ALC goes to the Moto GP Silverstone

Sometimes it's who you know not what you know! 2 seasons ago I met a client his wife and child for lessons in Avoriaz, it turned out that he is in charge of the Suzuki Rizzla Moto GP team and he, Paul Denning, invited me to come to the event in Mugello. His quote "the best and most beautiful track on the tour". Never got to go but this summer as we have returned to UK for a few months I thought I'd try and contact him and see if cheekily I could get to see this fast exciting sport in the flesh. The Air Asia British Grand Prix 2010 at Silverstone.

He issued Babs and I all area passes and spent a good few minutes trying to locate where to hook up with him all the while hoping he would remember me. While waiting to meet and asking his team if they knew where I could find him, he passed on a scooter, Mark Webber was standing right beside me but I never even noticed until too late. There's so much to do there but also my favourite thing People Watching!
I thought that the passes would get us backstage so to speak but was amazed to be standing watching the Moto2 with members of the team in the garage watching various techies, tweaking the main and number 2 bikes of the main riders Loris and Alvaro. the noise was unbelievable but nothing prepared me for when during the race they opened the gates allowing the unmuffled sound of the Moto2 race to flood in, then they started bike 2 up for some test and the noise level rose even more!!! After the M2 race a walk round and a flypast of a military jet, you've guessed it the noise level goes up again!
After a lovely 3 course meal, the main event, we watch the start on one of the TV's in the hospitality, then go out to watch for real. This is when you get a real idea of the speed these guys go at and how brave/mad they are. The power is outrageous too, the crowds are massive although probably affected by the absence due to a broken leg by the legend Valentino Rossi. Weather isn't too good but no rain either, a little cold for Suzuki I'm told as they were having trouble with grip and were hoping for very hot conditions.

Many thanks to Paul and the team, I had a ball, lots of lovelies to look at as well.
For more Pictures check website http://www.alpinelearningcurves.co.uk/

Hemel get together for Interski 2011

one of the highlights of Joe's teaching career has to be representing BASI and Great Britain at the Interski congress in Japan 1995. Curiously this was the first time he ever skied at an indoor snow slope, (Tokyo had the worlds first)and now here we are at Hemel Hemstead snow centre with the new team for the next event next year!!

so what is Interski? it's a big convention held every 4 years attended by the teaching associations of just about every skiing nation in the world, this time we expect 39!! Over the weeklong event each delegation which consists of a team of top skiers boarders and telemarkers, have the chance to perform synchronised demonstrations, deliver lectures on their methods and philosophies and attend the forums and listen to other nations. it's an incredibly prestigious event within the industry and a chance for every nation to strut their stuff both on and off snow and network with fellow devotees. Joe will be there this time to represent BASI and GB for Telemark!!

Over the years Interski has been just one of the avenues the Brits have exploited to take our teaching association from the fringes of the industry to becoming one of the most highly respected teaching systems in the world.

So on the weekend at Hemel we had a get together (not all of the team were able to attend) a chance to ski, chat and have a meal at the hotel, whilst there Joe took a few shots and watched the alpine guys start to perfect their demo's, lots of head scratching at the top of the slope, took him straight back to Japan and got him very excited about going to St Anton, not long now....Jan 15th 2011.

Alain Baxter skis with ALC in Les Gets

So after a breif conversation on a Tbar in Hintertux with the Highlander I contacted most of the chalet owners and operators in Les Gets to let them know that they had the opportunity to ski with Alain for the day.

Lots of organising for the day and hoping that the weather was going to be good. In the end we had 10 folk turn up for the day and the weather was a beauty, clear skies and great snow. We decided to stay up on Mt Chery as its got everything you could need, mostly reds and blacks and generally empty, also the Grande Ourse restaurant has great video facilities, a pre requisite of the day.

Totally inspiring skiing with a guy who's only just out of the world cup circuit, not just a great skier, unbelievably fit but genuinely a nice bloke, I already knew this and hoped the others would find this out over the day. I believe they all did from the feedback I received, so thanks to all and lets hope we can do something similar next season!!

On a personal note Alain is the only person we know of who has slept with our Cocker Spaniel, Lyla and she says he's welcome back anytime!!!!

what BASI trainers get up to at the TC

Trainers conference Hintertux 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGgQviDZn_g Joe in action and others at TC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu3klujv3VQ Joe singing and playing on sound track

Austria, long way to travel to, but well worth it cos when you arrive at the top rate hotels, snow is awesome too! 10 hours in a bus playing silly games the whole way.

We the Telemark triners managed to get into the same group so that we can "Telemarkise" the mainly alpine "stuff" that was delivered;

This year the topics are, Biomechanics/where the level are, teach and tech/Delivery. The training body are always tweaking and trying to improve the BASI product and this is so the rank and file and "normal people" can see what goes on. Outside experts are brought in to deliver to the training body.

Dave Murrie, a man with more letters after his name than I can remember, helped us with biomechanics and we the tele side got him to dispel a lot of myths and believed truths! we hope we ended up with biomechanical fact.

John Gardener, a former trainer from years ago, who now trains in the sales area delivered a very upbeat, if too American for me, series of workshops on how to deliver on and off snow.

Roy Henderson, a trainer and mountain guide and great chimp impersonator had us tied together in threes, skiing down the slopes as in a safety situation on a glacier and also rope/crevasse rescue, great fun and informative.

The highlight for me was skiing with Alain Baxter and Dougie Clelland, this was called "Make yourself more awesome" impossible I hear you say. We got some valuable feedback on our technique even though DC has never Tele'd and Alain has only done a bit!! this also lead to a conversation with Alain on coming to Les Gets and do a session with us ALC, see next blog.

These yearly events could be seen to be a bit of a jolly but i believe they are invaluable for development, personal and professional and I think we got a lot done this time and every year they get better and better!! shame we didn't get to deliver to the rest of the TB like last year when we got most of the other trainers to try Tele, maybe next year????

Lots of time spent clarifying the standards along with time spent at the bar with the amazing Illie, discussing and laughing!!

Next Season

So the new website is up and running with our new prices on for 2010/2011. The website isn't the only new thing for this year, there are a few ideas in the pipeline so we'll keep you all posted as things progress but in the meantime please note:

If you want to call us from the UK this summer our UK Mobile number is 07772955219

Hope to hear from you soon!