2014 British Alpine Champs

A successful British! The last fortnight at the British champs has left me on a high at the conclusion of the 2013/14 winter season.

Essentially it's been my most successful British Championships ever, which is ironic because it is the year where I had the least expectations for success. I arrived to Meribel both optimistic and apprehensive. I was skiing well but my first British Championships away from children's racing is something I'd been building towards to for a long time. Watching the never ending slalom come down one of the toughest most relentless race pistes around and seeing the speeds that some of the bigger boys hit in the super G is a pretty daunting sight for a mini or early years child racer. I was always told that one day I'd have to do the same and that I needed to be both mentally and physically ready, however I'm pretty sure that when everyone snaps the bindings shut they feel at least some nerves before leaving the start of your National Championships.

The first day was a bit of an odd one. We all came into the car park looking for the Super G set down the stade. I love the speed events and opportunities to hammer it down the Meribel stade are few and far between, however to a twinge of early disappointment the course had been set higher up and finished just above the stade. On the other hand I also knew that piste had so many more challenges. High speeds in to the newer, tighter A nets, the steep fall away coming over aeroplane, being able to carry the speed down and through meadows, then laying the skis right over down the 90 degree panorama bend. I was well up for this one.

Pic courtesy of Racer Ready

Following a delayed start we finally kicked off with the early starters spinning round on the chair saying it was a tough set.

Me? I got it bang on and put down a really solid run. My course read had been good, I positioned myself well right the way down and making minimum mistakes meant that I'd limited any time lost to errors and didn't have to scrub any speed at any point. Having not done a lot of Super G turns this year I thought that 105 was a decent score and for a while it looked like I'd just made the flip from a start number of 55. Frustratingly an Italian lad nudged under my time and I'd been squeezed out of the top 30 by 0.06s. Still 2nd U18, 1st 1997 Brit and 8th placed Brit overall was a decent start to the week.

Onto the super combi and after missing the flip by 1 in the Super G my aim was simple. Survive and complete. After achieving the task, just, I got down to hear the news that some of the boys in front of me had struggled and that I'd finally won my first British title! Me and the BSA boys had a good laugh at the bottom about the day until I got cheered onto the top step by all of them. I can't thank them enough for the season I've had and truly appreciate the fact that they all welcomed me into the team with open arms.

In the two GS's I was strong and solid, putting down good runs and looked to be making the best turns of the season.  I love the 195's and my turns seem to benefit from the having the longer ski under me. Unfortunately I had already ran out of my 25 technical starts, however we used this as an advantage because it meant I could ski with freedom and not worry about points! The first GS contained two decent, if unspectacular, runs and I managed to place 2nd U18 & first 97 Brit.

Taking to Dave & Ruslan

The second GS went really well - or should I say really well right until my ski popped off. Without question it was the best I'd raced GS all season, I made up lots of places on run 1 getting well inside the flip and was looking well set for a great result right up to the moment my binding popped. Ruslan said I'd have been right up there with the best boys in my Y.O.B and that my entry and line into the turn where the ski popped was perfect. I was good knowing how well I'd raced but massively frustrating that the chance of a 2nd British title had managed to sneak out of the back door.

Both slaloms weren't great, however given how difficult conditions were at the back of the field I was looking just to make the finish. Not least as (ridiculously) I've never actually made It down 2 slalom runs at the British before. In the first slalom, having survived a minefield of ruts on run 1, I somehow made the flip and despite a really scratchy 2nd run I made it down finishing 3rd U18 and first 97 again.

After a surprising change of fortune in the first slalom, I slipped into old habits again into the 2nd getting punished for chasing time after a mistake by going too straight into a hairpin. A painful straddle to the calf and very upper inner thigh (if you know what I mean!) was the inevitable result - trust me, these 30mm gates really do hurt.

Overall it was a great week. 4/6 podiums, 1st British 97 every day I finished and I finally managed to get my name on a trophy at the British Champs. I'd like to thank everyone who supported me and helped me get to this stage, not least my old Telford coaches. Also everyone at BSA who has made me feel so welcome and worked so hard with me. I hope I've started to repay at least some of your faith in me! I probably should have won one of these before now but it feels pretty good knowing you'll always be the first FIS 97 to get your name on a junior trophy.

Now I'm back home ready for a long summer of training in the gym, doing exams and finding some work to pay for my summer training. Bit of a change from the beauty and banter of Mont Blanc!

My Tour of Race Piste Cafés ~ Part 2

So..... After the truly huge response I had about my first café ratings for the first half of the season I thought I better knock up a part 2.

Unfortunately due to the fact I've started to complete a few more races my café time has been significantly reduced thus this might not be as thorough as part 1. A bit selfish I know (I do apologise) but occasionally even the old FIS points need to come before a bit of café research.

That said, even on good days there'll always be time for a hot chocolate and pain au chocolat between inspections so here goes....

Les Gets

Pretty good positioning half way down the long practice piste which is conveniently sat next to the race course. Minimum space inside meant that the race to get to the café to get a seat was almost as competitive as the slalom event going on outside, something that consequently meant making the flip for second run even more vital than usual. During somewhat of a blizzard and finger freezing wind-chill on the 2nd day we were extremely grateful to Saint Laurie Taylor who, in unselfishly sacrificing his day on run 1, was able to be sat in the café reserving seats for the previous two hours. Hot chocolate was decent but points lost for being expensive. 4/10

Bormio

4 Euros for a slice of pizza - or if you're in there for a while and a growing lad (the bulking phase) - 12 Euros for 3 slices. Happy days. Inevitably a few too many hours were spent in the bormio café, including a 7 hour long marathon stint in which a number of Flappy Bird high scores were destroyed! One point frustratingly deducted because the Polish guys there thought it was a good idea to stand in front of the TV when the skiing was on but even that can't deny the home of the English Champs a competitive score. Everyone knows that this gem is up there with the very best! 8/10

Val Thorens

Other than a little shed at the bottom you would have expected more from one of the Three Valley's jewels. Fortunately it was sunny and hot otherwise I'd have spent my whole time in the van in between runs. All the two's on this one I'm afraid - too expensive, too small, two finishes left too little time to check out facilities properly. 2/10

Meribel

The good old Meribel marquee! Sun, snow, rain? Then the tent is where to head! Pain au chocolat, hot chocolate and change from 5 euros is rarer than a smile from the ESF in Meribel! Extra pointage given for substantial space for even the biggest of teams, perfect viewing of the slalom piste and almost decent toilets (for France) close by give this canvassed covered crowd pleaser an impressive 8/10

Whilst in Meribel we must also give a shout out to the newly re-named Meri-Bar. I'm pretty sure Fraser Buchan will also back me up on this rasper. Slip down to the bar and order "the big one". 12 euros later, a near dustbin lid sized platter of bacon, sausage, egg, hash browns, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes and toast appears in front of you - without doubt it's the mother, father and god-parent of race piste breakfasts. Granted it's pretty unsuitable for any elite or aspiring racers, therefore denying it a near perfect 10. However even the inevitable downgrading gets slightly offset by the extra pointage earned by having Sky Sports rolling inside - Stelling, Merse & Matt Le Tiss are essential company every Saturday afternoon in the Alps! A  9.5/10 makes the marquee/Meri-Bar combo a must try (at least once) for every first run DNF-er - to quote Cammy "it's unbelievable Jeff"

Courchevel

Poor facilities even though it is very accessible and offering easy lift access for post run bag & ski collection. Only the one gazebo, tables which collapse any time you have more than 3 people perched on them and a pair of toilets that flood more regularly than Somerset cost this one significant pointage. Also, it has to be noted that we were hugely disappointed with the absence of pre-promised pig products to be served between baps and brown sauce. Organisers - please don't promise to bring along the bacon then turn up with soggy pastries, it only costs you café rating points. As a result - 3/10, and I'm flattering you.