TJ Baldwin - update.

Is Sam Wyer training with TJ?

He used to be with Gloucester Ski Club when my kids were there (not quite at the same level as Sam!)

He is a nice lad and was tipped to do well.

Sam did train and race with TJ last year even though they were in different teams. Sam in Development team, TJ in FIS team they did combine sometimes.
They were good mates and got on well together. Unfortunately Sam did not quite get to the level that secured funding from the governing body for this season. SSGB are very strapped for cash after all the cuts they have had from UK Sports.
He is not part of the Dev team this season and so far has not raced either. I think it's lack of money or maybe Uni?

Just to let you know it costs in the region of around £40k a year to train and race in the FIS team. This includes all the equipment, trainer, slope hire, transport (around 45,000km a year), entry fees, hotels, etc etc!
Depending on what level you get to depends on how much SSGB fund things. The higher the level the more funding. It's all based on your level compared to the top 10 in your year of birth.
Fortunately TJ is very high up in Super G & Downhill. In fact he was 9th in the world for his YOB in Super G in 2008 so got very good funding. Mind you he still had to find £15k. Luckily he has some very good sponsors and selling last seasons skis helps pay for this years equipment.
Atomic are actually letting him use some of Michael Walchopher's spare Downhill & Super G skis all season. They are very quick!!!!

If there is anyone out there who would like to help sponsor TJ? He is probably the best ever all round Junior skier we have had in at least the past 20 years. His aim is to lift at least 1 World Cup crystal globe and get an Olympic/World champ medal. He has set his sights high and actually said he would have failed if he doesn't achieve at least one of those things!

I'm his Dad, I've got to big him up!!



TJ with at age 17 with 6 x U18 British titles, U21 Super G, 2nd in U21 Downhill and 2 x 3rd's in Senior Slalom + Senior Super G.
Note the sponsors logos.
He's from that very well known alpine region of England called Norfolk!

AB you must be very proud, i wish him well for the future, it's amazing what talent we do have in GB. good luck for the coming years.

on a lighter note..............

joining in on another string, put him on the men in lycra thread, money will roll in.

Yes very good luck keep him focused :wink:

Ian - are you a member of the Norfolk Ski club?
TJ learnt to ski at the dry slope there when he was 6 and went every week to Junior club. He did not ski on snow until he was 10. He is still a member.

He is totally focused on skiing. Any girl that comes along who even questions what he does is out on her ear!!

Thanks for all your best wishes.

Yep extremely proud!!!!!

AB, I only wish that I had the opportunities that TJ has had from a young age. Its great that it looks as if he could make it all the way, so best of luck with everything.

I only started racing when I got to uni (3 years ago) but absolutely love it now, and am off to the british uni champs in Alp d'Huez in march. I go to uni with a guy who was in the same boat as Sam Wyer, he is also from Norwich and used to be in the England setup but couldnt find enough sponsorship to make it full time.

He is now doing a Snowsports Engineering PHD which is being sponsored by Atomic and TOKO, based on different chemical waxing techniques and base structures. Its pretty crazy stuff, he has developed a self-waxing system where a reseviour sits inside a raceplate on a set of skis and as the ski flexes, it forces a thin layer of liquid wax out of tubes at the front of the ski which provides constant waxing.

He pretty much spends all his time taking to chemical engineers about the moleculur properties of wax and base material and ordering different bases from a manufacturer in china.

If TJ sticks with Atomic for a few more years then I am pretty sure that he will be using these self-waxing ssystems in a few years. He has been promised a job in the race-dept at Atomic when he finishes and the financial backing is substantial so hopefully the these can be intergrated more into the bases of skis.

We are off to test some new wax today at the qualifiers for the university indoor champs at castleford snowdome (apparently it has some strange freezing curves and hydrophobic properties?!?!)

If anyone is interested, the link below is to some of the research from last year about race-waxing for snowdomes.

An Investigation Comparing the Efficacy of Different Lubricants for Skis on Artificial Snow:
http://research.shu.ac.uk/aces/enquiry/index.php/enquiry/article/view/10/16

Tom

what an interesting paper! (hate the Harvard referencing system though) goes to show that the old adage is sometimes correct.....if in doubt do nothing

Hi Tom,
We know Richard Coupe very well. TJ and him used to race a lot together on the dry slope ciruit for Norfolk race team.
I spoke to his Dad not lonng ago anf he was telling me all about the development Richard was doing.
Sound pretty clever stuff to me!
He will be staying with Atomic for as long as possible at the moment.
Good luck with the testing and say Hi to Richard from us all.