FREESTYLE & FREERIDE CAMPS PROFILE FOR CRAIG

LOCAL SLOPE: Chamonix, France

STARTED SKIING: I was quite late to skiing, started at around 16-17 (coming from a climbing background).

I LOVE SKIING MORE THAN… …anything else!

SKIIED IN? France, Norway, Switzerland, Italy and Canada.

TRICK BAG: Tweaked out grabs and long 180’s, and hitting rails.

AIMING TO LEARN HOW TO: 3’s, with grabs… maybe cleans 5’s.

FAVOURITE PRO RIDERS: Hugo Harrison - he just guns big lines and lands everything. In the park though, probably Pep and Mike Wilson.

FAV FILM HERO: Chuck Norris for those roundhouse kicks!

WHY SKI WHEN YOU CAN SNOWBOARD?!: When you can what?! For me there’s no comparison, but each to their own!

ANY WISE WORDS?! If it looks dodgy then it probably is!

LINE SKIS HOLIDAY & CAMP, APRIL 2006

DIARY BY CRAIG

Day 1 - Friday 31st March

So we were a little delayed in getting away, who cares - it's amazing how many funny looks you can get hanging around outside Greenhithe Asda with a pair of skis! I eventually get to meet Matt after months of emails and phone calls, pick - up points etc and now we're off, a bus full of like minded freeskiers, undeterred by the prospect of a long minibus journey - as they know what is waiting at the other end!

Day 2 - Saturday 1st April

We arrive in resort early afternoon, fairly tired - but excitement mutes the tiredness as we head for a quick drink to talk over the coming week. Sitting in a bar as sleety rain falls outside, we know exactly what is happening above us... it’s snowing! We cannot wait to get going now.

Day 3 - Sunday 2nd April

Yes!! Bluebird skies. I open my curtains to see sunlight lapping the summit ridge of the Barre Des Ecrins, the most southerly 4000m peak in the French Alps. I can't get my gear on quick enough and head for some fuel from the breakfast buffet.

Once sorted we're off and in the first gondola. I began to wonder what standard everyone would be at, however joining the first catcher to grab the next quad on our journey up the hill brought a huge smile to my face.... 17 Jib monkeys all gunning it off switch was a sight to behold - I begin to laugh uncontrollably.

This was the theme for the first day. Everyone exploring the mountain, getting some skiing done to wake them up (not that they needed much!) and havng fun. I'm starting to realise that the group as a whole is a high standard of skiers - again I begin to smile and laugh. This was what I was here for, to ski with other good, like-minded freeskiers and to have a laugh with genuinely great people.

The afternoon saw us hit the Park for the first time.... being a freeride skiier this was an alien environment in many respects - but one I wanted to embrace and get involved in.... so I was soon stuck into 180'ing... getting the first one dialled was a top feeling... this week was going to be immense.

Day 4 - Monday 3rd April

Is it only Monday?? Feels like I've known these guys a lot longer as we head of up the hill for only our second day. Today is going to be Park-orientated, which I’m looking forward to, even though my abdominal muscles are killing from the previous day’s initiation to spinning!

A couple of warm up runs on the Skiercross and its time to hit the Park. I use today mostly to get used to hitting kickers at speed, not checking and getting my pop-timing dialled. I soon find much more composure in the air with time to think and pull simple grabs. Loving it.

Another bluebird day, another rosie face and another pair of tired legs to sink into the jacuzzi with at the end of the day.

Day 5 - Tuesday 4th April

Waking again to bluebird skies I cannot believe our luck with the weather and conditions. Cold up high with perfect packed pow on piste and pockets of the good stuff off it as well. The previous days are starting to catch up with everyone, 3rd day syndrome, but after warming up everyone is back on form. Young Harry, a 12 yr old rail revolution, is hitting every piece of horizontal and not so horizontal piece of steel on the mountain!

I work on landing clean ones off the Step-up in the morning, but take the inevitable crunches involved in learning new things! Today I’m riding next year’s LINE Prophet 100s and they are immense. The 186 felt like a 176 and had sooooo much edge control at speed, a joy to cruise on...... then I took it into the Pow! What a fun ski that delivers everything you ask from it, it was so responsive! From dropping cliffs to cruising the groomed, I was having a ball!

Day 6 - Wednesday 5th April

It couldn't last forever! The storm forecasted for today has arrived and I decide to rest sore limbs and let bruises recover. Taking the opportunity to explore the resort and have a couple of cheeky down-day beers.... would have been rude not too!

Day 7 - Thursday 6th April

The 24 hr storm has passed, being pushed out by a cold front leaving more bluebird skies and temperatures of minus 19 near the top of the Hill! 25cms of fresh await our warm-up runs, conditions could not be better for April in the Alps.

I wanted to start hitting rails with the guidance of the Coaches, riding on next year’s benchmark ski for me, the LINE Anthem. A centrally mounted, fat jib ski which is the most fun ski I've ever ridden. I want some of these! Anyway, back to the rail....I just want to hit it positively and get it right. Visualisation is the key to freestyle skiing. If you don't visualise yourself doing it then you might as well not drop in. This helped me clean the first rail. A great feeling and all you want to do is hit it again! So I did!

Sessioning the rails with Murray and the boys was probably my highlight of the week... so much fun, yet with great coaching and encouragement. I feel asleep that night hitting rails in my dreams!

Day 8 - Friday 7th April

Our last full day skiing. It feels like I’ve been here months and known the guys for years. Heading up onto the hill that morning I began to think back at all my previous ski trips, to far flung crazy parts of the world, and it slowly dawns on me that the last week has probably been the most fun ever.

The pains and bruises are now fairly heavy going in the mornings as your warm ups take longer and longer. Still feeling the after-effects of a broken leg earlier in the season, the morning is a slow one. But the sun is shining and we're skiing, so it's all good.

Eventually I head to hit the kickers in the Park and get some grabs dialled. An awesome session, with Glen coaching and Rick shooting, I'm getting totally into this freeestyle park skiing business, and loving it. The best way to progress your overall skiing ability. Coming from a backcountry skiing background, Park skiing is something new and challenging for me, and I love challenges!

That evening, after another gorgeous weather day, its time to reflect on an awesome week. Still time to squeeze in a quick workshop on some basic backcountry safety I ran for the guys, which I enjoyed thoroughly. The guys got totally involved in a small transceiver exercise, so just getting some of them exposure to the kit was a great thing for me to be able to do, helping them appreciate the dangers and responsibilities that can go with skiing.

Day 9/10 - Saturday 8th April to Sunday 9th April

So now all there is left is the journey home, and the thought of future trips with the guys I've met out here. I can quite honestly say I'd jump at the chance to ski with any one of them again in the future, and hopefully I will ski with all of them again. I certainly plan to make that happen!

Right, I'm off to buy some baggy pants and find some rails. Thanks guys, fantastic trip! (Cheers Matt, thanks for everything!)

Craig