Chairman's Message

Welcome to the June 2009 newsletter from L&SERSA - your regional association - helping you to improve in your chosen discipline in snow sports!

I hope you enjoy reading about all the activities that have happened and are going to happen over the next few weeks. We hope this will become a regular feature of skiing in the South East. We will need your help so do let us know about your trials and tribulations in the sport on both artificial and snow.

Look out for pictures of yourself and your friends (please contact us if you don’t want pictures in the newsletter so we can edit them out). Tell us about your sporting successes both inside and outside the region so that we may include them in the next issue.

Enjoy your skiing – what ever the surface!!

Sandy Telling

ps Thanks to ultimate-ski.com for their help with the technology behind this newsletter in exchange for which we've allowed them one or two spots to promote their excellent website...

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Summer Races

The L&SERSA committee and race organisers would like to welcome everyone to another summer of fun races at slopes around the South East. Races will be held at Bromley, Aldershot, Brentwood Park and Welwyn. For more information see the race bulletin on the website: www.lsersa.org. Ski Bartlett are once again series sponsors www.skibartlett.co.uk.

Summer Raffle

Sun Peaks Resort and the Coast Sundance Lodge are offering a fantastic raffle prize of a holiday for two to Sun Peaks, Canada. Entries will be available at all LSERSA summer races.

For more information on Sun Peaks please visit the resort report pages at www.ultimate-ski.com/Ski-Resorts/Canada/Sun_Peaks,_BC/index.html

Fitness Competition

Once again at each of the regional events we will be running a fitness competition.

This is sponsored by Snow & Rock, Armajaro, Bodyfactor and Sage Physiotherapy.

Prizes will be S&R travel bags at each of the events plus an overall prize of £250 at the end of the season for the athlete with the most accumulated points.

Ultimate Ski

Ski resorts, snow reports, off piste, ski news, ski features ...

With in-depth information on over 100 ski resorts in Europe, North America and the Southern Hemisphere ultimate-ski.com is the place to plan your next skiing or snowboarding holiday. Check our snow reports and keep yourself up to date with the snow conditions you can expect. And there's extensive reporting on off-piste skiing in Europe and North America.

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Congratulations

Several skiers from the London & South East Region have been selected to the England Alpine Ski Team for 2009/10. They include:

A Quick Word With.... Ed Drake

Ed Drake is now 23 years old and has been a full time member of the British Team for the last 5 years. He is currently Britian’s lowest ranked male skier and has already qualified for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. While he now spends up to 35 weeks on snow each season, it was only 5 years ago that he was securing his 7th LSERSA title as the region's fastest skier. Drake, who was born in Kingston, Surrey, raced first for Hillingdon and then Wycombe as he worked his way through the lower ranks of the UK race scene. Now ranked 46th in the World and looking forward to the coming season off the back of his second Overall British Title, we caught up with Ed to see what he remembers from his time racing in LSERSA races and what he thinks the future holds for British skiers…

Hi Ed. You’re currently the toast of the British Team after qualifying for next years Winter Olympics, but you haven’t always been a snow specialist have you?

No it wasn’t always that way. My early memories are all of dry slope, back at Hillingdon when I was 8. I spent a good 3 years racing in the mini category at LSERSA races before I got into the LSERSA squad aged 10. I remember they didn’t have any tops for kids in the team, so I had this giant top that came down to my knees to race in. I kept racing LSERSA and every other dry slope race I could until 2003. When I was in the children and junior categories I was racing every weekend at dryslopes across the country, picking up experience every weekend! I did my last dry slope race when I was 18 at Pontypool in Wales and raced in a Superman suit – they let me wear my cape even though it covered my bib!

So would you say that racing at LSERSA events had a part to play in shaping you into the skier you are today?

Yeah, for sure. That’s the reason that I got into racing and it was at those races that I realised I wanted to be a ski racer, having that competition every weekend. As I was growing up I was always striving to catch those around me. There were so many good skiers who came through the ranks, I was always chasing someone or trying to stay ahead of someone else. It makes you work hard and not stop pushing yourself as there’s always new goals and targets. The LSERSA races also played a massive part in my slalom success on snow. I must have skied thousands of runs in gates year after year and inspected hundreds of courses, so slalom was never something that phased me on snow.

But you’re not just a slalom specialist now? You’re ranked 46th in the World for Super G and are also the British Giant Slalom Champion?

Yeah that’s right. I had a great start to last season on the Europa Cup tour, with an 11th place in Reiteralm, Austria, only 0.75 seconds off winning. I then went on to Canada where we raced on the Lake Louise World Cup piste before heading back to Europe where I started my first World Cup Downhill on the infamous Lauberhorn in Wengen.

So that was a massive experience then? The longest Downhill on the World Cup circuit for your debut?

Yeah it was awesome. There were tens of thousands of people lining the piste and then a packed grand stand in the finish. The noise was crazy, they were all cheering, regardless of who you were or where you were from, it was so loud. The race was incredible, it was over two and a half minutes and is over 2.7 miles long. The leg burn was like nothing I’ve ever experienced and I could hardly stand in the finish, but it was great preparation for the World Championships.

Ah yes, the World Championships in Val D’isere. Another great experience in the perfect season?

Well kind of. It was the hardest piste I’ve ever skied, it was like skiing on glass, and it was by far the biggest event I’ve ever been to. I didn’t do quite as well as I’d wanted to but none the less a great experience and an important stepping-stone before the Olympics.

But you showed a return to form at the British Championships in Meribel this Easter, picking up a couple of National Titles.

It was a great end to a successful season. I’d had a good year but its always important to perform well at your own National Championships. There was a strong international representation at the Championships this year, but the British boys all represented well and I picked up the British Super-G and Giant Slalom Titles as well as winning the Overall British Title with Dave Ryding. Sound like a perfect end to a great season.

So with the British guys all hitting top form, what are your predictions for the Olympic year?

For me, this Olympics is more of a learning curve in the build up to Sochi 2014. I’d like to get a top 20 finish in Vancouver and then build from there. We’ve got a lot talent in the team and Chemmy will obviously be the focus for a medal but there’s plenty of guys who are coming through the system that are showing a lot of potential. The funny thing is that most of these guys came through the dry slope system too – Chemmy, Dave Ryding, T.J, Pete Whelan, Jayme Baggio, Nick Robinson – They’ve all come through the same kind regional races as me! So it bodes well for the future!

Anything else to say before you head off training!?

Just thanks to all my supporters! My family, friends and all the companies that have supported me through my career so far! And to all the kids in LSERSA, keep skiing and watch out for me in Vancouver!

Nordic

New Club Website

The Club’s website has undergone a complete overhaul and is now live. Go to www.londonnordic.org.uk - we hope you’ll agree that it's a big improvement for the Club. We're building in a host of new features that will help you keep up to date, to participate in the Club's activities, and connect with other members. A picture gallery and members' forum are already live. Online event and race booking, and membership application are coming very soon.

What will you find on the new site?

• New information and photos including an outline of next year's Club events
• Photos from recent Club and other activities at Hillingdon Cycle Circuit
• Ski waxing tips from our recent demo
• A members' forum - it's open for your messages
• And much more for cross-country skiing enthusiasts

Rollerski Courses, Races & Club Tour

The Club’s Rollerski Race and Instruction Course season kicked off at the Hillingdon Cycle Circuit, Hayes, with an instruction course followed by a 7.5/15km FT race on 10th May. Next up is Race 2 (2x10km FT/CT Pursuit) and an instruction course on 21st June and Race 3 (a 1-hr race only) on 4th July. Booking forms and details are on the website.

There is also the traditional August Bank-Holiday Club Rollerski Tour - this year to Tholen, Holland.

Freestyle

Bromley Freestyle Club

For more than 10 years skiers have been able to try Freestyle Skiing at Bromley Ski Centre, in Sidcup South East London on Tuesday nights from 8-10pm. Freestyle night is open to both skiers and boarders, however this is not for beginners and skiers must be able to ski parallel. Tuesday nights have developed in line with the way Freestyle Skiing has on snow. New features are continuously being created which attracts more people and the creation of the club itself is now allowing easier access to a more competitive route. Under the guidance and supervision of Ex England Freestyle Skier Kathryn Harris, ex British Mogul Team Member Martin Nankoo and the current British Team Half pipe coach Simon Ashdon, Bromley Freestyle Club is beginning to produce top class athletes.

The LSERSA (London and South East Regional Ski Association) freestyle squad has also been created allowing greater access to funding and a direct route into the England Team. One member Danielle Freeze has just been selected for the England B Team for Skier Cross. A fantastic achievement for this local 18 year; who whilst studying for her A-levels competed in 5 competitions throughout the season on snow.

If you are interested in coming along or are interested in any sponsorship opportunities please contact Kathryn Harris on 07734710874.

No Snow! Who Cares? 2

No Snow! Who Cares? at Bromley Ski Centre is back by popular demand. Pencil in and keep free the 4th July as a variety of top named DJ's, Graffiti Artists, Break Dancers, demo equipment suppliers, raffle prizes, spot prizes and as always the best freestyle skiers and snowboarders will be in action throughout the day!

Just like last year, the slopestyle Jam will certainly not disappoint. Throw yourself into the action with 4 hours of shredding down the slopestyle course, busting out your most impressive tricks and taking on the rails and seeing just how high you can land the quarter pipe to turn heads and impress the judges. The top skiers and snowboarders will then go through to the all important grand finale where they will have just two runs to battle it out and show what they can do.

Spot prizes will be awarded to the person who demonstrates the best crash, greatest jump, the loudest ding and also the best rail. Spectators will have a fun packed day watching the pro's do what they do best, whilst DJ cH!co mixes the very best tunes to provide us with that traditional electrifying No Snow! Who Cares? atmosphere. The day’s energy is sure to make you work up an appetite so grab a bite to eat if you can tear yourself away from the action and tickle your taste buds as lunch will be specially prepared by the famous Mags.

The price for competitors is £20 (Helmets MUST be worn) and Spectators are FREE. Registration from 10.30-11.45pm, jam till 4pm.

We would like to thanks our sponsors, L&SERSA, For Boarders by Boarders who have supplied prizes from there sponsors Jail Skin, Blueskin, Smut, Idle Joe, Tunnel Vision, Red Dot, Inch Clothing, Eleven, Clast Zoo, Incas Clothing, Fear of the Park, Document snowboard, SCUK, Tearoom, Snowcons, Sputnik, Entity Snowsports, Maverick freestyle camps, True Snowboards, Shred Honey, Ski Club of Great Britain, Storm and Ski Barlett.

Printable Version

This newsletter is also available, slightly shortened, as a 2 page PDF file, suitable for printing and displaying on club notice boards etc. Click here to view/download the PDF version.