JOSH BIRCH
LINE MOUNTAIN COMMAND - ENGLAND, UK

Rides: LINE Invaders

Sponsors: LINE Skis, Milton Keynes Sno!Zone and Ski Bartletts

Age: 14

Home Town: Maidenhead

Home Shop: Ski Bartlett (Uxbridge)

Home Slope: Bracknell Ski & Snowboard Centre (Best thing about your home slope: The flat down box and the crew I ride with there.)

Favourite Resort: Avoiraz (because it has 3 or 4 parks to ride in each year)

Favourite Tricks: Switch 540 Mute and 360 Truck Drivers

Favourite Discipline: Slopestyle

Inspired By: Candide Thovex and Jon Olsson

Hobbies & Interests: Football, Skiing

Results:

• 2005 - Orange Aim Series (MK) - Skier-X Kids Men 1st


• 2005 - Orange Aim Series (MK) - Slopestyle Kids Men 3rd


• 2005 - Orange Aim Series (Rosendale) - Big Air Kids Men 2nd


• 2005 - Orange Aim Series (Warmwell) - Big Air & QP Combo Kids Men 2nd


• 2005 - Orange Aim Series (Warmwell) - (Championships) Big Air Kids Men 3rd


• 2006 - Orange Aim Series (Bracknell) - Big Air - Kids Men 3rd


• 2006 - Orange Aim Series (Bracknell) - (Championships) Slopestyle Kids Men 3rd


• 2006 - Orange Aim Series (Bracknell) - (Championships) Slopestyle Overall 7th


• 2006 - Orange Aim Series (Warmwell) Quarter Pipe Kids Men 2nd


• 2006 - Orange Aim Series (Warmwell) - (Championships) Big Air Kids Men 3rd


• 2006 - Orange Aim Series (Warmwell) - (Championships) Big Air 11th overall


• 2006 - Natural Born Riders (Castleford) - Slopestyle Under 16 3rd


• 2006 - UK Snowsports Tour, Ride Freesports and Faction Skis Young Talent Search - Slopestyle, Big Air & QP Overall 1st overall


• 2007- The BRITS (British Freestyle Ski Competition in Laax, Switzerland) - Halfpipe Youth Category 2nd


• 2007- The BRITS (British Freestyle Ski Competition in Laax, Switzerland) - Halfpipe Overall 9th


• 2007- The BRITS (British Freestyle Ski Competition in Laax, Switzerland) - Slopestyle Youth Category 3rd

Spiderman or Superman?: Superman!

JOSH'S SUMMER (July 07)

To read about what Josh and the rest of the Mountain Command crew are up to this Summer 2007 click on the link: LINE UK Mountain Command Summer '07 Round-up.

UPDATE FROM JOSH BIRCH (Mar 07)

I headed out on Tuesday 6th March to Le Grand Bornand to train for the BRITS (British Freskiing Championships 2007) in Laax, Switzerland as I hadn't had much practice on snow this season because of my broken shoulder.

I went out with my mate Lannig Canu and his Dad Ludo, both from Bracknell too. Rick Hutchings, LINE Team Manager, joined us and was a real help, he helped me get up to scratch and boosted my confidence a lot more. We did a bit of shooting but not as much as we could of done due to the poor weather. On the Saturday 10th March we went over to Laax - it took us the whole day because of traffic!

I really liked Laax, the park was super good. The Brits were really well organised and I was very happy with getting 2 podium places in my age category, 2nd in half-pipe (9th overall - 1 place off the final) and 3rd in the Slopestyle.

It was great to see all the other LINE riders getting a podium place, every LINE sponsored rider (Pro and Mountain Command Development Team) who went to the Brits won a podium place! It was good to be skiing together. It was a brilliant week and I look forward to returning next year.

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!

[Join Josh and other members of LINE Mountain Command on the Tourparty Camps and Holidays for expert ski instruction and/or freestyle and freeride coaching. For full information and booking forms go to: www.tourparty.com.]

Josh training at a Tourparty Easter Camp, Les Deux Alpes, France in April 2007

Josh training at a Tourparty Easter Camp, Les Deux Alpes, France in April 2007

Josh training at a Tourparty Easter Camp, Les Deux Alpes, France in April 2007

Josh training at a Tourparty Easter Camp, Les Deux Alpes, France in April 2007

[The majority of the photographs of our Mountain Command riders on www.LINEskis.co.uk have been taken by Rick Hutchings, see his website at: www.rickhutchings.com.]