FREESTYLE & FREERIDE CAMPS PROFILE FOR CHARLIE

LOCAL SLOPE: Stoke Ski Centre

STARTED SKIING: Started skiing in 2003, wanted to take up a new hobby.

COMP RESULTS: AIM Series 2005 - 3rd in Castleford U16, 3rd in Milton Keynes U16, Milton Keynes Best Unsponsored. Fat Face night - Best Unsponsored. KSM vs Fridge - Best Youth.

I LOVE SKIING MORE THAN… …everything… skiing always comes first and it 100% my main priority - any chance to hit the slopes, I take it!

WHAT UK SLOPES HAVE YOU SKIIED AT? Castleford a lot, Milton Keynes and Sheffield sometimes, and Rossendale for jumping practice.

TRICK BAG: 180 Mutes, anything with a rail, Reverse Mute 3’s, safety (itchy foot) 5’s.

AIMING TO LEARN HOW TO: I used to be able to Misty so I wanna get that back and some double grab in 3’s and 5’s.

FAVOURITE PRO RIDERS: Candide Thovex is the man - so laid back and relaxed when he skis… corked 810 tail grab to disaster rail… WHAT?! Boyd Easley - just because he looks like he has soooo much fun… it’s what it’s all about!

FAV CARTOON HERO: Gotta be Eric Cartman from South Park - watch the episode about the Special Olympics and you’ll know why!

WHY SKI WHEN YOU CAN SNOWBOARD?!: I snowboard too but freestyle skiing is more variable, two skis gotta be better than one snowboard!

HOW DO WE SPOT YOU? I wear a bright yellow suit… it’s not too hard!

LINE SKIS HOLIDAY & CAMP, APRIL 2006

DIARY BY CHARLIE

Day 1/2 - Friday 31st March to Saturday 1st April

The coach journey was a bit boring but I slept on the floor on H’s bag so it was reasonably comfortable. As soon as we got there it was snowing and everyone was really hypo like they had never seen snow before! (Especially H who had been dosed up on energy drinks.) Everyone went for a look around town and then got unpacked and shown to their rooms - our room was cool, it was quite big with a window which we used as a fridge. Everyone just wanted to go skiing.

Day 3 - Sunday 2nd April

Up bright and early at 7.30am, went down to breakfast. I had croissants every day except days when I was feeling a bit ill… everyone was buzzin to get up on the mountain. Matt sorted us some packed lunches and I blagged mine into H’s bag every time. We got our lift passes sorted and made our way down to the Diable bubble. Once up we had a bit of a stretch at the top and then skied down to a powder run where everyone stood at the top. Matt was trying to tell us something but everyone was so eager to ski especially the Scottish guys and as soon as someone said “go” then three of the Scottish guys fell and then I fell watching them fall (not concentrating where I was going)… too funny. Then all day everyone was just getting used to skiing around and getting their feet back on snow.

Day 4 - Monday 3rd April

On Day 4 we skied about to warm up and then headed into the Park. I loved the Pipe as soon as I got into it. Was good riding a nicely groomed pipe for a change - a bit different to Sheffield! Hit a few of the little jumps and a few rails just getting used to them again. Fitted in pretty well with James Webb - he’s an awesome skier and he nails everything he tries… a right pain sometimes!

Day 5 - Tuesday 4th April

This was awesome - I trekked the Pipe a few times, practicing getting out bigger and bigger. I just love it… I skied in the little Park too, with the smaller jumps, all day… they were cool to go quite big off and get used to going off bigger kickers. I spun a 540 which I hadn’t been able to do for ages and was really stoked at that. We spotted a fence jump near the chair lift but didn’t try it, at the end of the day one of the people from the Camp asked if we hit the fence jump so we were a bit bummed we didn’t, but we promised ourselves we would hit it the next day!

Day 6 - Wednesday 5th April

Today the weather wasn’t great so we only skied half a day. It was dumping it down so the visibility was rubbish I was in my one piece so I was nice and warm. This was Harry’s birthday as well so it was a bit of a celebration birthday - I was well gutted when LINE gave him the Francis Bacon beanie I wanted that sooo bad. Lol.

Day 7 - Thursday 6th April

Feeling a bit ill this morning but was OK when I got up to the top, just had a gentle ski around and started hitting the big Big Kicker - it was scary at first just doing 180 s over it then putting little grabs into it like mutes and tweaked safety’s. I spun my first 540 in the Pipe today I was loving it! We also found a powder jump and James was killing it ,throwing Misty 7 s and Lincolns first time. A really good day.

Day 8 - Friday 7th April

Skied hard all day!

Day 9 - Saturday 8th April

I was quite surprised that only half of us decided to go this morning, especially as it was our last day! Skied a lot today with Glen and Pat in the Pipe and on the Step-up. We were 180ing up - it was a laugh.

Day 10 - Sunday 9th April

I wasn’t looking forward to the trip home but it was good. it took a lot less time and tagging every service station we stopped at and even tagging a foreign guy face while he was asleep was hilarious.

(Cheers to all the Coaches and Matt for setting the whole camp up really enjoyed myself. Thanks )

Charlie