After finishing a brilliant season with a ninth place at the World Cup event in Italy in March, it seemed things could hardly improve for Banchory snowboarder Ben Kilner.

But this month in the SNO!zone British Halfpipe Championships in Laax, Switzerland, the 20 year old  took the top spot with a faultless, technical run.  

This season, and in particular, its last two events have helped the Half Pipe specialist crystalise his ambitions to qualify for next year’s Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.

“It’s been my best season so far and qualifying for the Olympics is definitely on track,” he said.

“Ever since the Turin Olympics I have had everything set for really going for Vancouver.  I entered half way through the season in 2006 to try and get to the Turin Olympics but came just 11 points short of qualifying. 

“It was frustrating but that gave me more fuel towards this time to make sure I do it.”

At the start of this season Ben faced a daunting prospect to qualify for the Vancouver Olympics. Only competitors ranked in the world’s top 40 in January 2010 will make the cut.  Added to that the BOA has set a target for snowboarders of a top 15 or two top 25 places in major events.

But a new physical conditioning regime and a lengthy injury-free spell produced consistent top form. Ben finished 16th in the FIS World Cup Half Pipe event at Stoneham, Canada; 15th in New Zealand and 19th in Gujo Japan.  Placing ninth in Italy this March was the perfect high to end his international season and helped move him up to 22 in the world.

“A lot of it comes down to staying on your feet and fitness has played an important part this year,” said Ben.

“The programme I have been on with the Highland Institute has been all about giving myself more power and strength. 

“Catriona Walker has been taking care of that.  She has worked out what I need for snowboarding strength wise to help me and has adapted the whole programme to the power of jumping aspects.

“I’ve done weight training for a few years but this year I have really put it into my schedule.  Now, when I’m back home I train for the whole period instead of doing other things and it has really benefitted me.”

Ben’s results have not gone unnoticed in the wider circles of the sport.  He recently picked up sponsorship deals with Nike and Red Bull.  This week he is in Austria with for a two week advertising photo shoot. 

For the first time he is able to call snowboarding a career.

“Nike have been really helping to up my profile by doing adverts in the snowboarding magazines,” said Ben.

“(Financially) it is getting a lot easier.  The last few years were really hard and I was having to do fundraising at home to keep myself going.  Now it’s finally got to the point where I can say it’s even at the end of the season.”

Ben is also massively keen golfer, and when home he plays with several of Scotland’s top young golfers, including David Law and Chris Rob from the Grampian Institute of Sport.

“I love coming from an extreme sport into something where I can wind down.  Golf is great fort that because you control your aggression and it’s very mental. 

“I won a snowboarding competition that was sponsored by Nike and they asked me if I’d like some golf clubs.  I ordered the new Tiger Woods blades.  I play at Inchmarlo (GC) and went home to do a few rounds to keep my swing and hopefully I’ll do a few medals this summer when I get back!”

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