Off The Slope With Charlie Raposo
Charlie Raposo has travelled the world in pursuit of his dream of being a top alpine ski racer. The 21 year old has already had a taste of the World Cup, but wants to make sure he is competing at the highest level for Great Britain on a more regular basis.
Wellsnowsports caught up with Raposo before the start of the European winter race season:
You had a World Cup Giant Slalom start in Soelden and a great performance in the World Junior Championships in Sweden, how were those experiences?
"They were both great experiences. Obviously the World Cup was my first race and it was cool to be competing at the highest stage of the sport that I’m in. I hope to be knocking on the door there and competing in the World Cup in the coming years.
“The World Junior Champs in Sweden was my last junior champs. It was also my fourth. It was a cool experience and I managed to finish sixth. I was hunting to get a medal and I was fairly close (only 4 tenths off the podium). A few too many mistakes on the first run cost me. Nonetheless, it was great to be fighting for the medal.”
How was last season as a whole?
“Last season I had a lot of ups and downs. I struggled a lot with racing. I struggled to find good flow, I was having good sections, but wasn’t putting a whole run together. Towards the end of the season I was able to salvage things and sort myself out.
“World Juniors went well and a few more races throughout the year I managed to produce some good skiing. I guess I was happy with it all by the end of the season.”
How has your summer prep gone?
“Summer prep has been really good. There is a new programme for the upcoming season with the British Europa Cup Team made up of myself and four other athletes. There has been a massive volume of skiing and it is the first summer I have not raced since I have joined FIS.
“It has also been the first summer I have not gone to the southern hemisphere in eight years, so it will be nice to be European based and get more volume on European snow. Hopefully that will all pay off come winter time!”
What is it like training with British racers like Dave Ryding, Laurie Taylor, Billy Major and Nick Moynihan?
“I really love it! Having a British national team has a different feeling to it then it has before. We all come together to help each other, not that did not take place before when I was skiing with Global Racing, but the support structure is really good. There is so much to learn from Dave and even Laurie, Billy, Nick and I learn things from each other.”
Do you have any aims for this season?
“I just want to be able to produce good skiing. That is sort of the goal for this season. I want to keep a level head and there is a lot going on when I am tackling European Cups, North American Cups and maybe some World Cups. I also hope this might be my first Olympic Games, but we will have to see about that one!”
What are your long term goals?
“Long term I want to reach the top of the sport. I have been working hard for that since I was a young kid and I will continue to do so now. I definitely want to be competing at the World Cup at the top level.”
How did you get into ski racing?
“I grew up skiing in Verbier when I was 10 and the ski instructor turned around to me and said: ‘There is not much I can do with you Charlie, you should start racing’. So my first year was with British Ski Academy and then I did two years with Ambition Racing and I am still a member of Ambition. Then I went to the US for High School there and that is where things really kicked off for me.”
Which World Cup skier do you admire the most?
“That is a tough question! I think what a lot of the top guys do is cool. They are all competing at a high level with a lot of consistency. They know when to bring their A game. When it doesn’t matter so much they are not the fastest on the hill, but when it does really matter they are.
“You know though, you can’t not say Marcel Hirscher; the guy is an unbelievable talent. Not only by the way he skis, but what he was capable to do in his head was seriously impressive winning the Overall, Giant Slalom and the Slalom title, as well as the World Championship Slalom and GS. It is pure domination and it is amazing to see.”
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Off The Slope With Rob Poth
Rob Poth is an emerging talent in the British alpine ski team and has shown some great performances in the technical disciplines. Last season the 20 year old went to the Junior World Championships in Are, Sweden for the first time. He was unable to finish in the slalom, but finished 55th in the Giant Slalom. Each of these experiences are building to his main goal of reaching the World Cup in future years.
Wellsnowsports caught up with Poth before the full winter season had started:
Last season you raced your first Junior World Champs in Sweden, how was that experience for you?
“It was pretty exciting competing against the best in the world for my age. Although I did not ski my best I still came away with valuable experience, which I will use for the future. Especially at next years World Junior Champs.
How was last season for you overall?
A mixture of ups and downs I would say. My Giant Slalom came along well with consistent results. Slalom however was a little inconsistent with good results coming every now and then. Some of the main highlights were competing in my first World Junior Champs and Europa Cup races. Those races showed me how much work needs to be done to get the next level.
How was the Norwegian Kandahar camp this summer?
Probably one of the best summer training camps I have had. The variety of Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super G and different terrain meant training was always exciting. Plus, with the Fonna Glacier not being as high as most glaciers, we could get a lot of volume in.
How has your summer prep been?
Summer prep has gone very well. I have had a good mixture of time on snow and dry land training. Not only have we spent time on the glacier in Norway, but we have also used indoor centres to get some technical work dialled in.
Do you have any particular goals moving into the new season?
As always I am working hard to make changes or improvements to keep chipping away at my FIS points.
One of the main events this season is the World Junior Championships in Davos. I am hoping to achieve a top 20 placing in Slalom.
You wear a Briko helmet, what do you like about the product?
It fits extremely well for me and has some very cool designs, especially this season’s products!
How did you get into ski racing?
My Dad is an ex ski racer. On my third birthday my parents took me to Welwyn dry slope for my first ski lesson. I have loved it ever since doing my first dry slope race at the age of four and snow race at five.
What World Cup skier (past or present) do you admire the most?
It has got to be Dave Ryding! From watching him on the dry slope when I was a kid to now being amongst the best slalom skiers in the world, is so awesome to see.
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Follow Poth on his website or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Off The Slope With Laurie Taylor
A first World Cup start and two results in the World Championships in St Moritz (Slalom 33rd, Giant Slalom 40th) made the 2016/17 winter a season to remember for Laurie Taylor. At the age of 21, Taylor still has plenty of years to strive for his dream of being a regular World Cup skier. The man from Basingstoke will be hoping continue his progress going into an Olympic year.
Wellsnowsports caught up with Taylor before the start of the 17/18 Winter season:
Were you happy with last season as a whole?
“I was definitely happy with the progress I made last season. I made a big drop in my FIS points and had some amazing experiences with World Champs in St Moritz and my first World Cup in Kranjska Gora.”
How has your summer prep gone?
“I have done a lot of skiing this summer, trying to make changes and drill them in before the races kick off. We have been really lucky with the conditions everywhere we have been, so the training has been great. I am happy with how it is going and I am starting to feel ready to get back into the races.”
Do you have any aims for this season?
“My main aim for this season is to increase my finish rate, so for that I have been working a lot on my consistency and how I read courses.
“Looking more at the races, I aim to make Europa Cup points and hopefully compete in the Olympics.”
What are your long term goals?
“Long term I am looking to secure a place in the top 30 World Cup rankings and push from there.”
How did you get into ski racing?
“I got into ski racing through the Aldershot Ski Race Club. After a year racing with Aldershot I started racing on snow with the British Ski Academy (BSA).”
You have been busy with BSA at the GBR series, were you impressed with the racers at grassroots?
“I was very impressed by what I saw on the dryslopes this summer. I had to watch and learn when I was forerunning to keep up. There were some very talented skiers and I hope to see them on snow.”
Do you think dry slope is still a relevant part of British skiing?
“I had a lot of fun skiing on dryslope this summer and you can see a lot of talent coming through. It gets people into racing that would not have started otherwise and I believe it is transferable to snow.
“It helped me this summer working out how to generate speed on flats and I will probably do some more next summer.”
What World Cup skier do you most admire and why?
“Dave Ryding is probably who I admire the most. I have seen first hand how hard he works. He has shown me if you keep chipping away and working towards the goal you will get there!”
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Off The Slope With Nicole Shering
Over the years Nicole Shering has excelled on the dryslope circuit and has picked up many titles along the way. Not only does she race at the top level of artificial skiing, but she also finds the time to coach at grassroots too.
Wellsnowsports caught up with Shering after the summer season had ended:
Before the season started did you have any targets you wanted to achieve?
I had a target to become the female zero point racer at the end of the season (which I hope I have gained but still not 100% sure) and also to become the combined GBR series indoor and outdoor winner which I did achieve.
What made you change to Croc? What are they like as a ski?
After trying out the skis at the beginning of last year, I loved them. They felt similar to my previous skis (Volkls), however having the choice between a range of stiffness’s was a winner for me as I could gain more power out the ski.
You won the overall GBR series, how did it feel to win that title?
As it was a goal of mine before the season started, it felt brilliant to achieve the title for the series both outdoor and combined. It was something I thought I could achieve however I knew I needed to ski to the best of my ability throughout the season.
You have done a few more indoor races than normal, is it hard to adapt to those races?
As I don’t train on snow or any indoor slope, it was hard for me to adapt because of the different terrain, I’m not used to the ruts and bumps! However, I really enjoy racing indoors and trying to improve on my runs.
In the summer you helped coach at the Spenser Pession race camp, how was that experience?
I really enjoyed myself, a lot more than I thought I would. It was great to pass on my knowledge to the younger generation and see their improvements throughout the week. I am hoping to continue down the coaching route and help out at more camps when I can.
How do you handle the pressure of being one of the favourites to win?
I don’t really feel the pressure now, of course I am nervous, but I know that its normal to have good and bad races. I never go into a race expecting a win, which takes the pressure off myself.
Who is your favourite World Cup skier and why?
I would say Dave Ryding because his dryslope background has led him to become a very successful racer. This not only inspires young skiers, but also gives them the hope that they could potentially follow in his footsteps.
What are your ambitions for the future?
I would like to progress further with my coaching by gaining more qualifications and experience. Next year, I would like to retain the titles that I won this year and to win the championship races I haven’t yet won.
Snow or dryslope Croc skis are handmade high performance ski that excels on any surface. To order head to the Wellsnowsports store!
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Off The Slope With Francesca Lee
Francesca Lee has come a long way from beginner ski lessons at Kendal ski slope to selection for the England U21 Alpine squad. Lee, who currently trains with the British Ski Academy (BSA), has already had highs and lows throughout her racing career but has shown a massive determination to fulfil her true potential.
We caught up with Lee before the start of the 2017/18 Winter season:
How has your summer prep been going?
Summer prep has been going well, I spent three weeks in Cervinia with the British Ski Academy where I feel like I was able to make some really positive changes in my skiing. Last week I was in Stelvio with Podium Ski and it was awesome to start to see the changes coming into gates!
How was last season?
Up and down, I felt like I made improvements all the way through the season. It was definitely a learning curve for me, because I had never really been injured before. I was coming back from one injury at the start of the season and then I was out again after the English Champs with another one. However, I have learnt a lot and I feel like I am now a much stronger athlete.
BSA recently moved to a new home, how was it to train in a different area?
The new base is awesome! We have an epic Gym, ski rooms and the actual rooms are really spacious, ideal for when you are skiing! Being in Aosta is great, because we can simply get the bubble up to Pila to train and there are so many other resorts close by if we want to train on different hills. We also had snow all of last season, which was ideal! Fingers crossed for this season!
Do you have any aims for this season?
My aims for this season are sub 40 points in Slalom and GS, and sub 60 for super-G. Although, when I race the points are out of my control, so I will be happy if my training is going well and I can take it into the races too. So I would say my main aim is to get more consistent in training and racing.
How did you get into ski racing?
I learnt to ski at Kendal Ski Club, and worked up the levels to Junior Development, where we started racing. My first races were at the Rossendale Summer Race League and if I am honest I hated my first race, because I lost every dual slalom race. I fell over in a few of the races and generally didn't have a good time. However my parents had already signed me up for the second race, but I knew what to expect next time, so it went a lot better and I have loved it ever since!
Do you think dry slope is still a relevant part of British skiing?
Definitely, I love dry slope racing so much, it is so much more chilled out than racing on snow. It is more convenient, because you can easily do it all year around here in the UK. You never have the problem of getting freezing cold, and it is nice to be able to race in in a long sleeve T-shirt and trackies. You can also get a bacon roll between runs and take your boots off and socialise.
What World Cup skier do you most admire and why?
That is a tough one! Probably Dave Ryding, because he has come up through the sport by starting on dry slope and has worked his way up to where he is now.
To catch up on Francesca Lee’s racing follow her social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube! Or visit her official website!
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Club Focus: Kandahar Ski Club
How it started
Sir Arnold Lunn along with a group of British skiers founded the Kandahar ski club on the 20th January 1924 in Murren’s Palace Hotel, Switzerland. The main purpose of the club was to raise the profile of Downhill and Slalom ski racing internationally as a sport.
(Photo Credit: TVB St. Anton am Arlberg)
The name choice
The club took its name from one of the oldest downhill races, the Roberts of Kandahar. This race had a cup donated by Field Marshal Lord Roberts of Kandahar, commander and Victoria Cross winner of the British army, after winning the great 1880 battle in Afghanistan. The Kandahar "K" would become iconic in the ski racing world after ski cartoonist Alan d’Egville suggested the simple but effective logo.
Impact on ski racing
In 1930, the world governing body of skiing, FIS, gave Downhill and Slalom official recognition, which was mainly down to the Kandahar members’ efforts. The first World Alpine Skiing Championships were staged in Murren, Switzerland by British organisers. Sir Arnold Lunn also set up the Arlberg-Kandahar (AK) races, which later inspired the many famous World Cup Downhill courses we see today on the circuit. Garmisch, St Anton, Sestriere and Chamonix courses all still have the Kandahar name.
Club alumni
In its history the club has had royalty, Olympic/Paralympic medalists and influential personalities come through the ranks. Swiss World Cup skier Daniel Yule skied for Kandahar in his junior ski days and ranked 11th in the slalom rankings last season on the World Cup. Blaise Giezendanner, also a previous member of Kandahar, is relatively new on the World Cup circuit. The Frenchman finished 23rd in the Super G World Cup standings last year.
Britain’s number one Alpine skier Dave Ryding also trained with Kandahar. Ryding showed his world class pedigree when he won the Europa Cup Slalom title in 2013. In 2017, Ryding had another spectacular season with a second place in the Kitzbuhel World Cup Slalom. He ended the season eighth overall in World Cup Slalom.
(Photo Credit: Redbull Content Pool)
Other names to mention are Paralympic gold medallists Kelly Gallacher and Charlotte Evans, World Telemark Championship bronze medalist Jasmin Taylor, World Cup Skier Crosser Liz Stevenson and former British Alpine Olympian Ed Drake.
Current crop
The Kandahar club still prides itself with producing children racers. The 2017 summer camp held in Norway was a huge success and had a stellar coaching staff on hand, with USA’s World Cup Slalom skier Robby Kelly joining the team as a special guest.
Coach Dan Poth gave his view on the group: Elliott Bennett and Callum Ross in the U16 boys are skiing fast this year. In the U14 boys, Aidan Urquhart, Dominic Shakleton, Ben Sherriff, Fraser Baggaley, Ben Tweedy and Seb Vanger were impressive on summer camp.
“The U16 girls are making great improvements and look to make a strong first year FIS team. U14 girls include the duo of Petra Tweedy and Grace Bennett who are chasing down the older girls and are skiing really well.
“The U12/10 age groups are packed with loads of talented skiers including Harry Duncan, Finn Sherriff, Oliver Sadler and Isabel Sadler. For the first time in a while Kandahar has strength across all the age groups!”
The future looks bright for the Kandahar ski team!
Coach’s insight by Dan Poth
Kandahar has a big hardworking team striving to a common goal, which is developing all racers that come through the door. The full-time coaching team this season includes Dan Poth, Sam Liddell, Eilidh McLeod and Ash Breese under the management of Matt Shepherd.
Part time coaches include Russ Bennett, TJ Baldwin, Amanda Pirie, Mark De Rosenwerth, Mike Barker, Charlie Gould, Gav Carruthers, Jake Richardson, Justin Mesut, Mick Jordan, Nikki Jordan and Matt Thompson.
Dan Poth explained the ethos of the Kandahar team: “Personally, I see Kandahar as a club for anyone! The atmosphere on all the camps is always fun; which means that progression in the athlete’s skiing ability and life skills off the hill is inevitable. There is a real team atmosphere that spreads across all the age groups”
The 2017 summer camp was a real hit and Poth was full of praise after the experience: “The summer camp in Fonna, Norway was amazing. Once again we had to battle with the elements of wind and rain, but it was 100% worth it when we were rewarded with the blue-bird days!
“We saw massive improvements from a lot of the team due to the fact we were able to ski until 3-4pm almost every day, which is not heard of anywhere else in Europe. We are looked after really well in Fonna with the guys building us Super G tracks and jumps, Ski Cross tracks and also rollers, which were great to train Slalom on.”
On the future of the team, Poth is really enthusiastic: “I see Kandahar in the next few seasons winning club trophies again at National Championships and getting regular podiums across all the age groups! The growth of the club has been massive and there is more and more talent coming up.
“The objective is to become the number one UK competitive snowsports club and I think we are on the right track. There is still lots of hard work to do, but the team that Matt Shepherd has built I think can do it. None of what has happened already would be possible without him. I can speak on behalf of the coaching staff, parents and athletes that we are seriously grateful for all the hard work Matt puts in behind the scenes! Exciting times are ahead!
Wellsnowsports
Wellsnowsports are proud supporters of the Kandahar ski team. Both teams have worked together in the last season and will continue to work closely in the future. From personalised STOK gloves to Croc skis and Briko the team have been repping the Wellsnowsports products on the mountains.
On Social
Kandahar Racing can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and LinkedIn!
Off The Slope With Zak Vinter
Zak Vinter is one of the most promising talents on the British alpine race circuit and has been producing impressive results in FIS races around the world recently.
At the age of two Vinter was taught how to ski by his parents, who are both ski instructors, at Glasgow Ski Centre. When he turned six, he started racing for the Glasgow Ski Racing Team and never looked back. By the time the Scotsman turned 11 he was selected for the British Children’s Ski Team and has been on the British team ever since.
In 2014 Vinter was thrusted into spotlight after he was crowned overall British Children’s champion and was then selected for the European Youth Olympics in Tbilisi, Georgia the following year. His talent was clear to be seen!
Vinter has built into FIS racing naturally and has already been improving each year on his world ranking in each of his disciplines. Having a strong support from his family, sponsors and coaches, Vinter has continued to make real progress in his ski racing.
This season has already started off with a bang for Vinter. On his travels to Australia he scored a superb 8.88 FIS points in Slalom competing against a world-class field. That result looks to be another breakthrough moment for the Scottish skier!
Wellsnowsports caught up with him after his results in Australia:
How has your summer prep gone?
My summer has been pretty incredible. I started in Hintertux, Austria in June then moved to Fonna, Norway for three weeks training. I made some big improvement over the early summer skiing, which made me feel pretty confident heading down to Australia. I used my good start bib from last year’s races and went for it! I managed to put down some awesome results against some of the world’s best.
Going into the European winter now with a great result in both disciplines takes the pressure off me slightly. I only need one more result in each discipline to finish the season on some incredible points. These results have allowed me to look to do bigger races like the Europa Cup and I will hopefully do well in these races this season too.
How was last season?
Last year was successful for me. I made massive jumps in all disciplines. I tried especially hard this year to improve my Super G and Giant Slalom skiing. I nearly halved my Super G points and also lowered my world ranking in GS. I also made my first ever podium finish and FIS win, which was a big achievement for me.
Why did you choose Croc skis?
I chose Croc skis, because I really enjoyed the skis when I tested them. The Slalom ski is really punchy and stiff that works well on tough hills and conditions. They also support skiers really well with sponsorship and prize money for when you hit the podium.
Do you have any aims for this season?
I am hoping to make a big step up this season and prove that I can ski fast on the big stage in Europe. My main goal for this season is the Junior World Championships. I am keen to go there ski fast and hopefully strike for the podium. Apart from that, I will be building up again for the British Championships.
What are your long term goals?
My long term goals are to continue skiing as I am and hopefully make it to the World Championships and Olympics in the years to come.
Follow Vinter on his Facebook fan page here
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Off The Slope With Ash Breese
Ashley Breese is one of the rising racers in the British ski team and has a big future ahead of him in alpine skiing. Breese has already had to overcome a few hurdles on his quest to compete at the highest level. The Croc skier is now fighting feet and ready to move up the FIS rankings.
Breese took some time out to talk to Wellsnowsports about the upcoming season!
What was your situation last season?
Last season I wasn't able to ski at all due to a knee injury, which put me out for 12 months. I was also out the season before with another knee injury.
How did the summer prep go?
My summer prep mainly consisted of just Physio and fitness after my knee operation. But I managed to come back stronger and fitter than before the injury so I would say it went quite well.
What's in store for you this season?
My race schedule seems to change all the time as different races pop up onto the calendar every day, but I will be racing at the English champs in Bormio and the British champs in Tignes to finish off the season.
What are your aims for this season?
My aim for this season is to lower my FIS points to 40 in both Slalom and Giant Slalom.
Why did you choose Croc skis?
I chose Croc skis because I had heard very good reviews about the GS skis, which I haven't skied GS for 2 and a half years I thought I would trust everyone else's review and try something different. I also managed to test some of the slalom skis, which I found was a much more stable ski to my previous SL skis.
What are your long term ambitions?
My Long term goal is to compete on the World Cup circuit and Olympic Games.
Head over to Breese’s website to find out more: ashbreese.co.uk
Wellsnowsports is now the UK supplier of Croc skis that are currently used on the FIS Alpine World Cup tour. To order skis email: info@wellsnowsports.co.uk
Off The Slope with Laurence Willows
Laurence Willows is a prime example of how to follow your dreams whilst also studying to prepare for the future. The 20 year old is on the British Ski Cross Team and is currently doing a degree in Economics, Finance and Banking at the University of Portsmouth. Willows has a clear drive in what ever he does but also a grounded attitude to both his sporting aspirations and career choices.
Wellsnowsports caught up with the London based skier to talk about his ski cross achievements so far and how he’s going to prepare for this coming season.
How did last season go?
“Last season was the best overall season I have had. My world ranking dropped to 152nd. I also started two Europa cups for the first time at the end of the season and managed to finish 31st and 32nd place. I was really happy with those performances.
“I was disappointed to make a mistake in the World Junior Champs but my results in the Nor-Am were really pleasing because that’s where I managed to drop some of my ranking points.That has really set me up for this season”
What has your highlight been so far in Skier cross?
“I would say one of the highlights was when I was in Canada and I got to train and race against their national team. There was a World Cup race on before that I got watch and then I was up against some of the same guys in the Nor-Am Cup, because they ski the same course. It was great to see the best guys in the sport up close.”
How far are you off the world’s best?
“If I was to look at things realistically, I would look at the top 10 and say I’m about six per cent off their time. At the moment, because I have not skied much this season I have no idea where I will be. I have just been focusing on power work in the gym.
“I have also changed skis from Stoeckli to Salomon this year and I have new boots, so all that will be new to me. When I head off to Italy in a month’s time it will be clear how far I will be off the top guys.”
How many races are you doing this season and what are your goals?
“I have got two FIS races in Italy at the end of November lined up. Then I am going off to train in Austria just before Christmas. Early January I am off to Sweden for more FIS races. Then later in January I will be back there for the Swedish National Champs and more FIS races.
“In February I am off to Kazakstan for the Winter Universiade where I hope to finish top 10 and break into the semi finals. Later on in March I will go to central Europe for the Europa Cups, then move across to the world junior champs in April and hopefully break top 20.”
What are your long term ambitions?
“Long term aim is to make it to the 2022 Olympics. Although I do not like to look too far ahead. I like just want to take each season as it comes. If I feel I can really reach that pinnacle of the sport then that is when I will be able to look two or three seasons ahead.”
You used to do alpine. Is there a different vibe to skier cross than alpine?
“It’s 100% different. You are not on the hill at a stupid early time like alpine. Course inspection is at 9:30am. Practice is on the actual course, so there’s no mystery about the course before hand.
“Everybody is chatty at the top. In alpine you can’t just go talk to the world number three because majority of the time they don’t want the conversation. In ski cross they have a chat with me and give tips on the course because they want to help improve the sport as a whole.”
What is your favourite product on the Wellsnowsports store?
“The green and blue Briko Etna SL helmet because yours truly owns one for racing on the dryslope!”
You can check out Laurence’s Briko race helmet and other great ski products on the Wellsnowsports online store!
Off The Slope with Ski The Kingdom
The 26-year-old filmmaker has a great repertoire of many sporting edits under his belt but his enthusiasm for snowsports really shines through the most. Ski the Kingdom is his main passion and the UK ski scene is really excited to see the latest film!
Tompkins took some time out from editing to talk to Wellsnowsports about Ski the Kingdom and his latest project.
How did Ski The Kingdom start?
“There was a group of us at Loughborough Snow, the University Ski Club. We would ski with each other quite a bit and go to Tamworth on a Tuesday. We would just ski with each other and enjoy it. We got to know other people who were skiing at Tamworth too and it was a real positive atmosphere. We were just enjoying getting better.
“Then we thought let’s make an edit of all this. Our original goal was to tour the country and make an edit from every slope. It all started with Tamworth and it went on from there.”
What is about the UK freestyle scene that excites you?
“For me it’s the attitude and the mind set behind it and the people. We’ve got some mountains in Scotland and we’ve got dryslopes and snow domes. It’s not Whistler or any other big resort but everyone is just keen to make the most of what they’ve got.
“Everyone is there to progress and push each other on. When someone lands a huge trick, people aren’t focused on beating that individual, they’re thinking about how they can improve their own run. It’s just a really positive place to be in right now.”
Can you ride the park yourself and what’s your go to trick?
“Ever since I’ve picked up the camera my skiing hasn’t been progressing as much. I still have this urge to learn more though!
“My go to trick is probably a back swup 270 then a blind 270 off the rail. I learnt lip 270s this year switch but they are not quite consistent enough to be my go to trick!”
“God Save the Scene” comes out in October, how long has production taken to get to this point?
“We started writing it last winter. I spent that winter talking to the guys and seeing what their ideas were. Then we started filming in May this year through to September. So maybe we’ve been filming for over five months. There was so much more we wanted to do but we set ourselves a deadline to make it happen. It’s nice to have places we can go back to for future projects though.”
How many different locations did you visit and was there a particular highlight?
“We did mostly dryslopes. That was conscious choice because a lot of people know about the snow domes. Personally I wanted to visit a lot of dryslopes that weren’t that well known. We went to Kendall, Halifax, Swadlincote, Hemel, Tamworth, Milton Keynes and Will Tucker’s backyard in Hereford.”
“I guess Tucker’s was a highlight. We’ve been talking about filming at his for two or three years and to actually make it happen on the day was cool to try and coordinate. We had a tractor scene where they’d start in the farm and get the tractor off the road. We then built our own park. It was a lot of work to see it all come together.”
How long can it take to get one shot during filming?
“As a director I was expecting to give a lot of motivation and tell people to keep going to land a trick. This film I never had to say to anyone ‘Keep going you can do this’. We’re all a group of friends that have worked so hard and they’ll always regroup themselves and make it happen.
“There was a shoot at Stoke one night. It wasn’t a case of me telling them what to do, they were already building a feature they wanted ski. We were there till 2:30 in the morning. Tom Smith wanted to nail a trick on a rail and we were there for four hours until he landed it. He was bleeding from his arms but he was determined to get the shot.
“That’s what I find cool, everybody had commitments the next morning but they stuck it out because they knew it was good for the film. The core group is quite a select group and we share the same mindset.”
You must work with many up and coming skiers but who excites you the most?
“I got the opportunity to interview Woodsy (James Woods) and the thing I like about him that he travels the world but always comes back to the UK to ride. He’s just finished his own tour across the UK and he still excited about small snow domes or skiing a dryslope. He managed to say in five minutes what we in Ski the Kingdom have been trying to promote for years. “
What are your Snowsport film influences?
“One of my favourites is the ‘86’ by Stept, it’s quite an urban one. It hit at just the right time where I just got into filming and Ski the Kingdom. It just blew me away with how much they can step it up in terms of skiing and cinematography.”
“Another is by Four by nine called ‘So far so hood’, which captured skiing at a time where everybody was just having fun with their friends and that kind of summed up my opinion of freeskiing. A lot of the riders were wearing baggy clothing and were making edits with their friends for fun. “
Do you have any other influences?
Outside of skiing, I watch a ton of skateboarding. Whether it’s more fish eyed shot stuff or stuff by Ty Evans. There’s one film called “Fully Flared” where they build a fake skate park and put explosives in it, so when they grind it blows up. Movies like that really think outside the box. The skateboarding is spot on but he’s gone out his way to make something really special.”
Where do you see Ski the Kingdom progressing and do you have ambitions of making more movies like “God Save the Scene”?
“I guess we want to make an edit a year, but we also want to have a physical impact on the UK scene. We want to impact the slope where we can get funding for a new rail or building a new jump. That’s what we need to think about is the best way to help whether that’s more coaching or more events. That’s the main focus but we’re still thinking of more film ideas too!”
Keep your eyes out for ‘God save the scene’ when it’s released online in November 2016. Follow Ski the Kingdom on Facebook, Twitter Instagram and YouTube.
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Off The Slope with Alex Tilley
Tilley talked to Wellsnowsports about how last season went for her and how she can progress in the future.
Tilley was first entered in a World Cup race in Maribor, Slovenia back in 2013 and before last season struggled to get in the top 30 to qualify for the second run. This season saw her step up a gear and at times she was competing with the very best on the World Cup circuit.
Tilley explained that last season was a major learning process for her: “Last season was a bit of a rollercoaster, there were some hugely exciting moments mixed with some incredibly frustrating ones too.
“I didn't achieve all the goals that I set out to do, but it was still a big step forward for me and so I think it was a successful season in that respect. I feel I learnt a lot about how the World Cup tour works and feel better-equipped going into this season.”
Soelden was a moment of mixed emotions for Tilley. A fantastic first run in the giant slalom placed her in joint 24th position with the chance to record her first World Cup points on the second run. Unfortunately for the Brit she caught the inside of her boot on some loose snow towards the bottom of the course and skied out.
The British number one recalls how she felt during the World Cup opener: “Soelden was definitely tough, I didn't really know whether to be delighted to have made the second run for the first time, or to be devastated not to have finished it.
“There was definitely a mix of tears and smiles at the same time. It was a bizarre feeling! I made a deal with myself as I left Soelden that I would only leave with the positives, and take confidence from knowing that I can mix it with the best.”
Six races later on the World Cup tour and there was a great breakthrough for the Scottish skier. Tilley had managed to qualify for the giant slalom second run in Lienz. This time the 21 year old held her nerve and produced a solid and smooth run that bumped her up to 19th position on the second run.
Tilley can’t quite put her finger on why Lienz performance was so different but does know how she has learnt a lot from that day: “Lienz was definitely my highlight! It's actually really difficult to look back and say ‘that was what was different’, because truthfully I was skiing terribly the day before and lacking any confidence at all really.
“But I think I had hit a point where I told myself ‘who cares what happens, go for it, have fun and the results will take care of themselves’.
“I had spent a while getting too stressed about my skiing and trying to force changes, while things were getting worse. I learnt a lot about my skiing that day and what frame of mind I should be when I’m entering a race situation. Now it's just about putting it all into practice.”
The 23 year old from Torphin is now preparing for another World Cup season and the season opener for the women starts on October 22nd. Tilley reveals how her summer training is going: “Summer preparations have gone really well. Having sponsors like Pyhrn-Priel, Delancey and Uvex UK have allowed me to spend lot of days on snow and feel really good about where my skiing is at, in GS and slalom.
“After struggling with the form that I had last season, it was important for me to really strip it right back to square one and build up again, which we did.
“We spent time in Hintertux, Stelvio, Wittenburg, Saas Fee and Pitztal, so we have worked on a lot of different pistes and terrain. It's never easy getting ready for a hill like Soelden, there are very few like it in the world, but I feel great about it and can't wait to get back into the races!”
On Tilley’s backroom team is former Olympic and World Cup GB skier Noel Baxter, who has built up a strong working relationship with her as a coach over the years. Having Baxter’s previous experience on the World Cup has been very valuable to her preparations for big races.
Tilley describes Noel’s impact and hard work ethic: “Noel is a great coach to work with, he is incredibly passionate about his job and works immensely hard to make me better and whilst trying to improve British skiing as a whole.
“I knew Noel a bit when he was still a ski racer, I really think seeing him in that situation and looking up to him back then, gave me an immediate respect for him that was important for me at that stage in my career. I needed to step it up in a few ways, and he really helped me to do that.”
Tilley also has a new addition to her team: “This year we have a new assistant coach/serviceman that has joined us on the tour, Kenny Morton. He's done some great work and picked up the trade well over the summer so I'm excited to see what the season brings.”
Tilley has some exciting targets set for the coming season: “It's World Champs year so of course I have an eye on that, it would be great to make some points there. To do that I need to finish in the top 15 so that's my goal for GS and slalom there.
“As for the World Cup season, I want to make the World Cup finals in Aspen. To do that I need to finish in the top 25 in the seasons standings, so it won't be easy, but it's what I am working for this season and I definitely think it's a big possibility if I perform to my ability.”
Wellsnowpsorts wishes Alex Tilley the best of luck for this season and hopes she reaches her targets at the World Champs and World Cup!
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