CLAIRE HUGHES
LINE MOUNTAIN COMMAND - SCOTLAND, UK

Claire in currently in Andorra doing her CSIA level 3 Instructor course. Her plans this season also include heading to the Alps to compete in the Orange Brits and the Verbier Ride, as well as working with photographers. She is concentrating on her park skiing at the moment so that she can take those skills into the big mountain. For more info on her please click here.

Age: 22

Rides: LINE Shadows and Celebrity skis

Home town: The mighty Strathmiglo, Scotland

Home slope: Bellahouston / Hillend

Favourite Tricks: Nice Smooth 3's and 5's

Favourite discipline: I love it all!

Favourite Resort: Treble Cone and Snowpark in New Zealand, and Fernie

Inspired by: Girls who rip

Trains in: NZ, Andorra

Trains with: My mates

Hobbies and Interests: Painting, Non-gangsta Rap Hip-hop, Drum 'n' Bass, Food and Gin. Boo-ya!

Results:

• 2006, August - NZ Open Big Mountain Competition (New Zealand) 5th place


• 2005, December - Dark Summer's "It's A Girl Thing" Competition Winner


• 2005, November - Scottish University's Dryslope Big Air 1st place


• 2005, November - Scottish University's Dryslope Slopestyle 1st place


• 2005, October - Aim Series Xscape (Castleford) 4th place


• 2004, March - British University's Championship Slopestyle 2nd place


• 2004, March - British University's Championship Half-pipe 3rd place

Spiderman or Superman?: Spiderman (not into capes myself!)

UPDATE FROM CLAIRE HUGHES (May 07)

I had an awesome week at the BRITS 07. It was great to finally meet all of the LINE crew and have a play on next year's gear.

I was really stoked with my result in the Slopestyle and getting through to the final of the half pipe, bring on next year and a new season with more snow! Loved Laax - such a cool park and really mellow vibe on the mountain.

I then headed off for the Davos Ride but unfortunately it got canceled. Still, I loved skiing here and the powder was obscene and I met some cool people!

I am back in the UK briefly after doing a bit of a tour in Spain (and trying skydiving!). I am off to New Zealand at the start of June for the season.

I've got a job at The Remarkables - they are opening a new park (which cost them a few million) with Superpipe and they want to start Freestyle Camps. (I am planning to do my NZSIA Park & Pipe Coaching course in New Zealand if possible.) I will be involved in these as well as normal teaching. I'm really excited about it.

As far as next winter goes, I'm not sure of my plans yet!

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.

[Join Claire 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.]

Claire in action at The BRITS (British Freestyle Ski Championships), Laax, Switzerland in April 2007

Claire in action at The BRITS (British Freestyle Ski Championships), Laax, Switzerland 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.]