MOUNTAIN COMMAND RIDING HIGH

The LINE Ski UK Mountain Command are going from strength to strength with some of the UK's most talented young freestyle and freeride riders skiing together whenever possible and representing LINE and their other sponsors at Competitions in the UK and abroad over the next few months.

Click on their names to see their profile and read more about each them. If you are interested in joining the Mountain Command Development team and think you have what it takes email LINE Skis Team Manager Rick Hutchings.

Scroll down for reports from Josh Birch, Tom Coe, Harry Hancock, Claire Hughes and James Machon:

UPDATE FROM JOSH BIRCH (Feb 07)

As most people already know I have broken my shoulder twice in the past month. The first time I broke it was out in France in the Park and the second time I did it was at Bracknell. I have only skied a small amount lately but when I was skiing I felt real progession. Having just returned from a holiday in Les Gets where I was able to ski a bit more, and a camp at Rossendale at the weekend, I am really looking forward to training before the Brits and then, hopefully, being able to compete properly.

My first injury was when I was pulling 540 reverse mutes, I was still getting used to the Invaders which were a lot bigger and heavier for me. I finally landed a decent 5 and I carried on skiing backwards but as I came to revert back around I caught my edge on a bit of rock and just went straight on to my shoulder. My holiday was ruined but I still went out and had a laugh. I did a bit of filming and camera shooting for my little brother and sister which was still fun. I didn't miss out on much really as the snow was bad.

When I was back in England I went to a specialist about my shoulder and they said it would be fine to ski on because it was only a greenstick fracture. So I set out skiing again. When I skied again I got straight back into it and really enjoyed it. The first two sessions I was back we had made an Up-rail on the up part of Bracknell's slope which was really fun. Then I went to the Sno!Zone at Milton Keynes for an awesome session with James Webb and Chris Mavin. I was really doing well on the C and S rail. I then went back to Bracknell as I normally would on a Sunday and we started off with an Up-rail and we sessioned it for an hour. We then made a step up to the Gas pipe. We made it as big as 3m and I was 270ing on to it at 2m. My brother had just learn't switch 1's that night and he asked me how to do it, so i went to show him and I caught myself on the ramp and went straight back on to the shoulder!

Later that night i found out I had opened up the greenstick fracture more and slightly pushed the humerous out of place. Doc said I was going to be out for 5 weeks, not good. I couldn't just be sitting at home all the time so I started regularly going up to the Slope's and videoing and camera shooting others. But I then found myself something even more interesting to do - I have designed a box that I am going to be making over the next month for the younger and less experienced skiers at Bracknell. Me and my mate have put together some awesome creative graphics to urbanise the rail!

I went to the doctors again after a week of doing my shoulder for the second time and the doctor said it was bad but not as bad as the other doctor made out. He said four weeks from the 26th January so I am hoping I will be fully recovered in time for the Brits!

UPDATE FROM TOM COE (Feb 07)

I have been skiing a lot at the Sno!Zones and my local slope at the Norfolk Ski Club, Norwich.. including participating in Xscapology at Castleford with Harry.

I'm nailing the 270 on 270 off on boxes now which is cool. I've not tried to 270 on to normal rails yet but I can 270 off them which helps my Slopestyle runs to flow better.

My 540 double safetys are looking good as well. Have been trying loads of different grabs with my spins now which adds more style and variation to my tricks. I can now also grab my 540's in the half pipe. I have been working on my pipe stuff for the last few sessions practising for the Brits in March.

I have just come back from a great week's skiing in Austrian and am really looking forward to heading out to Laax in March.

UPDATE FROM HARRY HANCOCK (Feb 07)

Skiing is all good I have been going down to Stoke as much as possible though I did get a broken thumb which wasn't much fun!

I have learned a lot lately. I have done some switch 270's on the Gas pipe sex changed then 270's off. I am working on my 450's on and off really hard.

UPDATE FROM CLAIRE HUGHES (Feb 07)

We're still needing more snow here (Andorra) and it's been really warm again. I have been sitting outside for lunch in t-shirts, more like Easter than Feb!

Working over Christmas and New Year was crazy, teaching fat kids to ski for 6/7 hours per day plus all the usual seasonal festivities. Is much quieter now and have loads of time to free ski for myself. The Park has been slow to fully open, but they have a few rails going, a step up and a little kicker so all good. Have quite a few bruises as the landings can get pretty solid by the afternoons.

Have met some cool people to ski with - there are heaps of Argentinian guys out here who are all pretty sick in the Park. I have taken up ice hockey and am playing twice a week at the rink down the road. Is wicked fun despite the fact that a lot of the time I don't really know what's going on as the coaching is in Catalan!

Looking forward to the Brits and the rest of the season and to getting some off piste eventually.... did some little slopestyle in Pas de la Casa recently. Was pretty cool but they were struggling for snow. They had a big gap onto a picnic table, then a flat rail, then a knarly S rail which about 5 out of the 60/70 people there got to the end of it. I didn't come in the Top 2 and they didn't read out the rest of the results, but it was all good as I met some cool people and was a good comp.

UPDATE FROM JAMES MACHON (Feb 07)

Over the last few months, things have seemed to have kicked off for me. Having gone to the North Face Challenge in December with just my brother Robert, traveling on our own was a challenge in itself. We had an amazing time as it was a great competition and a great opportunity to compare our level of riding to others from all around Europe. We had one day of powder skiing, which was the first time i had ever hit a jump off piste. The jump its self, was one of the biggest i have ever hit. It was a huge rock face covered in snow, therefore you couldn't see the landing. Whilst approaching it, i was pooping my pants! Then after the take off, the adrenaline rush kicked in and I didn't want to stop! Overall a great experience.

Since returning from North Face Challenge and more recently the Verbier Ride, I have been training hard for the Brits in March and the World Juniors. Some of the tricks I have been working on are Switch opposite spins and perfecting my grabs in and out of the Pipe. However, I am not putting too much pressure on myself this year to do well, i just want to have fun and enjoy it!

This month we finally experienced some deep snow up in the Hope Valley, which was very exciting. After having no snow last year, we wanted to make the most of the conditions. Therefore the night it started snowing, me and Rob took a shovel and a couple of head torches up onto the steep golf course opposite our house.

Conditions were perfect. We stayed out in the dark for 3 hours building a snow kicker on the 18th hole!!! The next morning, my brother and i woke up around 6:45am and sessioned it before school! It was immense!

I have recently recently returned from the Verbier Ride which was a great experience and the perfect preparation for the Comps to come in March. [Click on the link to read James's report on the Verbier Ride Competition and find out how he and LINE Skis Pro Rider Andy Bennett got on.