A cancer charity operating in conjunction with a ski holiday company is running a contest to win the chance to learn to ski jump with Eddie The Eagle.
Unlike many competitions this is a serious prize, with the winner spending a week using the artificial surface Olympic ski jump facility in Courchevel in October, then coming back for a further week in January to jump on snow – with the aim of ultimately tackling one of the bigger jumps.
Not for the faint hearted, competitors should be good skiers, confident on blacks, and feel they're really up for some ski jumping.
And the prize includes two one week long trips to the 3 Valleys, staying in luxury catered chalet accommodation, with travel to France and all equipment required included.
The only remaining point of note is that there are just six days to enter – entries close on 28th September.
For more information and to enter go to: http://www.alpleisure.com/jump-with-eddie.htm Judging of winners will be by Eddie Edwards, Chris Learoyd of Alp Leisure Ltd, and Andrew Hayward of Ski 4 Cancer.
Organised by Alp Leisure Ltd in support of Ski 4 Cancer, the four winners of the competition will train for one week in October (12th – 19th), followed by a final week at the end of January (25th-31st). The training will take place at the Olympic Ski Jump Centre in Le Praz Courchevel, by French World Cup ex-Ski Jumpers (Club des Sports de Courchevel).
The extensive training will be a balanced mix of practical and theory, with the participants practicing on the 10m, 25m and 60m hills as their level of competence improves, with the 90m large hill the ultimate goal.
The climax of the challenge will be when the participants join Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards on the Ski Jump. As well as jumping, Eddie will also participate with training and advice. The winners will also be invited as guests to the French National Summer Challenge, with a chance to meet some of the local ski jumpers training for the competition and the 2016 Youth Olympics. They will also get the chance to meet Olympic Bronze Medalist Coline Mattel who will be competing at the contest.
Nearly 30 years after his heroic ski jumping at the Calgary Olympics, Eddie the Eagle has never been a bigger star, appearing in series of The Jump and with a movie about his life starring high Jackman due for release next spring.
The charity Ski 4 Cancer was set up by a group of keen skiers and snowboarders who have all lost a close relative or friend to cancer. By providing a range of alpine respite holidays for families living with cancer, Ski 4 Cancer gives families something to look forward to at the end of treatment schedules or after a loved one has died. Ski 4 Cancer also makes grants to palliative care centres and supports research into the positive effects of exercise and how it can both prevent cancer and assist in people's recovery post diagnosis (http://www.ski4cancer.org)
Chris Learoyd, owner of Alp Leisure Ltd, wanted to support Ski 4 Cancer through this event and commented, "Like many families cancer has touched our lives profoundly as we lost our sister-in-law, Helen last year to lung cancer. Helen always enjoyed coming to the mountains in Courchevel and after she passed away Kevin and their three youngsters came out to spend some time with us in one of our chalets. We believe the wonder of the mountains and the joy of learning to ski helped, which is why we are very happy to support Ski 4 Cancer."