ASC Freestyle Camp

So the start of this week kicked off the first freestyle camp on snow run by Aberdeen Snowsports Club. Many events have been run on snow but not a freestyle camp in this proportion. Neil Cameron came to me a while back now and told me what he wanted to do. I thought this was a fantastic opportunity for the kids and tried my hardest to promote(big it up) to the kids that it would be a benefit to. A lot of the Wednesday Rippers have amazing skills on the drymat but now it was time to take it to snow. Now not only did we have interest from the Aberdeen lot but some of the guys I coach with GPS were keen. In the end we had about 20 kids, skiers and boarders. Great turn out for the first camp run. So 20 Kids, with me(Andy Begg) and Chris Mahony as the coaches. Oh yes! now its time to show these kids how to shred.
So Day 1, left a little later but organising all those kids is a mission. Up to Glenshee, met some guys up there. Time to shred. Went up to the park to check it out. Boarders disappeared??!?! think they went up sunnyside(was ment to be good?!) So anyway, us skiers checked out the park. Twas good, soft snow, good features and low winds, and off and on sun. Went through the park hiking features, getting used to the features on snow and going over safety. Biggest safety point was “Watch out for punters, theres wads of them”. Finish a good days riding, getting used to snow for most. Time to go home. oops we were late, to many pee stops lol.
Day 2, well lets just say it was a wee bit breezy………. 4 runs which took the whole morning(lifts kept breaking) but the glenshee staff were on top of it as best as poss. Went home and some had a slide at the drymat with me and Chris.
Day 3, we had organised the day before to sort out an alternate and I’m glad we did cause the weather was apparently poor(super windy). So we hooked the kids up with and airbag sesh, pizza and a photo shoot. There was coaching on the airbag and on the kicker/tabletop, boxes were out and there’s the quarterpipe also. You could see, even with only a day and a half on snow, most of the kids were stepping it up. Backflips, frontflips, rodeos, corked spins were all getting thrown. My favourite was the 2 youngest rippers age 7 girls, Kirsty and Ramone, hitting the kicker for the first time and landing it.
It was a shame we couldn’t get on snow for the last day but I think the kids really enjoyed their last day. Pictures will be coming from the camp, some from the mountain and from the photo shoot at the dryslope.

I think the camp was a huge success even with the rubbish weather but hey that’s Scottish skiing 😀 I think it’ll be bigger and better next year and i hope to be a part of it again.

Thanks
Andy Begg
Freestyle Ski Coach

Lowlander – Own It 2011

Lowlander – Own It

On Saturday October 22nd, Aberdeen Snowsports Centre hosted Own It, a freestyle competition that is now part of the Lowlander/Highlander series with points going towards the Scottish and UK freestyle standings.

Here’s the report!

Aberdeen dominates medals at Lowlander event

Aberdeen dominated the medals at the first Snowsport Scotland freestyle competition of the winter season.

The annual Lowlander “own It” event which took place at the Aberdeen Snowsports Centre and was hosted by Aberdeen Snowsports Club, saw the riders pulled out all the stops with a spectacular array of aerial and jib tricks.

A very strong display saw the local riders dominate the Gold medals this year with Fin Jacobs (Ski) and Zarek Samdani (Snowboard) taking top spot in the kids’ section. With very strong performances from Hannah Mile (Women), Cameron Wood (Youth) and Grant Donald (Open) Aberdeen dominated the leader boards.

However, Vaila Cherman (Edinburgh) and Matt Corry (Glasgow) readdressed the balance in the snowboarding competitions by placing gold in the women’s and youth categories respectively. The men’s snowboarding category was a hotly fought competition, but in the end it was local boy Kris Bell that secured the open snowboard title in a tight battle with Jamie Trinder (Cairngorm).

As is traditional at Aberdeen a rail jam completes the competitive day with combined winners of the Lowlander and the Rail Jam being awarded the prestigious (and very large) “Own It” trophy! This year Grant Donald took the honours for freestyle skiing and Jamie Trinder did enough to take the snowboard title by slaying the rails.

The Lowlander Aberdeen and “Own It” has quickly become a firm fixture on the freestyle calendar, mostly due to the range of young Scottish ski and snowboard talent and level of competition it attracts.

Dave Rutledge, Competitions, Events and Volunteering Coordinator for Snowsport Scotland, says: “ The Aberdeen Lowlander and “Own It” competition has fast become a place for Scotland’s up and coming elite athletes to showcase what they have got on the dry slopes. There is no doubt that we will see many of these names featuring in the upcoming Scottish Dry Slope Freestyle Championships and the Scottish “Edinburgh” Freestyle Invitational both in December, and I am sure that many are names to look out for as professional stars of the future.”

The Glasgow Lowlander takes place on the 20^th November 2011 at Glasgow Ski & Snowboard Centre.

Full results for the Aberdeen Lowlander “Own It” are listed below.

Grant Donald - 2011 Own It Skier

Jamie Trinder - Own It 2011 Snowboarder

Pictures are available to view by clicking Here.

Results

Ski Women
1st Hannah Milne
2nd Erin Sharp
Kid
1st Fin Jacobs
2nd Rory Cameron
3rd Hamish Farquharson
Youth
1st Cameron Wood
2nd Andrew Hadfield
3rd Angus Jacobs
Open
1st Grant Donald
2nd Sam Harrison
3rd Rory Deasy
Snowboard
Women
1st Vaila Cherman
Kid
1st Zarek Samdani
2nd Fraser Jack
3rd Joseph Dionne
Youth
1st Matt Corry
2nd Sam McGrath
3rd Nathan Sim
Open
1st Kris Bell
2nd Jamie Trinder
3rd Chris Mahoney

Thanks to our Sponsors

OWN IT 2011!!

Own It Is Back!!

Aberdeen Snowsports Centres’ Annual Freestyle Competition returns to the slope on Saturday 22nd October.  This competition never fails to delight and this year will form part of the Lowlander series ran by Snowsports Scotland meaning not only will there be some amazing prizes up for grabs but also some all important series points.

There will be more information to come but for now here’s a wee taster of the juniors battling it out at last years event.

 

BASI Level 1 Ski and Board Courses

 

We are pleased to be able to offer a BASI level 1 Alpine Ski and level 1 Snowboard course at Aberdeen Snowsports Centre running over two weekends in September / October.

The dates are as follows:

Snowboard Level 1: 23^rd, 24^thand 25^th September (Fri-Sat-Sun) and the following weekend of the 1^st and 2^nd October (Sat-Sun).

Ski Level 1: Dates: 30^th  September, 1^st and 2^nd October (Fri-Sat-Sun) and 15^thand 16^th  Oct (Sat-Sun)

If you’d like to book onto either course you can follow this link  http://www.snowsportscotland.org/find-a-course
Find your chosen course and fill in the application form, to pay you’ll need to call the office on 0131 625 4405 after submitting the form.

Here’s the lowdown on the courses…

The Level 1 Instructor is the entry level course for students who wish to join the BASI Education System. This qualification is for those wishing to find employment in a non mountain environment, i.e. Dry Slopes and Indoor Snowslopes.

This is a 5 day training and assessment course in which the following subjects are covered and assessed:

• Skiing / Riding safely
• Planning, conducting and evaluating an instructing session
• Participating in an accident and emergency activity
• Knowing and understanding how to improve personal skiing /riding and instructing
  performance

Understanding of:

• The Central Theme and Beyond
• The FIS Rules of Conduct
• The Principles of Ski / Snowboard Teaching
• The Structure of Snowsport in the UK
• The Roles of Snowsport Agencies in the UK
• Marketing and Promoting Snowsport in the UK
• Dealing with accidents and emergencies

Before applying for a Snowboard Level 1 Instructor course, students must:

• Be able to ride confidently on red runs, linking rhythmical small radius
  turns close to the fall line at a steady pace.
• Be able to ride red runs confidently in control.
• Have at least 16 weeks experience of riding on slope and probably more.

Before applying for a Ski Level 1 Instructor course, students must:

• Be able to ski parallel confidently, coping with a variety of conditions and
  have completed at least 16 full weeks of skiing.
• Be able to ski parallel confidently on red runs, making rhythmical turns
  close to the fall line at a steady pace.
• Have an understanding of Client care

Students who are unsure whether or not they are at the necessary standard should ask a qualified BASI/BSA member for advice.

Pre-requisites (slightly different when booked through Snowsports Scotland)
The following pre-requisites must be met before attending a  Level 1 Instructor course, Students must:

• Complete the declaration on the booking form and return it to the BASI office.
• Join BASI as an Associate Member.
• Be 16 years of age or older.

Outcome
Successful students will be issued a certification to work only on dry slopes or indoor snow slopes.  Students will be able to work with novice and early intermediate skiers/snowboarders. Individuals who do not reach the required level may be required to resit all or part of the course.

Scottish Snow-X Championships This Weekend!!!

The event of the Season – This weekends’ Snow – X championships is shaping up to be a bumper event and it’s not too late to get involved.  This year the event will be held at Glenshee and runs on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th.  An Aberdeen Snowsports Club organised and Snowsports Scotland endorsed event there are medals and trophies to be bagged, plus great prizes from Zaini Hats and  Salomon including a pair of skis and a snowboard to the highest ranked skier and boarder who races with Salomon kit!

Pre-registration is available and you’ll get £5 off your lift ticket for your efforts.  You can find more information on the facebook events page here, or the Aberdeen Snowsports Club website where you can also pre-register.

You’ll find loads of reports on last years event on these pages and I’m sure it’ll wet you’re appetitie to get involved.  The forecast is bang on with sunshine and no wind – remember your suncream and have an awesome time…

Amazing coaching opportunity at Glenshee

Wow, this sounds like a great like a great opportunity for some top class coaching right on your doorstep.  Get on this camp if you can.  Here’s the blurb..

With the Scottish Snow-X Championships on the horizon … Snowsport Scotland are running a “Race Preparation Camp” specifically designed for new and potential Snow-X racers.

We have teamed up with some of Scotland’s top Skier-X and Boarder-X coaches to produce a targeted day of Snow-X coaching.

Mark Bishop (Head Coach MOD Boarder-X Coach Team’s & BASI Trainer) and Ian Findlay (Head Coach British Skier-X Team) will be leading the camp. With Mark and Ian’s wealth of knowledge and experience no camp member will leave without growing their confidence and Snow-X skills.

The camp is aimed at those who are on snow regulary and want to try compitition or who have had some competative background and want to explore Snow-X.

Coaching Focus:

Coarse Inspection
4-way Starts
Terrain Tactics
The Racing Line
Competition Psychology
Race Day Tips

This camp will run from 09.30 – 15.30 and camp members will meet at the club hut on “The Sunny Side“ at 09.00 where gear storage and refreshments are provided.

The camp costs £45 and all camp members will need a ski pass but are eligible for a 20% discount on a day pass after registering for the camp.

Sign up now by using the link below. Please make sure to state if you are a skier or boarder on the form:
http://www.snowsportscotland.org/application.php

… it’s 1st come 1st serve so don’t delay there’s only 12 spaces available for each sport.

Scottish Freestyle Series – Round 3 Review and Photos

Saturday the 15th of January saw the 3rd leg of the SNO!zone Scottish Freestyle Series visit the West of Scotland Snowsports Centre.  For this Scottish Artificial Championships event, organisers Snowsport Scotland made the most of the epic kicker and quarter pipe set up at Bearsden.

Glasgow’s weather did not disappoint (the riders anyway) as it lashed down rain all day.  The mat was running fast and the wind even faster – so the 40 athletes taking part really had to prepare for take-off!  Some riders had practiced and had a clear plan of what they were going to throw down – others like Emilia Vanni just rocked up having never hit the jump and started busting it out.  There was a strong contingent of Bearsden locals there defending their patch from Team Aberdeen, Bellahouston and other facilities throughout Scotland.  Props to our English friends the Robinson’s who also made the long journey up to take part.

The two local MC’s – Mitch and Lewis kept the crowd entertained with their witty banter and tune selection.  They were even busting out some of their own moves in an effort to shake off the Glasgow rain.

The organisers got the comp started following the usual 3 run, best run counts format.   Hector Barbour impressed everyone by consistently nailing rodeo 9’s to take top spot in the open skiing category.  Another local boy who has been dominating the series was Danny McCormick – he pipped Marc McClement to take top spot again this time.  It was a good day out for the Bremner duo, who as part of Team Aberdeen secured a first and second place – with Sam Gardner denying little Keilen a first place like his big bro.   The McCormick trio just about got a clean sweep but Alex Cameron pipped Chris to first place with a 1080.  Shout out to the younger riders (you know who you are) for whom it was their first ever comp – good skills guys we were all really impressed.  The comp finished with Mitch and Lewis throwing out some spot prizes for biggest straight air and some of the riders went HUGE.  There was also a sporty display from the Bearsden train team hitting the jump in quick succession. For the full results check out the link, http://snowsportscotland.org/uploaded/Steven%20/Bearsden%20Results%20for%20Web.pdf

One thing for sure is that the next round of the SNO!zone Scottish Freestyle Series will be a lot drier, as its the Scottish Indoor Championships at SNO!zone Scotland.  We are all really excited about this and looking forward to seeing the set up the park crew cook up for it. This should tee things up nicely for the Highlander events in March & April – with all the Scottish resorts having relatively good cover for January.    Big thanks to all our sponsors, SNO!zone Scotland, Armada Skis, Freeze Pro Shop, Synergy Snowsports & Boax Headwear and to West of Scotland Snowsports Centre for hosting the comp – we will see you on Saturday 19th of February for the next round.

All Photos : Derrick J Photography

Edinburgh Invitational Rail Jam

The Snowsport Scotland Invitational – SNO!zone Rail Jam on Friday 10 December has been declared an outstanding success. This was a completely new event, organised by ski-scotland partners Snowsport Scotland and SNO!zone, Scotland’s only real-snow, year-round snowsports centre. It was also the first time that a major winter snowsports competition had been held in Edinburgh city centre. The event, held at the Ross Arena in West Prices Street Gardens, attracted Scotland’s elite freestyle snow athletes on both skis and snowboards who battled it out for a combined prize fund of £1,000 in front of hundreds of spectators.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

[Photos  property of Demotix – where you can find more photos and further reports of the event]

“Our event was an enormous success on Friday evening,” said David Rutledge of Snowsport Scotland. “We are grateful to our partners, particularly SNO!zone  whose shaping crew produced a world-class competitive freestyle set-up. We’d also like to thank all the riders and also the volunteers who made this event possible by shovelling snow to build the set-up, set up the lights and sound system and made countless bacon rolls!”

The set-up provided for competitors comprised a down street rail, a launch log to 10ft gap and a rainbow box to suicide drop, all on natural snow. The atmosphere was absolutely electric, with spectators watching the event from Princes Street and the Gardens themselves. The MC kept everyone up-to-date with the tricks, thrills and spills as the action unfolded. Prizes of £300 (first), £150 (second) and £50 (third) were awarded as follows:
Skiing: 1 Chris McCormick, 2 Harris Booth, 3 Cameron Nicol

Board: 1 Stuart Horsham, 2 Danny McCormick, 3 Ed Grieg.
Special Oakley prize packs were also awarded to the “stand out” girls: Anna Vincent (ski), Helen Fox (board) and Sophie Addison (board).

“We hope that these prizes will go some way to help support these young freestyle stars of the future,” added David. “We are already planning an even bigger and better event for next year to thrill Edinburgh’s skiers, boarders and Christmas shoppers. We’re also hoping that some of this year’s spectators will be encouraged to try snowsports for themselves – although it’s now thawing in the Central Belt and by the sea, there’s still great snow at SNO!zone and at Scotland’s mountain ski areas, with four of the five of them open this weekend.”

Here’s a wee first edit too by Neil Walker.

Scottish Freestyle Series, Round 1 review and pictures

Here’s your write up from round one Scottish Freestyle Series that took place here at Aberdeen Snowsports Centre on 23rd October, kindly provided by Neil MacGrain.

Saturday morning always comes around too quickly if you’ve been working all week. Expecting the worst from the weather after leaving it raining in Glasgow it was nice to see the sun poking through to start then splitting the sky, but to top it off there was snow on the hills just past Stirling. And not just a dusting but white peaks. Game on for another good winter please.

A trip to Aberdeen Snowsports Centre is always good. The team up there are always happy to help out with any events that will benefit their local riders and snowsports in general and this weekend was no different. The sun was out, place was heaving due to their open day and some of the top Scottish riders were ready to throw down.  Aberdeen are in a good place to develop their riders with their own airbag. The kicker for it is the same dimensions as the snowflex one, so once you can land it there it should be pretty easy to take it to the slope.  Needless to say on Saturday morning there were plenty of riders tossing themselves in to it with careless abandon.

The SNO!zone Lowlander kicked off with a new format this year meaning everyone gets plenty of practice before their runs and an opportunity to win some schwag in the jam session. With three runs it is possible to put down a safety run first & then go for broke on the last two. During the jam it was plain to see the benefit the airbag was having on the local riders. Kids who had only been skiing & snowboarding for 7 or 8 months were already throwing flips & corks on the big kicker. Local riders Fin Bremner & Kris Bell were putting on a technical display of spins and were closely matched by the contingent who had travelled from further afield. Competing were the usual riders from all over Scotland and a few had travelled from Lancashire to compete but Cerys Allen had persuaded her folks to drive up from MK / Hemel area to ride at the comp & definitely should get an award for the most committed rider / parent combo. A solid 8/9 hours of driving each way.

A blow by blow account of the runs would be pretty boring so instead we bring you photos of sunny Aberdeen in October.

 

Cerys Allen after the epic mission from the South of England

 

 

Fin Bremner doing it for Team Aberdeen

 

 

Can anyone tell what this is?

 

 

Matt Corry Back 5

 

 

 

Hector Barbour show why he is the latest addition to the K2 Team

 

 

Anna Vincenti Misty 5

 

 

Supporting the Gaelic revival

 

 

Some of the sponsors

 

 

Kris Bell givin' it some style

 

 

It was always going to be a hard fought battle to take the first event but Red Bull provided the wings to keep everyone going throughout the day with the final results coming down to the last runs. Young gun Matt McCormick battled hard against giants twice his size to take the Snowboard overall win & his age category with Hector Barbour’s smooth style landing him in first place for the skiers.  Womens snowboarding was a close call but in the end Lara Wood took home the win and Anna Vincenti for the skiers. For the full results check out the Snowsport Scotland Facebook page www.facebook.com/snowsportscotland.

Thanks to the guys at Aberdeen and the sponsors for this years events, SNO!zone, Armada Skis, Freeze Pro Shop & Synergy Snowsports. The next event is at Glasgow Snowsports Centre on the 20 Nov and hopefully see everyone there. 

 

Winners

 

Results  

Board                                Ski
Womens
1. Lara Wood                   1. Anna Vinceti
2. Natalie Riley
3. Cerys Allen

Kids
1. Emmet Strachan                1. Chris McCormick
2. Fin Bremner                        2. Fin Jacob
3. Rowan Cameron                3. Ronan connelly

Youth
1. Matt McCormick                1. Grant Donald
2. Sam McGrath                      2. Harris Booth
3. Matt Corry                           3. Lewis Wilson

Open
1. Kris Bell                             1. Hector Barbour
2. Chris Gatenby                2. Chris Wadsworth
3. Barry Parker                   3. Rory Deasy

See you all at round two at Bellahouston on 20th November – get your name down at reception if you need a lift in the Team Bus.