Messages posted by : AB
|
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!!!!! |
|
|
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! |
|
|
DaveMac - I don't think any of the GB teams (Jun or Sen) train at Niederau. TJ definately not there. Don't know who they were.
In case some of you missed the photos I posted a few months ago here is TJ in action from last season age 17 - He has got much better since! 
Hope you like. |
|
|
Pablo - Have shifted everything apart from 3 prs of 215 Downhill's
Jonesmski - Thanks. TJ has done 1 Europa cup Super g this season and was going to do 2 x Downhills when he injured his knee. he might still do some after the World Juniors. He is always training with Ed & Dougie and just before his injury was less than 1/2 sec behind them in a full Super G. He also trained with Klaus Kroell, Hannes Reichelt and most of the Austrian World cup speed team and was only 1.8 behind Kroell who was the fastest. He lost most of that on the flats because of his weight. His splits on the technical sections were almost as fast. He is speed training with the rest of the GB team from Thursday onwards. Chemmy's ankle is fully healed now. They wouldn't allow her to ski with it damaged at all. She could easily podium in a World cup GS. Her first race in Solden before she broke her ankle she was actually fastest with Zettel on the 2nd run. |
|
|
Just thought I'd post an update on TJ's comeback from injury. Mainly for caron-a but for anyone else that is interested.
TJ is now fully fit and racing again. His first races were 2 FIS Slalom races in Lichtenstein on 1-2 Feb. He came 12th & 14th overall. He then raced in 2 Jun Slalom's in Slovenia, where he finished 12th in both and scored his best ever world ranking points which qualified him to compete at the World Junior champs next month. It also ranked him as GB's No1 Jun in Slalom. He then competed in 2 FIS GS races in Leogang, Austria. He messeed up in the first race but then scored his best world ranking points in the following race again qualifying for the World Junior champs. He went straight to another FIS GS race in Slovenia the following day and came 9th overall and scored even better world ranking points. He is now GB's No 1 Jun in GS. Yesterday he went to Italy to compete in 2 FIS races, 1 x Slalom & 1 x GS. These were the English Alpine champs but were open to every nation. Unfortunately he failed to finish the 2nd run of the slalom yesterday. Today however in the GS he was 1st overall and again scored better world ranking points and beat all the skiers from 18 other nations. His 6 weeks off look like they have really done the world of good. He is skiing better than ever. He has now got 4 days of Downhill training with the GB team then off to Megeve for some FIS races. 2 x Downhill, 2 x Super G and 1 x Super Combi. Then straight over to Garmisch for the World Junior champs. He's looking at trying to get a top 10 result in the Super G. GB has never had male inside the top 20 in any event before. http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/613.html?sector=AL&competitorid=113735&type=result http://www.tj-ski.com/ Sorry it was a bit long winded. AB |
|
|
Keeping your skis in good condition depends on the user not necessarily the medium you ski on. My daughter races and trains on the dry slope 2-3 times per week throughout the summer months, which is when they are dry and sticky.
She uses the same sets of skis that she has used through the winter months on snow. They are waxed evrytime before use on the dry slope with the hardest wax CH4 (-20c on snow) but not scraped. This really helps to protect the bases. Also the edges are tuned with a diamond stone for every session. This will give them razor sharp edges and not wear them out as quickly as using a normal file. At the end of a full year of use (3 months on snow and 2-3 times a week on dry slope) they are still in very good condition with loads of edge left. They have often been sold on and achieved another 2 years of the same use. So I would say ski husbandry is the name of the game. It's like anything if you look after it and maintain it correctly they will last. |
|
|
Lucky enough to have seen them twice. 1st time in Norway in Mar 92 right up in the artic circle in Harstaad.
2nd time was even better in Apr 96 in Fairbanks, Alaska; again inside the artic circle. It was a totally jaw dropping moment. Driving along in a people carrier with 6 other RAF blokes. Just stopped the car and everyone of us was just looking upwards totally speachless for about 15 mins. Absolutely amazing!! The sky was almost every colour in the rainbow. The whole sky was moving. Fantastic. Not bragging but have also seen the Southern lights down in the Falklands. Not as spectacular but still beautiful. |
|
|
Eileen,
Just looked on the Ryanair site and got this Cuneo (Alps) ski resorts :Limone Piemonte, Garessio 2000, Vars Risoul, Sestriere, Artesina, Prato Nevoso, Frabosa.[b] Sestriere is probably your best bet. When in April are you going? After the 11th they may well all be shut? AB |
|