JAMES MACHON
LINE MOUNTAIN COMMAND - ENGLAND, UK

Age: 16

Home town: Bamford (Outside Sheffield in Hills)

Home shop: Snow and Rock, Sheffield Ski Village

Home slope: Sheffield Ski Village

Best thing about your home slope: The ski village has everything that a freestyler could ever want. A Halfpipe, Big Air, Quaterpipe and two different Rails. The possibilities are endless. Although the Ski Village has a lot to offer, my favourite obstacle is definately the Halfpipe!

Favourite Tricks: My favourite trick at the moment is between either a 540 Double True Nose or a Switch Opposite 3 Safety

Favourite discipline: I like all disciplines, especially Halfpipe and Backcountry.

Favourite Resort: Just got back from Val Thorens, loved it! (Great snow park + great variety of runs)

Favourite Pro Rider: Andy Bennett for being an awesome Coach and a great skier.

Hobbies and Interests: Apart from skiing, i do a lot of trampolining and a bit of running to keep fit. Other interests include drawing and painting!

Results:

• Yorkshire Championships Big Air 2004 Overall 1st
• Kendal Moguls 2005 U16 1st
• Sheffield Home Grown Series Big Air 2005 U16 1st
• Orange Aim Series (Milton Keynes) British Championships SkierX 2006 U16 1st
• Castleford Xscape Moguls 2006 U16 2nd
• Kendal Moguls 2006 U16 2nd, Overall 2nd
• Orange Aim Series (Bracknell) Big Air 2006 U16 2nd
• Orange Aim Series (Rossendale) British Championships SkierX 2006 U16 2nd
• Orange Brits Half Pipe 2006 U16 3rd
• Orange Brits Half Pipe 2006 Overall 10th
• British Mogul Championships (Castleford) Moguls 2006 Overall 5th
• Sheffield Freeze Spot Prize 1080 Big Air 2006 Overall 1st
• KSM Refrigerator Open Rail Comp 2006 U17 1st
• The London Ride (European) Quaterpipe 2006 Overall 10th
• Rossendale Grom Camp December Big Air 2006 Overall 1st
• Salomon SPK Tour (Sheffield) Slopestyle 2006 Overall Best skier
• Sheffield Sharks Freestyle Club Award Freestyle 2006 Overall No.1 Freestyler of the Year
• The North Face Challenge (European) Slopestyle and Freeride 2006 U18 7th
• Val Thorens Boarderweek Competition (European) Slopestyle 2006 Overall 1st
• Val Thorens Boarderweek Competition (European) Slopestyle 2006 U16 1st

Spiderman or Superman?: I am Superman!

JAMES' SUMMER (July 07)

To read about what James 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.

JAMES MACHON IN THE NEWS (April 07)

Congratulations to James and his brother Robert for the coverage they received in the Derbyshire Times following their success in the Brits this year, click on the link to see the: Derbyshire Times article.

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.

[Join James 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.]

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

James training on a Tourparty Easter Camp, Les Deux Alpes, France in April 2007

James training on 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.]