CALDWELL

With the recent reports of fatal skier collisions in the news a 5 year old girl and a 37 year old man it brings into focus our role as a coach in helping to prevent fatal injuries that could involve our students and how we keep the mountain safe for all.

I feel that the role of the coach should change the behaviour of an athlete so that positive skills become ingrained.

It was no fluke that Beckham scored v Greece in October 2001, he had practised hundreds of free kicks with Mike Phelan as coach.

Johnny Wilkinson's drop goal to win the Rugby World Cup was also no fluke. It was part of the 137 kilometres he kicked the ball in his career under the coaching of Dave Alred enough to put the ball into orbit.

Coaching often looks at the ‘micro’ level. On a ‘macro’ level, I believe that an often overlooked

aspect of behaviour out of the closed environment constraints over Pitch, Piste, or Arena is the athlete’s responsibility to themselves, the team and others.

There is an increasing need for coaches to formally teach and develop the fundamental life skills of responsibility (and the associated accountability) this could possibly be due to the athletes not having an understanding of what responsibility means or looks like at a practical level. it is easier to understand what a ‘responsibility to themselves’ looks like in an individual sport, (skiing for example), but this doesn't negate the need for responsibility to the team and others.

So what does a wholly responsible athlete look like?

There are the athletes that recognise the power of their own actions and the choices that they make. the choice to put in extra training, put 100% into everything they do, to prepare their kit, not only in a closed environment with close coach monitoring (e.g. on a pitch, closed race Piste, ice rink) the athlete also shows intelligence in a more open environment (ie skiing conservatively on an open Piste) on how their decisions affect the team and others.

The athlete owns the actions and choices they make, and this ultimately sets them up for success.

the modern coach needs increasingly to guide the athletes choices, explain the repercussions of any poor

choice and install a sense of self-discipline to enable positive choices to be made.

Our athletes are a representative not only of themselves, but of the team and the coach, for the time they are a team member, not just when “wearing the jacket”

The most successful athletes choose to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right kit, and the right attitude. They don't need a babysitting service.

As coaches, we are in a privileged position to be able to teach “Responsibility and Accountability” to our

athletes. the greater the athlete’s ability, the greater the responsibility and accountability.

We have a chance to make a difference, not only in the short term, but for life. Not only impacting our athletes, but those around them as well.

Gaz Caldwell is an instructor and coach with many years experience within the sport along with many years as a head teacher, working with a cross section of different children.

SKIING CAN BE AS EASY

AS A TO Z

Skiing offers a freedom and independence that helps young people build courage and self-esteem. Anyone who has introduced someone to the sport of skiing will know that there is a great deal of in-formation that the new skier requires and many questions they will have. New book Ski A to Z is an illustrated guide to skiing, an ideal resource for parents, teachers and youngsters preparing for a school ski trip.

A first ski trip is a wonderful new experience, as school ski trips provide the opportunity for those who don’t have friends and family who ski, to try the sport; however, preparing for this first trip may feel daunting. That is where this book comes in. Suitable for all ages, Ski A to Z makes key infor-mation about the world of skiing accessible and easy to absorb.

Whether the first skiing experience is on a dry slope in the UK, on an indoor snow slope, or in the mountains, this concise, practical, engaging book will help the new skier know what to expect.

Ski A to Z provides information, tips and advice. From ‘What to Wear’ to ‘Where to Stay’, the book is an invaluable resource in the lead-up to a ski trip. Information about equipment, ski lifts, weather and

navigation will be helpful and reassuring to a new skier. Explanation of the ski hire process will save time, and assist the group members to get the ski kit they need. The book complements and advocates ski instruction and its importance.

Structured from A to Z, the reader can soak up the information from cover to cover, seek definitions, or open at random. The book is designed to provide useful insights and gems of knowledge for nov-ice and even seasoned skiers.

The information and tips in the book are succinct and clear, making them easy to absorb and retain, and therefore easy to apply whilst skiing. To help the reader visualise and learn, the book has over 100 informative, fun, full colour illustrations. The illustrations make the book accessible, which mir-rors the mission of the author/illustrator to make skiing more accessible by providing a one-stop guide to the sport. In hardback format, and a handy size, the book can be easily packed for use and reference on a trip.

Author and illustrator of Ski A to Z Kimberley Kay, said, “Skiing is an amazing, invigorating sport, but if you have never tried it, where do you start? Will it be cold? What do you wear? How will you stop? Ski A to Z answers the many questions that those new to the sport have and even answers many questions that they will not know to ask.”

Kimberley added, “The information in Ski A to Z allows the reader to fast forward to the fun of skiing as they can concentrate better on learning to ski with less distractions from wondering about what is going on around them. Reading Ski A to Z before and during a ski trip will help allay fears and aid confidence.” Kimberley explains why this is important in Ski A to Z: “Being calm, but dynamic, while learning to ski makes the skier relax downwards, giving the ski edges good contact with the snow and enabling skiing in control.”

Kimberley continued, “Ski A to Z is like an all-knowing ski friend and contains the knowledge re-quired to plan, try and enjoy skiing. Having positive early experiences on skis is most likely achieved with good preparation and the right kit; these can be a great foundation for future mountain experi-ences.”

Kimberley’s key tips for those planning group ski trips

• Make the most of mountain time and learn key skills on an artificial slope beforehand.

• Using online maps to become familiar with the key slopes, lifts and routes beforehand can really help when navigating the mountain.

• Each skier should have the group leader’s contact details in their pocket.

• Make applying high SPF sunscreen part of the ski day routine.

• Take pictures of equipment, labels and hire shop contact details in case of an issue.

• Always have a ski area map available; the map will often have details of the organisation to con-tact in the event of an emergency.

• Stop to the side of the slope where there is good width and visibility.

• Skiing is a sport that gets easier with progression, but for beginner skiers it can be exerting so having the opportunity for other activities such as snow shoeing, ice skating, sledding can complement the time skiing and add to the enjoyment of the mountain experience.

Endorsement of Ski A to Z

“This is an absolute gem and one of the best ski books I’ve seen. It’s perfect for families who are planning on going away on their first ski trip, as well as regular skiers, and it really is what it says it is – the A-Z of skiing. The work that has gone into this book, not just the incredible art, but the per-fectly explained details of skiing is quite amazing.” Pat Sharples, Head Coach, Team GB Snow-sport.

About the author/illustrator Kimberley Kay

Kimberley has over forty years of ski experience including racing, teaching children to ski, and heliskiing, as well as ski holiday promotion during a 20year career in travel PR.

Kim learned to ski age 5 at the dry slope at Ski Rossendale, Lancashire and in Mayrhofen, Austria. Now based in Yorkshire, Kim creates art and illustration under the brand of Inspire by Kim, further information at www.inspirebykim.com or on social media @ inspirebykim.

Add Ski A to Z to your ski trip resources list.

Ski A to Z can be purchased through all good bookstores and online retailers. Ski A to Z is pub-lished by Meyer and Meyer Sport (UK), Europe’s Leading Sports Publisher, ISBN 9781782552338. For more information and links to order visit www.skiatoz.com

THE

PROVIDING ACCESS TO WINTER SPORT IN SCHOOLS

The British Ski and Snowboard National Foundation (BSSNF) is the proud partner charity to GB Snowsport, Home Nations, and the wider Snowsport family, supporting essential and developing pathways into Snowsport to ensure there are opportunities for all to benefit from the exhilarating power of Winter Sport. With the charity focused on supporting those in education to pursue winter dreams, or to get active in a new Snowsport, we feel a real connection for the great work and growing community of the National Schools Snowsports Association.

Inspiring the next generation into winter sports is key and it was awesome to see at the Beijing 2022 Olympics and Paralympics how our support translated into medal-winning performances! We do also understand the need to provide the right opportunities to achieve this and how the pressures on our young community have risen over the global pandemic. Therefore, our programmatic support in this area became the focus to enthuse our young people back into sport in order to promote their health and well-being; encouraging physical activity and building a community of support. Two of these projects that provided the chance for nearly 1200 children to access a brand new sport were; ‘Project Balance’ and ‘Lets Roll’

Let’s Roll

This was a Nordic skiing campaign that was delivered across schools in Scotland to provide the chance for pupils to try roller skiing and laser shooting; igniting

an interest in the sport, having fun and encouraging an active lifestyle. BSSNF Director Elizabeth Winfield attended a session and shared ‘It was fantastic to see how the children embraced a brand new sport, which many had not even heard of before the session! Their attitude and approach was amazing as they rose to the challenge of this unique sport, and by the end of the day they were moving on the roller ski’s and shooting with speed and accuracy. There could be some stars of the future in there, but for us it was just great to see so many children engaged in a new winter sport’.

Project Balance

We were so excited to deliver this grassroots access project launched to target inner-city children and demonstrate the transferable skills and mental grit required to transition from skatepark to snow. Here the children that took part in the initiative and had their first opportunity to hit the snow following a 6 week skatepark programme.

Speaking at the session, Katie Ormerod Team GB Snowboarder and two time Olympian said: “It’s really great to be down here today to see how well these kids are developing their board skills. We’ve all felt the impact of the past 18 months and it’s been really tough for all of us, but young people have had it particularly hard. I’m really pleased that our sport is finding a way to give young people new skills and new experiences after the past year; this is a big year for

British Snowsport, but even while we’re focusing on the new season it’s so important that we don’t lose sight of the positive impact we can have on people’s lives here at home.”

Matt McCormick GB Freestyle World Cup Snowboarder is currently balancing his education and following his Olympic dream, he also attended the session and added: “As a group we’re focused on being the best athletes we can be, but all of us started out by just getting into something we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to try and to enjoy. If these kids go on to develop and improve their skills, on skateboards or on snowboards, that’s amazing. But even if not, if they get a new experience out of it, learn something new, or feel inspired to try something else instead then that’s a brilliant outcome.”

The UK Snowsport space continues to be faced with financial challenges at all levels and BSSNF takes seriously our mission to continue to bridge these gaps, providing support in the education, community and professional pathways environment. We have seen first hand how inspiring and impactful these in school programmes have been in shaping the lives of young people. With greater philanthropic support, we aim to expand our reach even further to address the growing need in this area. To find out more about what we do and ways to support projects like these please do visit our website (www.bssnf.uk) or contact Terra@bssnf.uk

Bespoke Event Garments

THE NATIONAL SNOW SHOW

is back in Birmingham and bigger than ever

Riders Lounge in partnership with Red Bull, Palm Culture Balance Board feature, Après Pavilion and a Snowsports Coaching Zone.

The Show will represent the cream of the crop of snowsports retail with brands including Ski Exchange, OOSC Clothing, Dalbello, Nordica, Rossignol, Marker, K2, Capita, Union Bindings, AfterJam, Volkl, Salomon and charitable organisations such as the Ellie Soutter Foundation and DSUK, not to mention our Official Charity Partner Snow-Camp.

The NEC Birmingham will once again play host to some of the biggest names in the snowsport industry on the 15th and 16th of October, as The National Snow Show returns for its second year. The two-day event brings together the best resorts, biggest names in retail, and first-class entertainment, plus a fantastic line-up of inspiring speakers, for what promises to be a great day out for all the family.

Speaking from the Snow Stage and Snow Skills Stage sponsored by Crystal Ski Holidays, will be a host of famous names, including Chemmy Alcott, Aimee Fuller, Anna Turney, Tim Warwood, Graham Bell, Warren Smith, Caroline Elliot and Keme Nzerem to name a few. The Show’s hosts, Scott Penman and Tord Nilson will be returning to bring the hype and entertainment across the two days.

The event will once again be packed full of interactive features including an 5m high indoor slope brough to you by the SnowDome at Tamworth where visitors with any level of ability can enjoy a free 30-minute taster session or chat with one of the professional coaches who will be on hand to offer advice and guidance. The Show will also play host to a Skate Mini Ramp sponsored by Graystone Action Sports, RAF Nordic Biathlon experience, Shop and Drop area,

The Show will provide the ideal place to chat face-toface to experts from resorts from around the world and book trips of all types from resorts and agents including Crystal Ski Holidays, Ski Andorra, Andorra Travel Services, Blue Sky Ski Holidays, France Montagnes, LAAX, OTP Swiss Holidays and Snowsport Scotland.

Steve Morgan, MD at Raccoon Active Events commented: “Year one of the Show was brilliant but we are stoked to be back with our second instalment of The National Snow Show, it’s going to be bigger, with more brands, bigger features, more speakers and more entertainment. We are delighted to be continuing to work with pivotal organisations including GB Snowsports, Ski Club Great Britain and FIS and can’t wait to see where we can take this incredible gathering.”

Once the shopping is complete, visitors can drop their haul off at the Shop and Drop area and relax with a drink in the Alpine Bar and enjoy the après-ski ambience provided by RedBull with friends and family.

To get more information about the National Snow Show and buy tickets, visit www.nationalsnowshow.com. To talk about exhibiting, contact Stephen Morgan, the Managing Director of Raccoon Active Events Division, by emailing stephen@raccoonevents.com

For all media enquiries, contact Senior Marketing Manager Ashley Cox at ashley@raccoonevents.com.

SCHOOL IN A BAG

Whilst on a recent trip to the Isles of Scilly, our programme director, Phil Brown, found that his son met, and was playing with two young sisters sitting next to them on the boat and proceeded to chat to the girls father. He discovered that the dad, Luke Simon had an interesting and sad tale to tell from losing his brother in the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami in Indonesia. From this sad event, Luke has started a couple of charities and we found this one, School In A Bag, of interest, especially with our work with schools.

We’d be grateful if you would please read the information about this great charity and, if at all possible, see if there’s anything you can offer them –Maybe by donating or by offering time to help fill bags. This could be done by a class or an entire school.

School in a Bag is a Somerset-based charity, who deliver rucksacks filled with stationery, learning resources, eating utensils and a hygiene kit to disadvantaged and disaster-affected children around the world. Run by Luke Simon the Founder and CEO, School in a Bag was born out of the Piers Simon Appeal, a charity his family set up in memory of his older brother who died in the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004.

According to UNICEF figures, 262 million children are deprived of an opportunity to learn. On an individual basis, School in a Bag is a simple solution, providing children with quality educational tools to transform their learning capabilities enabling a lifeline towards a future out of poverty and hardship - on a world scale,

educating the next generation is a key factor towards continued human development and global stability.

A typical School Bag contains: 12 pencils, a pencil case with 10 biros, 12 colouring pencils, a math set, a ruler, 6 exercise books (two each of lined, squared, plain), a water bottle, a lunch box (which includes a spork), a gym bag, a small towel, a bar of soap, a tooth brush, a tube of tooth paste and a wash bag. The cost to sponsor a School Bag is £20 and to ensure equality amongst the beneficiaries, the School Bags are all identical with brand new contents. School Bags shipped to international recipients are individually numbered enabling donors to track their progress via the www.schoolinabag.org website, whilst in October 2021, School in a Bag created a School Bag for the influx of refugee children arriving in the UK which is unbranded and non-numbered, allowing beneficiaries a level of anonymity when they integrate into school.

To date, over 131,000 School Bags have been distributed to children in 52 countries.

To learn more, please visit www.schoolinabag.org or to get in contact email: hello@schoolinabag.org

Level

Access the Instructor Pathway from 14 years old with the National Schools Snowsports Association and IASI

As an organisation building participation in snowsports via schools, the NSSA is proud to partner with IASI (The Irish Association of Snowsports Instructors) to be able to offer the opportunity to schools snowsports athletes of taking instructing and coaching qualifications which will allow successful candidates to teach skiing.. IASI qualifications are internationally recognised.

UK courses specifically for NSSA member schools and schools partners. Run with NSSA Partners, Impulse Racing.

We run 2 teaching courses:

Assistant Instructor - This is a two day course, run at 14 years old which will give candidates the foundation for teaching skiing. Focussing on the closed environment (indoor or dry slope), candidates will come away from this course with good knowledge which they may be able to use to assist at their local UK facility. This is usually run over a weekend but, if a school requested a bespoke course, it might be run over several evenings or times to suit.

The cost of this course is £225

Level One Instructor - This step on the pathway will allow you to teach in a closed environment such as a UK indoor or dry slope. This 5 day course will work on your skiing and give you the tools required to start your teaching career, whether you intend to become a full time instructor or just use this for your personal development, this is a great course to begin with. This course is taken from 15 years old with the license issued at 16, on completion of first aid and child welfare modules. This courses will run at centres in the UK.

We can run bespoke courses, solely for either one school or for several trainees across several schools with minimum of 5 and maximum of 8 per course running either 5 days in a row, two weekends or over 12 x 3 hour evenings, whichever can be accommodated to allow participants to complete the course. The cost of this course is £650*

We offer L2 courses in the alps during the winter through another partner, Ski Definition, for candidates

Coaching:

If you’re interested in race coaching, Impulse also offer the IASI Level one race coach qualification – a three day course which is part of the IASI Instructor pathway. Please contact us on office@schoolssnowsports.co.uk for information or to book

Over the next year, the NSSA hope to be able to select candidates for funded instructor courses – Look out for how to apply for these.

*For full validation of the level one teaching qualification, the following must also be held.

• First Aid Qualification

• Child Protection Module

• Shadowing Hours

Over the last 2 years, The NSSA, have Helped over 50 for young skiers to access the Snowsports Instructor pathway from 14 years old, through the IASI Assistant instructor and the IASI School

one Instructor. Below is some information on these courses.

A FAMILY RUN SPECIALIST SKI SHOP IN A COUNTRY WITH NO MOUNTAINS!

show rooming of their trailer tents, the first inventions of their kind! These were made from scratch with the grandparents welding the chassis and sewing the tent and assembling them all together at home in their front room! The snag was every time they needed to get one out of the house, they had to remove the front window and lift it out, obviously not an ideal scenario and somewhat difficult - hence the original shop location was born… (and don’t forget their interesting ‘Teepee tea cosy/hats’)!

Their ski equipment sales and addiction to the sport started in earnest when the family went on their first ski holiday and were told that the children had picked it up so well, they should join a ski race club back home. Luckily at the time Hillingdon and Hemel Hempstead dry ski slopes were nearby and almost instantly they were rapidly hooked into the amazing world of ski racing.

Founded in 1965, Ski Bartlett is one of the largest independently run specialist ski shops in the UK. Ski Bartlett originated as ‘J & B Bartlett and Sons’, a specialist outdoor, camping, caravanning and sports equipment retailer. Originally set up by Joyce and Bernard Bartlett and their sons Terry and Derek. Now almost 60 years on and Terry is still a firm feature, along with wife Dianne and their daughters Anna and Sally, bringing it into the third generation of the Bartlett family. A friendly family-owned business, now firmly established with a niche for specialist areas of the ski industry, including racing, freestyle, freeride, touring and telemark skiing.

The original shop had interesting origins as it was started due to its entrepreneurial owners need for a showroom sales space for the manufacturing and

At the time it was very hard to buy ski race and servicing equipment in the UK and there was a definite need due to the ever-growing ski race circuit all around the country. With this demand they started directly importing products from Europe and taking a ski boot box full of goodies to sell at the races. Year on year the more the Bartlett family got into ski racing the more equipment they realised they and others needed and the more equipment they imported to sell - soon after the ‘Tardis on Tour’ was born, a mobile pop-up shop with everything you can possibly imagine for ski racing that tours around the country to race events and club training sessions. This worked brilliantly alongside the main Hillingdon shop to bring their expertise to the racers when they needed equipment and has often been referred to as the ‘5th emergency service’!

After many years of ski racing and seasons in Europe and the U.S.A. the daughters took various directions, Sally set up another ski shop at Wycombe Summit Ski Centre and used her race experience to also pass on her knowledge as a ski race coach. Anna became

an extremely skilled snowboarder and with her vast knowledge and experience set up a specialist snowboard offshoot of Ski Bartlett - ‘Sputnik Snowboard Shop’.

Sputnik was born at the dizzy heights of Wycombe Summit Dry Ski Slope as Anna saw the need for a snowboard specialist retailer that appealed to the needs of snowboarders. Here Sputnik quickly became involved with the UK dry slope scene, gaining a great reputation for a friendly shop vibe, amazing products and the best honest advice around. They are one of the few rider run and rider owned shops continuing to bring snowboarders the freshest in snowboard technology and those hard-to-find items, all with a big smile and at great prices.

fitted by trained and experienced ski boot fitters, who will advise you on what is right for you. Stocking one of the largest ranges of ski boots available in the UK and catering for EVERY, sex, level, age and skiing style. Stocking an extensive range of ski boots from manufacturers such as Atomic, Rossignol, Fischer, Head, Lange, Tecnica, K2, Salomon, Scott, Dynafit, Scarpa, Dalbello and Nordica means that they can always find a boot to suit your foot shape.

To successfully run a ski shop on the outskirts of London, in a country with no mountains, their heart and soul must be in love with the mountains and the sports they take part in, from their passion for skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, climbing, water sports, and just being in the outdoors. Through their many years in the industry they’ve gained in depth knowledge and valuable first-hand experiences from using the equipment in the wild - it is this that allows them to express to you how something truly performs and educate you in what is right for you.

The shops have grown from strength to strength with a renowned reputation for specialist knowledge, expertise and helpful advice. Both Ski Bartlett and Sputnik still stands by and takes pride in this great reputation.

Now particularly known for their technical specialist knowledge in ski racing, their custom ski boot fitting expertise, extensive year-round servicing workshop and their knowledge of ski touring, telemark and freeride skiing equipment. With such a diverse customer base but many years of expertise to go with it they can cater for every level of skier from beginner to National Team level competitors.

Renowned for their great reputation for their technical custom boot fitting service. All their ski boots are

They custom heat mould their boots and offer a custom heat moulded footbed service, to help get you an even more comfortable customised fit and better ski performance. If you’ve got a wide foot, a narrow foot, a high or low instep, bumps and bunions, pressure points, large or skinny calves, and anything else that’s caused you problems in the past, they’ll be able to help you and they've not been defeated yet! No matter what foot shape you have they can find a boot to fit, make any necessary adjustments and have you skiing with a smile on your face!

There is a motto in the shop 'Our customers are for life not just for the ski season!’ and that rings true as once customers go to the shop, they return time and time again and say they’ll never go anywhere else! Described by others as a friendly, fun, family run ski shop, focused around delivering excellent service, value and expert advice to their customers. They are quirky and unique in their owners, staff, vast product range, knowledge and service. Keep an eye out for Terry and Sally Bartlett touring around the country to race events and club training sessions - make sure you go and say hi and you’ll undoubtedly be greeted back with a warm welcome and some expert advice on any question you have.

“We love the amazing feeling of freedom we get from skiing and being in the mountains and that's why we're so passionate about helping our customers enjoy their time skiing!” - Sally Bartlett

www.SkiBartlett.com

Training on half a kilometre of

INDOOR SNOW!

Being over three times the length of any of the UK facilities, and with 5 lifts including a 6 man chair, means that training time here is valuable and trainees can make some great change to their skiing over a couple of days as the slope lends itself to working on technique as well as being able to set 30+ gate courses.

We run 4 day camps here that will see up to 20 hours on the hill, mixing technical and gate training. There is a great climbing park outside, similar to Go Ape in the UK.

With all of this and a hotel and restaurants on site, SnowWorld Landgraaf makes a great place for a weekends training for school teams and individuals without taking much, if any time away from school.

During 2022, we have run 5 camps for individuals and schools and have 6 planned for 2023, including the UK Schools European Indoor Race Festival which will be by invitation for year one and will incorporate training days, followed by a race event.

Any schools interested in taking a group training should contact the NSSA for details on office@Schoolssnowsports.co.uk Open

The Beginning of this summer was 15 years since Impulse Racing ran their first training camp at Landgraaf. In that time we’ve taken hundreds of racers to this great facility and this summer, it’s become more important than ever for summer training mileage.

With most European glaciers closing this summer, indoor centres like Landgraaf have proved invaluable for training, especially given the guaranteed conditions and time that they can be used.

The benefits are fantastic:

• The costs are less than travel to the alps, accessibility at less than 4 hours from Calais.

• It’s a one stop shop with the hotel on site, gym, restaurant and (for the parents) a bar.

• Guaranteed conditions and no weather issues

This is why it’s a great idea to head out for a long weekend to train at this amazing facility in the east of the Netherlands.

SCHOOLS EVENTS CALENDAR 22-23

AUTUMN

The National Schools Indoor Open, NorthSeptember 19 2022 – Chill Factor

ISA Closed Indoor Champs –September 26 2022 – The Snow Centre

The National Schools Indoor Open, South –October 3 2022 – The Snow Centre

The National Schools Outdoor Open, South –November 12 2022– Brentwood

The National Schools Outdoor Open, North –November 13 2022 – Rossendale

The UK Schools Outdoor Open Championships –November 20 2022 – Swadlincote

SPRING

The English Schools Indoor Open Championships –April 24 2023 – The Snow Centre

National Schools Leagues Finals –May 5 2023 – Swadlincote

SATIPS National Closed Championships –May 15 2023 – The Snow Centre

IAPS National Closed Championships –May 15 2023 – The Snow Centre

British Schools Indoor Open Championships –June 26 2023 - Chill Factore

For all of the above events, please contact the NSSA for details or check our social media for updates or the link below.

https://eola.co/w/m37sz/activities

WINTER SEASON 2022/23

The Independent Schools Ski Championships –Sestriere – 16-22 December 2022

Contact - http://schoolskichampionships.com

British Schoolgirls Races – Flaine –January 28-31 2023

Contact https://www.britishschoolgirlsraces.co.uk

British Schoolboys Races –Wengen – January 29-Feb 1 2023

Contact https://downhillonly.com/britishschoolboys-international-races/

British Schools Alpine Open Championships –Pila – February 9-10 2023

Contact https://eola.co/w/1355/activities/britishschools-alpine-open-championship

National Schools Open Training Camp –Pila – February 12-19 2023 and February 19-26 2023. Contact office@schoolssnowsports.co.uk

Interschools Challenge –Pila – March 11-14 2023 –Contact British Ski Academy or office@schoolssnowsports.co.uk

National Schools Open Training Camp –Pila – April 1-8 and 8-15 2023

For all of the above events, please contact the NSSA for details of the training and race support we offer for individuals and schools

e: office@schoolssnowsports.co.uk t: 01279 444621

Ski Club Family membership gives the whole family a reason to fall in love with the mountains this winter. As members of the UK’s oldest and largest snowsports organisation, plan your next ski trip with the Ski Club by your side and enjoy your winter adventures.