Championships Overview
The 8th Independent Schools Ski and Snowboard Championships held in Les Deux Alpes has drawn to a close with Hurst College maintaining their dominant position of the event with a clean sweep at the top of the podiums in both the senior male and female events. Kings College Wimbledon took the honours in the Junior Boys, and Wycombe Abbey the Junior Girls.
Held over four days the Championships starts with two days of warm up training with ESF Instructors around the Les Deux Alpes slopes followed by two days of races on the Les Deux Alpes glacier with over 110 pupils competing in Giant Slalom, Slalom and Parallel Slalom disciplines. Teams were entered from Hurst College, Lancing College, Bradfield College, Canford School, Kings College Wimbledon, Whitgift School, Packwood Haugh, Ardingly College and Wycombe Abbey. The race contained a range of experience with some pupils ski racing for the first time, and other pupils seeing the event as the start of a busy 2013/14 racing calendar.
"The glacier presented perfect racing conditions, and fortunately the temperatures were very mild for this time of year, making it pretty much ideal for all the competitors and the high number of supporters. This year was the largest event we have run and it was great to see it well attended by a high number of returning schools, and a good number of new schools coming for the first time. We hope to increase the event next year, and in particular grow the Junior and the Girls Division."
The Boys Seniors event was once again dominated by Sam Todd-Saunders from Hurst College, claiming the Gold in both individual events for the third consecutive year, hot on his heels in both events were JD Mooney from Hurst in second place and Jamie Butt from Ardingly in third. Sam's younger sister Helen Todd-Saunders completed the same clean sweep in the Girls Division, with Evie Clutton and Aimee Wickes (both from Wycombe Abbey) taking silver and bronze respectively in both events.
In the Junior division Fred Mather from Kings College Wimbledon and Skye McCullogh from Wycombe Abbey both claimed Gold in the two individual events, with Nick de Boer and Alex de Boer (both from KCS) taking silver and bronze in the Boys Giant Slalom, and the younger Scott Nicholson and Jack Evans from Packwood Haugh taking silver and bronze in the individual Junior Slalom event. In the girls Juniors Giant Slalom Annie Rogers from Wycombe Abbey girls claimed silver, and Catrional Jamieson from Hurst bronze, Charlotte Brown from Wycombe Girls claimed silver and Cecillia Day claimed bronze in the Girls Junior Slalom.
Hurst College claimed silver in the team Giant Slalom and Slalom event, with KCS and Wycombe taking silver and bronze in the Giant Slalom, and an ever improving Whitgift team taking silver knocking KCS down to bronze in the Slalom.
Once again the parallel slalom was the showcase event throwing up a handful of dramas. Run as a head to head team relay the suprise package of the event was Packwood Haugh, a Junior School, reaching the semi finals of the senior competition; a fantastic achievement and bodes well for the future of these racers! Hurst College again took home the Gold Medal, with a plucky Wycombe Abbey girls team taking the silver. Whitgift are worthy of note in this event, their racers improved hugely over the four days and gave the Hurst College team a serious run for their money in the semi-finals. This is Whitgift's second consecutive year in the event, and they way their racers are developing they should consider themselves serious contenders in the future.
As well as Packwood Haugh, this years event saw Lancing College, Bradfield College and Canford School all enter teams for the first time, all three teams showed great promise and while none returned home with any silverware they should not be underesitamted for future years. "We have some great holiday skiers, this was most of their first time racing they all relished the competition and the experience of the racing. It's a great event, and having had this experience we'll be back next year ready to take home some medals, just you wait! " commented Lancing Housemaster Dr Simon Norris.
The event concluded with a gala supper, and a thorough prize giving ceremony with prizes kindly contributed from event organisers Basecamp Ski and Snowboard, and event sponsors Westbeach, Whitestorm and Remote Clothing.
The 2014 event promises to be even bigger with bookings already being taken and the preliminary dates being set as 12th – 17th December 2014.
Event Videos, Photos and Social Media
The Championships was fully documented by a camera and video crew, the event videos are available to view (links below) and the photos are available to download and purchase.
Days 1 and 2 – Arrival and training
Days 3 and 4 – Giant Slalom
Day 5 – Individual and Parallel Slalom followed by Prize Giving
Photos – Photos from each school of racers and team shots
Facebook – All updates and videos are available on the Championships Facebook Page.
Twitter – The event was updated with #schoolskichamps
Results
Giant Slalom
Senior Boys
1. Sam Todd-Saunders – Hurst College
2. John Dean Mooney – Hurst College
3. Jamie Butt – Ardingly College
Girls Seniors
1. Helen Todd-Saunders – Hurst College
2. Evie Clutton – Wycombe Abbey
3. Aimee Wickes – Wycombe Abbey
Junior Boys
1. Fred Mather – KCS
2. Nick de Boer – KCS
3. Alex de Boer – KCS
Junior Girls
1. Skye McCullough – Wycombe Abbey
2. Annie Rogers – Wycombe Abbey
3. Catriona Jamieson – Hurst College
Team
1. Hurst College
2. Kings College Wimbledon
3. Wycombe Abbey
Download the Giant Full Results
Slalom
Senior Boys
1. Sam Todd-Saunders – Hurst College
2. John Dean Mooney – Hurst College
3. Jamie Butt – Ardingly College
Girls Seniors
1. Helen Todd-Saunders – Hurst College
2. Evie Clutton – Wycombe Abbey
3. Aimee Wickes – Wycombe Abbey
Junior Boys
1. Fred Mather – KCS
2. Scott Nicholson – Packwood Haugh
3. Jack Evans – Packwood Haugh
Junior Girls
1. Skye McCullough – Wycombe Abbey
2. Charlotte Brown – Wycombe Abbey
3. Cecillia Day – Hurst College
Team
1. Hurst College
2. Whitgift School
3. Kings College Wimbledon
Download the full Slalom Results
Parallel Slalom
1. Hurst College
2. Wycombe Abbet
3. Whitgift School
4. Packwood Haugh
