Snow sports News  

Snowsport stars ride the waves in off season

Members of Snowsport GB's World and Europa Cup alpine squads are currently in the south-west of France undergoing fitness training whilst the governing body awaits the outcome of its annual funding review from UK Sport. 
 
Though downhill ace Finlay Mickel and slalom and combined specialist Noel Baxter haven't accompanied the squad as the latter recovers from an operation last month to his knee, the likes of Alain Baxter, Chemmy Alcott and Andy Noble are already in France cycling and surfing to develop optimal fitness for the season ahead.
 
The snowboard teams are also hard in training with members of the senior squad currently undergoing fitness testing in London.
 
However, whilst it's hoped members of the snowboard squad will compete at the first World Cup of the season in New Zealand later this summer and see members of the alpine squad train and compete in Chile and Argentina, a spokesperson for Snowsport GB confirmed this week that the outcome of the ongoing funding review with UK Sport will dictate the nature of the training and race programmes followed by the squads this coming season. 
 
2008-09 is a crucial year for the alpine and snowboard squads as the racers aim to record optimal FIS ranking points and World Cup results with the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver now little more than 18 months away.