14-year-old British ski racer Honor Clissol.

Any young skiers looking to make it big should take a look at Sam and Honor Clissol.

The unique brother and sister combo had the good fortune to begin skiing at young ages, and have worked and trained hard to achieve the level required for a national team. The two were both overall champions and individual winners of their respective age groups in the British Children’s Championship in Meribel last week.

They were both selected for the children’s GB squad after the 2009 British Championships and joined the training programme provided by Snowsports GB.

Sam, who will soon be turning 15, has not only been competing internationally, but has acquired lots of race experience by racing with the top French boys in his age group. He was also selected by the French to race in La Scara, considered in the ski world as a real “Children’s World Championships” and used as qualification for the selection process for the French team.

Continue reading ‘What it takes to get sponsored as a young racer’

After an Olympic games which saw several absences and near-absences in the alpine skiing disciplines, FIS has begun looking into how to make the sport safer.

The University of Salzburg has begun a three year study in to all the dangers involved in Alpine ski racing at the behest of the International Ski Federation (FIS). The move follows an initiative by the world’s leading ski racers to highlight some of the dangers they think exist and could be reduced in their sport.

In the 2008-2009 season, 43 per cent of all alpine World Cup skiers sustained some kind of injury, and 23 of them were ruled out for at least eight days, according to FIS statistics. This season has seen similar stats on injured racers, with the Canadian team particularly hard hit ahead of the Vancouver games.

Continue reading ‘FIS comissions study into ski racing safey’

The world’s top ski racers are nowhere near done with this epic season.

After the Olympic Games in Vancouver and the finals of the World Cup at Garmisch, the world’s top racers are now heading to Verbier in Switzerland. The High Five competition there this weekend, however, will be a much less serious event and a chance for the athletes to have a good time at the famous resort.

Competitors scheduled to take part include Olympic triple-medalist Aksel-Lund Svindal, dual medalist Julia Mancuso, bronze medalist Andre Myhrer, perennial World Cup downhill champion Didier Cuche, Super-G star Jessica Lindel-Vikarby, Olympic downhill champion Didier Défago, as well as Canada’s Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Britain’s Chemmy Alcott, Liechtenstien’s Marco Büchel, and France’s Luc Alphand.

Continue reading ‘World’s top ski racers get set to high-five’

The Vail community offered their heartfelt congratulations to hometown hero Lindsey Vonn today by naming a run on Vail Mountain after the Olympic gold medalist.

The resort’s operator bestowed the honor in recognition of her many achievements in ski racing, and also because to them, she represents Vail’s first ever gold medal.

The expert “International” trail on Vail Mountain will be renamed “Lindsey’s” and the new trail sign greeted skiers and snowboarders today. The trail was the site of the women’s speed events during the World Alpine Ski Championships at Vail and Beaver Creek in 1989 and 1999. Additionally, the central location of the trail gives all guests at Vail easy access to ski or ride it throughout the winter season.

Continue reading ‘Lindsey’s run cements Vail as Vonn country’

On this seventh day of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Lindsey Vonn began her dominance with womens downhill gold on Wednesday amidst several crashes, and prepares for today’s super-combined.

The American ski superstar won the women’s downhill gold at the Winter Olympics on Wednesday after coming back from a recent injury. American teammate Julia Mancuso took the silver with Austrian Elisabeth Goergl won the bronze at Whistler.

Vonn lived up to expectations by winning the United States’ first ever Olympic gold in the women’s downhill. She produced a flawless performance on the technically challenging Franz’s Run to finish in a winning time of 1:44.19.

Continue reading ‘Olympic Update: Vonn-couver games are on, downhill crashes aplenty, Olympic cauldron opened up’

Swiss fans celebrate in Whistler Village on Monday night.

On this fifth day of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Switzerland and it’s fans in Whistler are still celebrating yesterday’s two gold medals.

Swiss skier Didier Defago took the men’s downhill crown on Monday to hand his country a first Olympic gold medal in downhill in 22 years. The veteran Defago clocked 1:54.31 down the 3,105-metre-long Dave Murray downhill run at Whistler.

On the same day, Switzerland’s Dario Cologna underlined his status as one of cross-country’s rising stars by taking Olympic gold in the men’s 15km freestyle.

The Swiss fans celebrated in the Whistler Village all night, chanting, dancing, and ringing their cowbells.

Continue reading ‘Olympic Update: Swiss ski sensations, men’s super combined postponed’

A meeting between downhill racers and International Ski Federation (FIS) officials in Val Gardena, Italy last week became even more contentious after a run of serious injuries in recent World Cup races knocked several leading skiers out of the coming Winter Olympics.

The athletes presented some points that they think are important for the development and safety of Alpine Ski Racing, mostly centering around course preperation. Racers Didier Cuche, Michael Walchhofer, Scott MaCartney, Marco Büchel, Werner Heel and Aksel Lund Svindal met with FIS representatives Günther Hujara, Helmut Schmalzl and Mike Kertesz, who described the meeting as productive.

Continue reading ‘Racers make their case to FIS following rash of serious injuries’