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THE ART OF LAYERING FALL-WINTER 14/15
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THE ART OF LAYERING FALL-WINTER 14/15
SNOW CAMP MAG 2015 // 03
Welcome to the launch edition of Snow-
Camp Magazine!
It’s been a surprisingly enjoyable
process researching all the different
stories, collating the editorial and
having the opportunity to catch up
with young people, supporters and
friends of the charity discussing their
contributions to the magazine.
And it has shown once again the
breadth of support we are so grateful
to receive at Snow-Camp. In fact,
if there is one thing that has come
across from the process of putting
the magazine together, it is the
concept of partnership. I don’t think
there is a story in the magazine that
doesn’t feature partnerships of some
kind, and this is so important – for if
we are to succeed with the vision we
have set ourselves at Snow-Camp,
we are going to need the support of
many others who also ‘get’ this vision
and want to be part of it.
Looking back on Snow-Camp’s journey
from a small youth project in Stockwell
in 2003 to where we are today, it
is clear there have already been
so many people who have helped,
supported and promoted our work
along the way, generously giving their
time, energy, money and enthusiasm
to help us achieve our goals. When
we needed them most, the right
people, companies, youth projects,
ambassadors, funders and friends
have said, “Yes, we will get behind
this,” and we are extremely grateful for
such fantastic support.
By themselves, snow sports are hugely
enjoyable, engaging, confidence
building and attractive to young
people. But when combined with
accreditation, qualifications, mentoring,
work placements, apprenticeships
and vocational opportunities in the
ski industry, they become potentially
life changing for the young people we
support. It is always exciting for us to
find others, both within the world of
snow sports and outside it, who really
get how Snow-Camp programmes
aim to motivate young people to
make positive changes in their lives,
to aspire to achieve more and to fulfil
their potential through opportunities
for employment and training.
Exciting times are ahead as we seek
to expand our programmes in London
and Glasgow to Cardiff, Yorkshire,
Bristol and beyond, and new supporters
and partnerships will be even more
essential. So if anything in the magazine
sparks your interest to get involved –
and there are many ways you can help
and be part of our work – the team
would love to hear from you.
Enjoy the magazine and have a great
winter season!
Dan Charlish
FOUNDER & Director
Dan
WELCOME TO
M A G A Z I N E
GRAHAM BELL
FORMER OLYMPIC SKIER & BBC SKI SUNDAY PRESENTER
“I’m delighted to support the
important work that Snow-Camp
carries out, and I’m completely
behind their goal to bring skiing to
more young people and to make
the sport more socially inclusive.
I think Snow-Camp’s an important
charity because we can get accused
of being an elitist sports and I don’t
think it’s actually the case; and I
think going out to the mountains
is such a wonderful experience it
should be open to all.”
CHEMMY ALCOTT
FORMER OLYMPIC SKIER & BBC PRESENTER
“For me it’s sad when people have
never seen proper snow before in
London. It’s so accessible for us, and
for Snow-Camp to come along and
bring this amazing sport to more
people, it’s awesome. I just love that
Snow-Camp brings winter sports
to a whole new audience of kids
who never thought that they would
have the opportunity! I have always
strived to make skiing available
to all, and Snow-Camp is really
achieving that.”
ED LEIGH
BBC SKI SUNDAY PRESENTER
“The mountains are one of the most
impressive landscapes on earth and
have an immense power to both
humble and inspire people. The idea
behind Snow-Camp is very simple:
to share the mountains with people
who would normally never get to
experience them, but who need
them most. The project has huge
potential to help people.”
04 // SNOW CAMP MAG 2015
PATRONS & AMBASSADORS
WARREN SMITH
SKI ACADEMY DIRECTOR & LEADING FREESKIER
“I’ve watched Snow-Camp evolve
over the years and have always
loved their approach to helping
others less fortunate and in difficult
circumstances. We’ve always had
a really positive experience with
everyone we’ve worked with on
Snow-Camp projects and will
continue to develop ideas with
them and offer their students
opportunities in skiing.”
DOUGIE CRAWFORD
TOP UK MEN’S DOWNHILL, SUPER G & SUPER-COMBINED SKIER
“I am hugely excited by the prospect
of being patron for Snow-Camp
in Scotland. Snow-Camp gives
young people the chance to learn
fantastic lessons in an enjoyable
environment, and I’ve seen the
benefit they have already had on
many people. I hope I can help to
build this and give more and more
young people across Glasgow this
fantastic opportunity!”
JENNY JONES
OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDALLIST, SNOWBOARDING SLOPESTYLE
I’m stoked to be coming on board
as a patron in this key time in the
charity’s life, as the Snow-Camp team
seek to expand their programmes
to other cities in the UK. I hope I
can play a positive role in this next
phase, as I am committed to seeing
positive opportunities for young
people in snow sports, especially
after snowboarding was given such
a great platform at the recent Winter
Olympics. In my new role as patron,
I’m looking forward to working with
Snow-Camp to make this happen!
Snow-Camp are delighted to have six fantastic snow-sport celebrities as our patrons. Their profiles and ability to communicate Snow-Camp’s work have had a hugely positive influence on the growth of the charity. The team are also supported by three dedicated ambassadors including: Jasmin Taylor (World Cup Telemark Ski Racer, British Champion and Personal Trainer), Jack Gower (British Junior Alpine Ski Team member and Junior One World Champion in Giant Slalom) and Jamie Barrow, Britain’s Fastest Snowboarder.
SNOW CAMP MAG 2015 // 05
Founded in 2003, Snow-Camp
recognised the need to offer inner-city
youth-at-risk an activity that re-engages
them with learning, during secondary
education years, in order to help them
realise their potential and increase their
motivation and aspirations. 11 years ago,
13 young people from the St John’s
Community Development Project in
Stockwell attended a week-long snow
sports programme in Les 2 Alpes and
Snow-Camp was established.
Today, Snow-Camp is the UK’s only
registered charity delivering a unique
combination of snow sports and life-skills
programmes to support inner-city young
people living in areas with high levels of
deprivation, crime and gang activity. The
process of learning to ski or snowboard
requires perseverance, commitment,
listening, overcoming fear, team work,
patience and determination, all of which
are essential skills needed to deal with
the problems disadvantaged youth face
in their everyday lives.
Since 2003, demand for Snow-Camp’s
programmes has increased and, as
funding allowed, programmes have
grown to meet the need, overcoming
geographical and financial barriers
faced by young people who would not
otherwise have access, to experience
snow sports for the first time. Today,
more than 500 young people per year,
aged between 13 and 19, are referred by
their youth project to attend our courses
ranging from a 2-day introduction to
skiing and snowboarding through to
training young people to be Level 1
instructors. Snow-Camp’s First Tracks
programme was developed in 2007,
the Graduate Programme in 2008, the
Excel Programme in 2010 and finally
the Apprenticeship Programme in 2013
which completes the current Snow-
Camp programme journey.
Many funders and supporter have
helped to make this possible, including
the Skiers Trust, Snow-Camp’s first
funder, granting £1,000 to enable Snow-
Camp to pilot the residential trip back in
2003. We are grateful for the confidence
they showed in us and their continued
support of Snow-Camp year after year.
In 2013, Snow-Camp was awarded the
Freedom of the City of London for its
work with young people.
06 // SNOW CAMP MAG 2015
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F_170w_240h_SnowCamp_HighQualPrint.pdf 1 03/10/2014 18:48
First Tracks
For a young person, the Snow-Camp
journey starts on one of our 2-day
Snow-Camp First Tracks courses. This
programme provides young people
with their first experience of snow
sports and life skills, using Hemel
Snow Centre as a base, and provides
an AQA award in Basic Snowsports.
Graduate
The Graduate Programme offers
young people the opportunity to
further develop their skiing and
snowboarding, through a structured
6-day programme offering an ASDAN
Accreditation. Group sessions held
after each slope session expose young
people to the many opportunities
in the wider world of skiing and
snowboarding, including talks from
partners across the ski industry.
ExceL
The Excel Programme is for young
people who aim to complete the full
Snow-Camp journey and leave with a
Snowsport England Level 1 Instructor
certificate. Excel is split into two sections:
8 days at Hemel where the young people
go through a full training programme
covering all aspects of teaching snow
sports, alongside the essential first aid
and child protection courses required
to achieve the qualification – and then
a week in the Italian mountains with
Interski, shadowing instructors and
gaining valuable experience.
Apprenticeship
The Apprenticeship Programme is
designed for young people who wish
to pursue a career in the snow sports
industry. Snow-Camp Apprentices gain
valuable experience from working
on all our programmes, alongside
work placements across the industry
over the 12-month period of the
apprenticeship. They also get paid
while studying for an NVQ Level 2
Activity Leadership qualification.
08 // SNOW CAMP MAG 2015
T H E
J O U R N E Y
SNOW CAMP MAG 2015 // 09
Expansion
Snow-Camp’s vision is to expand
programmes across cities in the UK.
Glasgow has been running since 2012,
and recent pilots in Cardiff and Leeds/
Bradford have been very successful.
Youth Forum
The Snow-Camp Youth Forum (SCYF)
provides young people with an
opportunity to get more involved in
Snow-Camp’s work. We are passionate
about giving young people a voice
and committed to empowering young
people to become creators and not
just consumers of our services. The
SCYF develops and maintains links
between Snow-Camp’s management
team (Board of Trustees, staff etc)
and the young people Snow-Camp
supports. It is run entirely by its
members, with Snow-Camp staff
attending for support.
What we do! Snow-Camp programmes offer young people the opportunity to progress from beginner skiers and snowboarders right through to becoming qualified instructors. Since 2003, we have been delivering innovative and engaging youth snowsports courses, which combine the continuous development of skiing and snowboarding skills with youth focused personal development and life-skills sessions. Young people also gain a recognised accredited outcome from each individual course.
How we work with you: We have worked in partnership with over 200 youth organisations since we started Snow-Camp; from London borough youth services to small independent youth projects and from national youth programmes to inner city schools. Our Programme Managers will meet you, explain the programmes and discuss all your specific needs. They will ensure you are have all the information you need as your young people progress through each course, and will always be available if you have questions. We want to build solid relationships with youth programmes so that Snow-Camp becomes a regular part of your youth programme. Snow-Camp programmes can be a life changing experience for young people. We look forward to working with you very soon!
Course Length: 2 days
Course Venue: Hemel Snow
Centre
Accreditation: AQA
Level: Beginner
Dates: July / August 2014
Cost: £99*
SNOWSPORTENGLAND
✻ 2 day programme providing the first experience of snowsports for young people at Hemel Snow Centre.✻ Training and instruction in skiing and snowboarding with qualified instructors.✻ Learning and developing as individuals through the Life-Skills programme including sessions on independence, responsibility, confidence and self-esteem.✻ Travel to areas outside of London, providing new sporting experiences.✻ Exposure to other youth groups and young people from across London, addressing territorial bias in young people.✻ Awards and certificates - Lasting record of achievement and experience.✻ Accredited outcome via AQA.✻ Snow-Camp staff team management, full risk assessment available.✻ Opportunity to progress to the Snow-Camp Graduate Programme.
Course Length: 6 days
Course Venue: Hemel Snow
Centre
Accreditation: ASDAN Sports
and Fitness Award
Level: Beginner / Intermediate
Dates: Nov / Dec 2014
Cost: £299*
Course Length: 10 sessions and
1 week residential
Course Venue: Hemel Snow
Centre, Chatham Ski &
Snowboard Centre and The Alps
Accreditation: Snowsport England
Level 1 Trainee Instructor /
Instructor, First Aid qualification,
Safeguard Training & CRB
Level: Intermediate / Advanced
UK Dates: February to April 2015
Cost: £499*
Residential Dates: April 2015
Cost: £499*
✻ 6 day programme at a Hemel Snow Centre developing snowsports skills with qualified instructors.✻ 6 Life-skills sessions focusing on vocational opportunities within the ski industry – working a season, learning about being a ski technician, working at ski shops / slopes in the UK.✻ Travel to areas outside of London, new sporting experiences.✻ Further exposure to other youth groups and young people from across London, addressing territorial bias in young people, developing cross borough friendships.✻ Awards and certificates - Lasting record of achievement and experience.✻ Accredited outcome via ASDAN.✻ Snow-Camp staff team management, full risk assessment available.✻ Opportunity to progress onto the Snow-Camp Excel progamme.
✻ Advanced training and instruction in snowsports, towards achieving a Level 1 Instructor or Trainee Instructor qualification accredited by Snowsport England.✻ 7 day programme at Hemel Snow Centre, training by qualified instructors, focus on teaching snowsports to others. ✻ 1 day snowsports programme at Chatham Ski & Snowboard Centre with focus on riding a new surface✻ Life-Skills programme includes significant practical areas of learning – personal fundraising, working with young people and CRB, first aid training and theory of snowsports teaching.✻ Experience of a beautiful and dramatic natural environment in the mountains and travel overseas in a week’s long residential.✻ 20 hours shadowing qualified instructors on the Residential programme. ✻ Final peer to peer lesson assessment by Snowsport England instructors.✻ 3 Star hotel accommodation. ✻ Exposure to other youth groups and young people from across London, addressing territorial bias in young people.✻ Significant time away from inner-city environments. Space to reflect and focus on the future.✻ Final Awards Event – Level 1 Trainee Instructor / Instructor qualification awarded. ✻ Snow-Camp staff team management, full risk assessment available.✻ Opportunities for employment with Snow-Camp teaching the new cohort of students on Snow-Camp London over the coming summer holidays.✻ Opportunities to progress onto the Snow-Camp Snowsports Apprenticeship, as well as work placements in the ski industry.
L O N D O NFIRST TRACKS
G R A D U A T EG R A D U A T E
E X C E LE X C E L
* Prices do not include Snow-Camp costs which are covered by our own fundraising. Some bursaries exist for these courses - please call to discuss.
G R A D U A T E
JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP
Opportunities forWork Experience
Placements
Employmentwith Snow-Camp
Programmes
E X C E LA P P R E N T I C E S H I P
E X C E L
L O N D O N
FIRST TRACKS
Course Length: 12 months full-
time (30 hrs a week)
Course Venue: Hemel Snow Centre
and various London based work
placements
Accreditation: NVQ 2 in Activity
Leadership, BASI 1, Ski Technician
qualification
Level: Advanced
Dates: July 2014 / July 2015
Places: 5 available
Requirements: Completed Excel
& Aged 16-20
Salary: National Apprenticeship
wage structure applies
✻ Snow-Camp Apprentices will be able to learn on the job through a range of activities and placements and get paid while studying for an NVQ Level 2 qualification.✻ Experience of working alongside Snow-Camp staff and planning and instructing snowsports sessions during all Snow-Camp programmes (SC First Tracks, SC Graduate, SC Excel).✻ Various work experience placements in the snowsports industry with our key partners.✻ Experience of working at national snowsports events such as Ski & Snowboard Show, Freeze Festival and others.✻ A ski/snowboard technician qualification.✻ Skills and learning for employability including employment rights & responsibilities, financial planning, health and safety etc.✻ A BASI (British Association of Snowsport Instructors) Level 1 Alpine Skiing or Snowboarding qualification.✻ Designed for individuals who wish to gain a broad yet solid foundation to support a career in the snowports industry.
E X C E LA P P R E N T I C E S H I P
Snow-Camp Glasgow entered the
2013/14 programme year with a lot to
live up to after the maiden-year success
of Snow-Camp’s second city! However,
all involved worked hard to make the
past 12 months even bigger and better,
as well as managing to accomplish
some major milestones along the way.
A total of 205 young people came
along to our 2-day Beginner Prog-
ramme at Bearsden Ski & Snowboard
Club with 35 of these young people
moving onto the Graduate Programme.
Again, young people from the Glasgow
operation were invited onto the Italy
trip, alongside the London group,
based on their efforts within the two
programmes and in the Youth Forum.
This year four young people travelled
out to Aosta and have returned
with a hunger for more snow sports
and a potential career in the future.
Michael, a Snow-Camp Glasgow
Ambassador, has already made major
strides towards forging a career in the
industry by obtaining a PSIA Level 1 Ski
Instructor’s qualification in Aviemore
this spring, after which he spent 3
weeks working with the Aviemore
School of Snowsports. He returned
with glowing reports of his attitude and
professionalism, and all at Snow-Camp
look forward to seeing his snow-sports
career flourish in the future. Michael
is also now employed by our industry
partners Ellis Brigham, at their Glasgow
store, as he builds on his ambitions.
This year we hope to see more
instructor qualifications being obtained
with some extremely dedicated young
people going above and beyond
to work towards their dreams of
instructing in Canada and Japan in
years to come. Both Conner McKee and
Kirsty McCallum have shown impressive
commitment to their causes and are
making strong positive impressions
in the snow-sports industry and the
third sector to bolster their efforts.
We also look forward to building the
programmes on offer further, with
010 // SNOW CAMP MAG 2015
E x p a n s i o n O f O u r P r o g r a m m e s
SNOW CAMP MAG 2015 // 011
potential to expand opportunities for
work experience with key industry
partners as well as running our first
Scottish residential course.
Snow-Camp Glasgow now has its
very own office premises! The second
Snow-Camp office to open in the UK
is located in Cumbernauld and acts as
a hub for the project’s administration,
a meeting place for the Youth Forum
and an equipment store and workshop.
Please pop in to see us sometime and
get more info on the work we do!
Finally we were honoured to welcome
Dougie Crawford as the first patron for
Snow-Camp in Scotland. Some of the
Glasgow Ambassadors took part in the
Dougie Crawford Race fundraiser back
in October along with Project Manager
Will and, although they weren’t among
the fastest, they did the charity proud!
We hope to be naming more patrons
for the Scottish operation this year.
Snow-Camp Glasgow would like to
thank the Big Lottery Awards for All
Fund, The Robertson Trust, Ross &
Liddell, East Dunbartonshire Council and
all who have helped us over the year.
Will would also like to thank the Youth
Forum members for their support over
the last year and all volunteers who
have given up their time for Snow-
Camp. Will said, “This year has been
more successful than we could have
imagined and twice as busy! Our
young people are really showing their
potential, and with the support and
interest from local youth groups we can
only hope for further success and more
talented individuals being discovered.
Hopefully now with a base to work from
our operations can continue to go from
strength to strength, and we will really
see a positive impact on the lives of
young people in Glasgow.”
Our work relies on the support of
many individuals and organisations in
Scotland who believe in what we do. If
you feel you can help or want to know
more, please get in touch with Will at
E x p a n s i o n O f O u r P r o g r a m m e s
Glasgow-Update
Snow-Camp strives to ensure our
programmes are accessible to as
many young people as possible. Our
Bursary Fund covers the full cost of
participation on our programmes and
is made available to youth projects
with very low funding capacity and to
inner-city young people who through
their own initiative have found out
about Snow-Camp.
Each bursary of £2,000 enables one
young person to complete the Snow-
Camp programme journey over one
life-changing year, enabling them to
gain an accredited Ski or Snowboard
Instructor qualification and make positive
decisions about their relationships,
further education and employment.
FEEDBACK FROMOUR YOUNG PEOPLE:
“Thank you for supporting me through
this course. I have learnt so much
about myself from Snow-Camp. In the
past I have given up on many things
that have been hard, but Snow-Camp
has shown me that if I don’t give
up I can achieve new qualifications
and experiences. Going to Italy was
amazing and has shown me what
it is like to get out of London. I also
feel more confident, as I have been
standing in front of groups instructing,
which I didn’t think I would be that
good at at the start. Thank you again!”
Kieron Roberts, Age 17
Streatham Youth Centre, Lambeth
“This experience has changed me as
a person. Being out on the mountains
makes me feel free and is so different
to anything at home. Snow-Camp
has made me motivated to pass the
course, and I can use this to help me
sort out other areas of my life that
aren’t going too well. Thank you for
giving me this opportunity and giving
me something positive to look forward
to each week.”
Conor Russell, Age 19
St Andrews, Westminster
Kieran and Conor both graduated
in 2014 and gained their Level 1
Snowboard Instructor qualification.
They both returned to Snow-Camp
this summer to teach our new cohort
of young people starting out learning
to ski and snowboard with Snow-
Camp and have joined the Snow-
Camp Youth Forum. Kieron and Conor
have proven to be excellent role
models for the charity.
“In my local area there is not much to
do. I am lucky to have my youth club
who put a small amount of activities on.
There are gangs around my area but I
try to avoid them, which is hard. This is
why it is so great to have Snow-Camp,
and it gives me a focus and something
to do. Snow-Camp is my first experience
of snowboarding and I love it so much! I
have learnt a lot on the courses like how
to snowboard regular and goofy. I know
how to use the ski drag lift and tried
“the box” which I fell off! It was still fun. I
have also made some new friends from
012 // SNOW CAMP MAG 2015
different
areas of
London
which is
different to
what I am
used to.
“I want to
say a big
thank you
to Ski Safari,
as without this bursary I wouldn’t
be able to complete the course.
I will be able to become a Level 1
Snowboard Instructor which would
be amazing! It has been the most
positive experience for me!”
Deana Irwin, Age 16
Castlehaven Youth Project, Camden
Deana is now employed by
Snow-Camp as part of our full-time
Apprenticeship Programme and is
working towards her NVQ Level 2
in Activity Leadership. Throughout
the year Deana
will be working
alongside
Snow-Camp
staff planning
and instructing
our snow-
sports sessions
in addition
to working
at national
snow-sports
events and undertaking various
work placements within the
industry. Deana is an outstanding
ambassador for the charity as a
result of the support she received
via the Bursary Fund.
To find out more about the Snow-
Camp Bursary Fund or if you
would like to support a young
person, please email Rachel Cruz
at [email protected] or
phone the Snow-Camp team on
01273 241 383. Thank you.
Bursaries
2014/15
Bursaries for 2014/15 have
generously been granted by:
Armajaro Asset Management
Dare 2B
Myles Robinson Memorial Trust
SIGB – Snowsport Industries GB
Ski Safari
Miles Kemp Trust
The Salters Company
Jock Russell Memorial Fund
Samworth Foundation
Snow-Camp Board of Trustees
SNOW CAMP MAG 2015 // 013
014 // SNOW CAMP MAG 2015
Having been inspired to launch
an apprenticeship programme by
SkillsActive, and with a solid partner
in Youth Force supporting the
initiative, Snow-Camp launched its
very own Snowsports Apprenticeship
Programme in 2013 which enabled
four young graduates from the
Snow-Camp programmes to join our
team in a full-time role for a year.
The lucky candidates – Charlie,
Aaron, Stephanie and Chloe – spent
varying lengths of time with some
of our key partners including Ellis
Brigham, Skiworld, Skiweekends,
Pure Powder and The Snow Centre;
gaining invaluable work experience
whilst studying for an NVQ Level 2
Activity Leadership Qualification and
supporting the delivery of all Snow-
Camp programmes.
Now well into its second year, the
new apprentices – Jonjoe, Deana,
Wesley, Jasmine & Nadir – are
currently enjoying placements both
in resort and in the UK with our key
industry partners, so be sure to keep
an eye on our website and social
media channels for updates!
We sat down with Chloe Lincoln-Todd
to ask her about her experiences on the
2013/14 Apprenticeship Programme:
SNOW CAMP MAG 2015 // 015
Q: How did you feel when you found
out you were on the Apprenticeship
Programme with Snow-Camp?
A: Once I found out I’d got a place on
the Apprenticeship Programme, I was
really surprised! It was really exciting
and I just couldn’t wait to get started!
Q: Did you help with the running of
the Snow-Camp programmes?
A: All Apprentices helped with the
running of the programmes, such as
assisting on the slopes and running
the life-skills sessions – although there
were times that I ran the whole day by
myself with Lara’s support. I enjoyed
when I had to run the programmes, as I
liked being in charge, and I was proud
of myself for actually doing so.
Q: What did you get up to during your
work placement at Skiworld?
A: During my time at Skiworld, I learnt
much more than I expected. I worked
in HR and Marketing. I had a lot of
responsibilities, such as liaising with
employees, updating the website
and databases and attending coach
departures to send off employees for the
coming season. I also helped with the
new 2014/15 Skiworld brochure. It was
a long process, but both departments
taught me a lot about the snow sports
industry and what jobs are available.
Q: And you worked for Skiweekends
during your placement also?
A: Luckily enough, I got the opportunity
to go do a 2-week mini-season in
Méribel with Skiweekends. I had to
cover every job in the hotel from being
a chef, cleaner and waitress. It was a
great experience, and it helped me
get a better image of what season life
was like. I learnt that it isn’t all fun and
games; there is a lot of hard work and
you must stay focused if you want to
do well. Going to a different country for
two weeks, by myself and not knowing
anyone, was a difficult experience but it
helped me gain more confidence
and responsibility.
Q: How has the Apprenticeship
Programme benefited you?
A: I have learnt how to conduct
myself in the world or work, and it
has taught me to have faith and stay
determined when wanting to achieve.
I have gained skills that I can adapt
and use in the future, and I have
finally got a plan of where I would
like my life to go!
Q: What have you been up to
since finishing the Apprenticeship
Programme?
A: Towards the end of my placement,
I approached Skiworld to see if they
could offer me work to continue with
the company. I was successful in
securing a full-time role working in
the HR department as a Recruitment
Administrator. It was sad to finish the
year on the Apprentice Programme
and continue by myself, but I’m
extremely thankful for all Snow-
Camp’s support.
Q: Do you feel you changed as a
person during your time on the
Apprenticeship Programme?
A: Yeah, I do feel like I have changed
as a person. I feel like I grew up and
became wiser and more responsible.
I feel that Snow-Camp has helped me
learn the real meaning of a work ethic
and the standards of work. I honestly
couldn’t imagine myself and how I
would be if I never got involved.
Q: What would be your top tips for
future Snow-Camp Apprentices?
A: Don’t come out of the
Apprenticeship in the same position
you went in. The harder you work, the
more you achieve! If you put in 100%,
then you’ll get it back; don’t expect
opportunities to pop up if you haven’t
worked for them.
Remember everything you learn, and
put it into PRACTICE!
Snow-Camp Patron Warren Smith is
one of Britain’s leading professional
free skiers and an internationally
qualified Performance Coach and
Instructor. Warren has offered a once-
in-a-lifetime placement for Snow-
Camp Apprentice Jonjoe Boulter from
Hackney, to train with the Warren
Smith Ski Academy in January 2015.
The course is for 9 weeks with
residence in the prestigious resort
of Verbier, Switzerland. Here Jonjoe
will complete his BASI Level 1 and
Level 2 programmes to become a fully
qualified ski instructor.
Warren met up with Jonjoe in London
to find out more about him and to talk
about being chosen for his academy.
WS: I support Snow-Camp because
it brings new opportunities to people
that would not normally have access to
snow sports. I feel very lucky to have
gotten into skiing growing up, and if
I can provide opportunities through
what we do for other people, then that
to me is a really good reason as to why
we would want to be involved.
Jonjoe, so I remember meeting you
last year at Hemel on the Snow-Camp
Graduate course. How did you first
get involved with skiing?
JJ: I’d started skiing on Snow-Camp’s
First Tracks beginner programme
in July 2013. I had never put skis
on before or even thought of trying
skiing. I was really lucky and thankful
to receive a bursary from the Myles
Robinson Memorial Trust who paid for
my training with Snow-Camp, which
took me from a beginner skier all the
way through to a Snowsport England
Level 1 Instructor.
I had never been to the mountains
before the Snow-Camp Italy residential
in April 2014. This is when I saw the
mountains for the first time and I knew
straight away that this is where I want
to be! I then applied for the Snow-
Camp Apprenticeship Programme
016 // SNOW CAMP MAG 2015
SNOW CAMP MAG 2015 // 017
where I have been studying for an NVQ
in Activity Leadership, working as part
of the staff team on the Snow-Camp
programmes and undertaking a work
placement at SkiPlex.
WS: So as you know, what I want to do
is offer a place up at my Ski Academy
and for you to train with us on our BASI
Level 1 and Level 2 courses to become
a ski instructor. So you will be living in
the resort of Verbier, Switzerland, for
9 weeks during January 2015. How
does that sound?
JJ: When Lara told me I couldn’t believe
it! To have this opportunity is so amazing!
I am so excited and thankful for this,
as I would have never had this chance
without you or Snow-Camp. What are the
next steps for me after today?
WS: I am going to get you along to the
Telegraph London Ski and Snowboard
Show. You will be involved in
shadowing some of our teaching and
you will sit in on our video analysis
centre. And then let’s go back to my
home town and get some skiing in
together at Hemel Snow Centre where
I learnt to ski; it’s a fantastic indoor
snow centre. I will also talk to you
about physiology and biomechanics
to get you tuned up and ready for the
snow and the start of the course in
January 2015. I’m really excited! Have
you got any questions?
JJ: Yeah, I have a few questions.
What would a normal day out in
Verbier, Switzerland, be like for me?
WS: Very different to being in
London! We get up early and head
onto the mountains. On the course
you will do a lot of technical and
teacher training, along with video
analysis with a lot of team building
within the group. Over the course of
the winter you will understand the
key principles of teaching skiing and
becoming a ski instructor.
JJ: Cool! What draws you to the
mountains?
WS: Being at altitude and having
that perspective to look across
the mountains; there is something
incredible about it, and it’s an
amazing thing to be part of. In terms
of being one with nature, it can really
motivate you to achieve more. So
what are the main aims you want to
get out of this experience?
JJ: With Snow-Camp I have not only
found a hobby but a passion and a new
lifestyle. I am really looking forward to
the challenges and new experiences
ahead with the Ski Academy! My dream
is to be able to gain a BASI Instructor
Qualification so that I can travel the
world and see new places.
Thank you! I am really looking forward
to this whole experience – I can’t wait!
If you want to get involved and support
Warren in this initiative, or if you
happen to be in Verbier and can offer
accommodation or donations, please
contact [email protected].
“In an increasingly urban society, it is
imperative to offer young people an
activity that develops their initiative,
individuality and courage. In the
mountains, the skill and determination
of the individual are pitted against the
elements, and therein lies the attraction
and challenge. Aspects of self-discipline,
personal responsibility and leadership
qualities are the benefits of the mountain
experience. Thus, skiing fulfils a need
which is fundamental, and the importance
of such a challenge has never been so
urgent as it is today. Skiing is no longer
restricted to snow-rich areas. Artificial
ski slopes, and more recently indoor
snow slopes, play an increasing part in
the provision of sports facilities in urban
areas, opening up opportunities to
many more children which were almost
unattainable in the past.” The Skiers Trust
A long-term partner to the charity
has been The Snow Centre at Hemel
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
018 // SNOW CAMP MAG 2015
Hempstead. Based just outside of
London, the dedicated indoor Snow
Centre has offered the perfect base to
run Snow-Camp’s London programmes
including their First Tracks course,
Graduate Programme and Excel
Programme. The Centre has also offered
work placements for two of the 2013/14
Apprentices Aaron and Charlie. With
The Snow Centre’s excellent location
based just 45 minutes from our pick-up
in London, the slope serves as a perfect
base to run our London programmes and
also serves as the base for one of our
key fundraising events of the year, the
Snow-Camp Rally.
Ian Brown, Managing Director at The
Snow Centre, says, “We are delighted to
support the Snow-Camp programmes,
and it has been a pleasure to watch
many of the participants graduate and
indeed go on to become instructors here
at the centre.”
See our work with BASI overleaf >>
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
SNOW CAMP MAG 2015 // 019
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Contact us for a tailor-made quotation skisafari.com 01273 224060
>> Continued from previous page.
Since 2013, BASI (British Association
of Snowsport Instructors) have been
supporting the charity by sponsoring
four young people through their BASI
Level 1 qualifications. Working closely
with Pete Gillespie at the Hemel
Snow Centre, BASI sponsored the
Level 1 course places, and The Snow
Centre supported the young people
with free slope access and class
shadowing hours. Aaron Minto and
Stacey Pender (who both now play
key roles in the Snow-Camp Youth
Forum) were the first Snow-Camp
young people to secure their Level
1 course places, followed by Charlie
Barfoot and Aaron Kallo-Rose, two of
Snow-Camp’s first Apprentices in the
2013/14 programme year.
Now well into the 2014/15
programmes year, new apprentices
Jonjoe Boulter, Nadir Chentoufi,
Wesley Monteiro, Deana Irwin and
Jasmine Jones will receive the BASI-
sponsored Level 1 course places in
either Snowboarding or Alpine Skiing,
and like the apprentices that have
gone before them, Snow-Camp will
keep you regularly up to date with
their progress via their website and
social media channels.
Tania Alliod, BASI’s Membership &
Marketing Manager, commented:
“BASI is delighted to be working
with Snow-Camp to deliver this
development opportunity for young
people. BASI’s sponsorship of Level
1 course places helps support the
Snow-Camp youth programme
directly, but it also brings BASI’s
name and activities to the attention of
Snow-Camp’s own extensive network
of stakeholders, increasing awareness
for BASI. So it’s a great mutually
beneficial relationship which we are
proud to be part of.”
Snow-Camp continually benefits from
some incredible support from a wide-
ranging list of partners from across
the snow-sports industry including
SIGB (Snowsports Industry of Great
Britain), Ellis Brigham, Skiworld,
Ski Safari, Ski Weekends, Dare 2B,
Pure Powder, Snow Chateaux,
Salomon and many more. Each
organisation plays a huge part in
promoting the charity’s activities and
in particular their key fundraising
events throughout the year.
Supporting Young People With
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Skiweekends are delighted to continue
their support of Snow-Camp, and last
month six members of the Snow-
Camp apprentice scheme joined
the Skiweekends Chalet Host and
Cookery Course. They spent a week
in Skiweekends’ Chalet Gourmets in
Morzine, learning everything you need
to know to be a ski chalet host.
The comprehensive course teaches
participants essential catering skills,
giving them a repertoire of three-
course menus to prepare and serve
for groups of up to 20 guests. As well
as this course participants study for
a qualification in food hygiene, and
receive training in house-keeping,
chalet maintenance and budgeting
while also getting to experience
shopping in French supermarkets!
Most of the apprentices will do
a 2-week work placement with
Skiweekends during the coming winter,
in their hotels and chalets.
Dan Fox, Managing Director of
Skiweekends, said: “It is great to
provide an opportunity for these
youngsters to learn something new
as well as experience life in the
mountains. We know from experience
that the Snow-Camp apprentices are
hard-working and dedicated, so we
benefit greatly from their input on
work experience.”
Skiweekends is also supporting Snow-
Camp’s Alpine Challenge by providing
a booking service for all participants,
and assisting with logistics at the event.
Skiweekends provides flexible short-
break ski holidays in 23 resorts in
Europe with flights from 17 UK airports.
They offer something for everyone,
from catered chalets to luxury 5
hotels, providing a tailor-made service
for individuals or groups. For more
details visit www.skiweekends.com.
022 // SNOW CAMP MAG 2015
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At Snow-Camp we are committed to
being able to effectively demonstrate
the positive impact of our programmes
on the young people we support.
Since we started Snow-Camp, we
have worked in partnership with more
than 200 youth organisations, from
youth services to small independent
youth projects and from national youth
programmes to inner-city schools.
Motivating young people to engage
is half the battle with successful youth
work. Snow-Camp has proven that snow
sports have a strong enough appeal to
ensure “hard to reach” young people
want to engage with our programmes,
enabling us to support more than 4120
youth-at-risk on a constructive journey
of programmes to date.
024 // SNOW CAMP MAG 2015
025
Snow-Camp Patron Jenny Jones sat
down with the team recently to reflect
on the past 12 months and to chat
through what’s in store this winter.
What were some of your best memories
from Sochi? Besides the obvious medal-
winning moment, of course!
JJ: The opening ceremony was
awesome. I was really excited by this
as it is quite a major part of the Games,
and we potentially weren’t going to
be able to attend as our training day
was the next day. However, the Team
GB organisers made it happen for
which we were so grateful. It was such
a cool experience walking into this
huge stadium with fellow members of
the team from all of the winter sports
and seeing all the crowds of support.
It really felt like a special moment and
brought home to me that whatever
happened in that following week, I had
made it this far and should be proud
of that.
How has life been since the Games?
JJ: The following 4 months were a
total roller-coaster. It was an amazing
but quite a crazy experience – lots
of TV appearances and meeting tons
of new people both in front of the
TV and behind the scenes, as well
as very accomplished athletes from
other sports. Visiting lots of schools
and meeting children who had been
inspired by the slopestyle at the
Games was awesome.
What are some of the crazier things
you’ve been asked to get involved in
since the Games?
JJ: Racing around a track on mini
motorbikes with James Corden and
co. on A League of Their Own. I was
also asked to cook on MasterChef,
which I politely declined as cooking is
not my forte!
What are your career plans for the
next year or so? Are you still looking
to compete?
JJ: I hope to enjoy a winter of riding
powder and collecting some nice
action shots and a few video clips. I
also will still do some competitions,
but not as many as the past few years.
Although the Olympics has come
026 // SNOW CAMP MAG 2015
and gone it doesn’t mean I want to
suddenly finish, as snowboarding is so
much more than the Olympics.
We’re delighted to have you involved
as a Patron. How long have you been
a supporter of Snow-Camp?
JJ: I have been a supporter of
Snow-Camp for around 5 years so far,
and have enjoyed seeing the charity
develop and expand its fantastic work.
As a snowboarder I love the way
Snow-Camp uses my sport to support
young people who wouldn’t ever get
the chance to get involved in snow
sports – and beyond that, to enable
them to gain access to employment in
the snow-sports industry. It is a great
vehicle for developing confidence
and life experiences, showing that life
has a lot to offer and it’s theirs for the
taking; you have the ability to go out
there and be successful.
What do you hope to bring to the
charity in your role as Patron?
JJ: I’m stoked to be coming on
board as a Patron at this key time
in the charity’s life, as the Snow-
Camp team seek to expand their
programmes to other cities in the
UK. I hope I can play a positive role
in this next phase, as I am committed
to seeing positive opportunities
for young people in snow sports,
especially after snowboarding was
given such a great platform at the
recent Winter Olympics. In my new
role as Patron, I’m looking forward
to working with Snow-Camp to make
this happen!
We heard you were keen to get a
Snow-Camp Bristol off the ground –
why is that important to you?
JJ: This is massively important to
me as I can see how Snow-Camp has
been such a positive influence on
those in London and Glasgow, and I
think it could do the same thing for
young people in Bristol. We have some
great dry-slope facilities nearby, and
it will be great to introduce young
people to snowboarding and also grow
participation in sport in Bristol.
Any advice for the young people that
Snow-Camp support?
JJ: Above all else, enjoy every
second you’re on the snow! Snow
sports offer so much more than just
a sport. Snowboarding for me is a
lifestyle choice, and the industry is so
well connected in the UK that there’s
so much to offer young people just
getting into the sport in terms of job
opportunities and courses to help with
personal growth. Enjoy every second!
SNOW CAMP MAG 2015 // 027
#loveskiingfollow us on
www.ellis-brigham.comwww.snowboard-asylum.com
Snow Camp 80 x 170 Landscape:Layout 1 25/9/14 11:54 Page 1
028 // SNOW CAMP MAG 2015
SNOW CAMP MAG 2015 // 029
Jamie Barrow has recently been inspiring rounds of young people coming through the Snow-Camp London programmes. We caught up with Jamie to chat about his life in the fast lane.
How did you get into your specialism of
being Britain’s fastest snowboarder?
JB: After I had a very serious
back injury during a boardercross
competition, I had to unfortunately
drop out of the British team. The
doctors told me that I would not be
able to snowboard again, which was
devastating to me. After a few weeks
of not being allowed to do anything
I decided I wanted to find a way that
I could go back to doing what I love,
and push myself to a high level. I
therefore decided I would set the
British snowboard speed record. The
reason for this was that all I would be
doing is going straight down a smooth
track and it was only going to last 20
seconds or so. I knew it was going
to be painful but as it was over such
a short period of time I knew I could
put up with the pain. So, in April 2013,
I went and set the British snowboard
speed record of 151.6kph (94.2mph).
After this I was hooked and wanted to
find other ways of pushing myself and
to prove that despite what the doctors
said I am still able to do it, even if I am
in a bit of pain.
What have you been up to recently?
JB: In January 2014 I went to the
frozen lake in St Moritz, Switzerland,
to test out some electric jet engines
to see how fast we could go with
them. No one had ever tried it on a
snowboard, but I wanted to give it a
go. We set a speed of 80.6kph, which
was very impressive coming from just
electric-powered fans.
During the downtime, I also broke the
world record for begin towed behind a
vehicle. With the one and only run we
did we set a speed of 111kph.
Most recently over the summer I have
been training a lot in the gym and
having physiotherapy to strengthen
up my back to be in the best possible
shape I can be for my future stunts.
We hear you’re planning to be towed
behind a plane! Are the rumours true?
JB: Yes, the rumours are true. I will be
towed on my snowboard by a plane
towards the end of January. The plan is
to have a wakeboard-like rope attached
to the plane and I’ll hold onto it as it takes
off and until it needs to fly away. No one
has ever tried it before on a snowboard,
but I am sure it will be good fun.
What do you do when you’re not
breaking new records?
JB: When I’m not breaking records,
as well as working with Snow-Camp,
I work as an Athlete Mentor with
Sky Sports Living For Sport. I go into
schools all round the UK telling them
my story, showing them my stunts and
working with them to increase their
confidence and do what they love. I
love what I do as it allows me to inspire
the younger generation.
What appealed to you about
becoming involved in Snow-Camp?
JB: I chose to support Snow-Camp as
snowboarding changed my life, and
the London Programme uses skiing
and snowboarding to help change the
lives of other young people. Being only
22 myself and the achievements I have
made, I will hopefully be able to inspire
the kids to push themselves in the
sport and in their career.
What’s in store for you for the
2014/15 winter season?
JB: This year is going to be a busy
one for me, as on top of being towed
behind a plane I am hopefully going to
be breaking the British record again
and will hopefully break the 100mph
barrier. As well as this I am hoping to
do another video with the jet engines
showing what you can do with them,
for example riding powder and even
going up-hill to access new areas. I will
also be continuously trying to find new
ways of pushing myself.
And lastly, what tips would you give
to the young people coming through
Snow-Camp’s programmes?
JB: The tip I would give to young
people coming through the Snow-
Camp programme is stick at it.
Snowboarding and skiing I find is the
most fun sport out there, and to be part
of it is truly amazing. It’s not all as easy
going as it may seem, there will be
hurdles in your way, but if you love it
and stick at it you won’t regret it.
The jet engine record attempt was
carefully planned for months after
Jamie was contacted by Adam
Contoret from DreamScience, the
inventor of the jet engines. Adam had
seen videos of Jamie’s previous speed
records and thought Jamie would be
the ideal person to test the jet engines
out to their full potential.
“When I first came up with the idea for
the jets I knew Jamie would be perfect
for testing it out, and we had to find out
how fast someone could go with them,”
said Adam. “There are still further
developments that I can do to improve
them moving forward, and they can
then be used for other sports. Perhaps
we could even start a new sport!”
“I’m really happy with how it went. We
were aiming to hit 80kph with the jet
pack so it was great to achieve that,”
said Jamie. “Everything was perfect on
the day. The weather was very cold but
clear first thing in the morning, which
helps as it makes the snow faster and
keeps the jet engines cool.”
Jamie’s efforts are supported by relevant
sponsors including Delazify, who
manufacture a recently released snow
sports wristop which can tell you where
and when you are on the mountain.
“When Jamie first floated the idea of
him being strapped to a jet engine to
go snowboarding, I had to be involved.
As Britain’s fastest snowboarder
he was the perfect person for the
challenge and it was the most
extreme test yet for our new Yeti
GPS Snowsports Wristop,” said Arron
Duddin, Co-Founder of Delazify.
While waiting for the electric jet engine
batteries to recharge, Jamie mentioned
that there was a world record for being
towed by a vehicle. Christiano Luminati,
head of pisting in St Moritz, said he had
a Mitsubishi Evo that he could use to
tow Jamie with. Within a few minutes,
they had tied a rope to the back of
the car and had given it a go. Jamie
reached a top speed of 111.8kph on the
first and only run.
JETPOWERSNOWBOARDSPEEDRECORDS
Snow-Camp ambassador Jamie Barrow ( jamiebarrow.com), Britain’s fastest snowboarder, set his most recent record for the fastest speed on a snowboard while being propelled by electric jet engines (as you do) on the picturesque frozen lake at St Moritz in January.
030 // SNOW CAMP MAG 2015
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Morzine is one of the top resorts
in the Alps for a reason. It is one of
the longest-established resorts in
the French Alps, and it sits at the
very heart of the giant Portes du
Soleil region which brings together
a dozen ski centres on each side of
the French/Swiss border, all on one
lift pass. For Brits it’s also one of the
easiest resorts to reach from the
Channel or from Geneva.
Morzine’s skiing is spread across two
similar-sized sectors which together
offer almost 300km (nearly 200m)
of trails served by nearly 100 lifts.
The first area links the resort over
to neighbouring Les Gets on the
slopes of Mount Ranfolly, between
the two villages. The trails here are
largely easy or intermediate level,
down through the densely forested
slopes. The second sector consists of
Super Morzine and Avoriaz. Rising to
2466m, it is known for its long slopes
and areas of splendid isolation. Two
new high-speed chairlifts have been
installed in this sector ready for the
coming season making getting up the
slopes faster still.
Rich in French ambience, with
traditional chalet-style architecture,
Morzine has a great selection of
accommodation, with nearly 50 hotels,
and a reputation for excellent dining in
its many restaurants along with great
après-ski and partying. At the end of a
day on the slopes, the terraces fill with
party people kicking back with a glass
of vin chaud while the resident DJs
provide a killer soundtrack!
The resort’s “Paradis” après-ski bar and
club will be reborn this winter under
the new ownership of Rude Chalets,
promising rockin’ après-ski parties with
live bands and Ibiza-anthem-style club
032 // SNOW CAMP MAG 2015
THE HEART OF THE ALPS
SNOW CAMP MAG 2015 // 033
nights with resident DJs. The Paradis
club with its legendary boogie nights
dance floor has a colourful history, as
it was previously run by a 70-year-old
lady who made her fortune dancing in
the Moulin Rouge!
Not Just Skiing And Boarding
There’s plenty to do off the slopes.
Tobogganing takes place in the
evening, once the skiers have
deserted the pistes. Participants
head to the summit of the Pleney
gondola equipped with toboggans and
headlamps, and set off down a thrilling
descent across
the pistes.
Or you can try
ski-joëring –
when you’re
towed behind a
horse on your
skis (don’t worry,
they don’t go
that fast). There
are two courses
for adults, one
from Morzine to Dérêches, the other on
the plateau of Seraussaix.
Ice diving at the third biggest lake in
Haute-Savoie
(after Lac
Leman and
Lake Annecy)
is a novel
experience in
an exceptional
spot with
a stunning
landscape – or
for a more
leisurely pace,
Mobilboard Morzine is a Segway tours
centre that offers winter tours on the
famous two-wheeled machines.
NewChocolate Boutique
This winter Morzine will open a chocolate boutique promising chocolatey aromas which will waft into the street. Eric, the master chocolatier who will be running this new attraction, says that the quality and tradition of his products is of the utmost importance. All of his ingredients are sourced from fair-trade-producing artisans, and everything is hand-made in-house. In short, it will be a paradise for chocolate lovers and foodies in general! For children aged five and over, Eric will run two workshops in his shop. The first will allow children to see him in action and taste his chocolates; the other will teach them about the process of making chocolate, and how to become a master chocolatier themselves. They will even have the chance to leave with what they’ve made.
SNOW-CAMPALPINE CHALLENGE
For over 6 years now, Snow-Camp
have been setting the Portes du Soleil
ski area alight with our unique 2-day
Alpine Challenge endurance event
designed to give your team a skiing
and snowboarding experience you will
never forget!
Held in Morzine each year, the event
challenges your team of four riders to
clock up 150km+ of GPS-tracked skiing
or boarding over 2 non-stop days
across the 15 resorts of the massive
Portes du Soleil ski area, navigating
to 25 checkpoints across each of the
15 ski resorts! The team that clocks up
the most kilometres and successfully
visits the most checkpoints wins! It’s all
about strategy, stamina, teamwork and
good fun!
With over 80 participants last year, the
2014 challenge broke record distances
and raised over £40,000 for Snow-
Camp’s work which meant Snow-
Camp were able to employ five young
people through the Apprenticeship
Programme for a full year – training
them for future employment across the
snow-sports industry at the end of their
Apprenticeship.
Snow-Camp Director, Dan Charlish,
said, “This unique event has been
a huge success year-on-year. We
added even more checkpoints last
year, and on top of the mountain
hike, a sledge relay ensured the 2014
Challenge was the toughest yet! As
always, the atmosphere was fantastic
with all the teams enjoying the level
of competition and experience of
navigating around 15 resorts and
hundreds of kilometres of pistes.”
The Alpine Challenge returns on 12–15
March 2015, and this year is benefiting
from our new partnership with Ski
Weekends. This means that for the
first time, we are able to offer a range
of flight, hotel and transfer options to
suit everyone – making it as easy as
possible for you to attend.
To find out more about this year’s
Alpine Challenge, and to register
your team, head on over to www.
snowcamp.org.uk/alpinechallenge.
VIRGINKITESURFING ARMADA
On 15 September 2013 the first ever
Virgin Kitesurfing Armada (VKSA) set
a new world record for the “Largest
Parade of Kitesurfers” ever, with 318
kitesurfers – including Sir Richard
Branson himself – completing the
mile course at Hayling Island on
the south coast. After setting the
record, kitesurfers set off on an epic
downwinder from Hayling Island to
Lancing 46 miles away, to raise as
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much money for Snow-Camp, the RNLI
and Virgin Unite as possible! The event
raised over £70,000 for charity, an
unbelievable result for the first attempt!
With the successful format now in place,
the VKSA is reaching for new heights
from 2014 and beyond. With more riders
set to break the world record once
again plus an action-packed weekend
festival of kitesurfing now set to take
place every year, the event offers
music, entertainment, international kite
brands exhibiting the latest gear, pro
kiter Q & A sessions, a big screen with
live tracking of the kitesurfing and kite
movie screenings, pro kiter demos,
taster sessions, a family area and on-site
camping facilities.
The Virgin Kitesurfing Armada aims
to bring together the kitesurfing
community to ride together, raise funds
for a range of charities including Snow-
Camp and positively promote the
amazing sport of kitesurfing. Already
an international event with a second
world record in the bag set in Tarifa
(Spain) in August 2014, we want to see
Kitesurfing Armadas running in other
locations around the globe – get in
touch if you can help, and see you at
the next Armada!
For more info, check out www.
kitesurfingarmada.org.uk.
SNOW-CAMPRALLY
Have you ever thought about
completing an epic road trip to ski or
board the five indoor snow centres
in England in a full-on 12 hours … for
FREE?! Here’s your chance!
Described by Ed Leigh as “the closest
thing you’ll get to the Gumball Rally in
the UK”, the Snow-Camp Rally returns
once again in 2015, and this year it’s
going to be bigger and better than
ever! With a whole heap of snow-
sports prizes to be won, plus the
chance to attend the official après-ski-
themed after-party as part of the event,
you don’t want to miss this!
With almost 350 miles of tarmac standing
in your way, five slopes to ride in total
and 30 minutes maximum at each slope
to ride as many runs as possible (totalling
up to 2 hrs 30 mins of FREE slope time),
this is no easy challenge!
All five of the country’s indoor snow
centres took part in 2013 with teams
having the Hemel Snow Centre slope
to themselves at the crack of dawn,
before moving on to Snozone MK,
Snozone Castleford, Chill Factore
Manchester and finishing at The
Snowdome Tamworth where prizes
and awards were given out.
The Rally is open to any teams of four
who fancy taking on the challenge.
Check out www.snow-camp.org.uk/
rally for more info.
This winter season, Snow-Camp are
seeking the support of thousands of
passionate skiers and snowboarders
to create history by being part of
the biggest snow-sports event ever
launched – The Ski 2 the Moon
Challenge!
The challenge is unique in that
wherever you are skiing or
snowboarding in the world, you can
set yourself a personal goal and join
in. From Swadlincote Ski Slope to
the Swiss Alps, from the Andes to
the Antarctic, from Hintertux to the
Himalayan foothills – the Ski 2 the
Moon App enables everyone with
access to a smartphone to participate
in the challenge. Every mile you ski is
tracked by the app and then combined
with everybody else’s miles in pursuit
of our target – the Moon – 240,000
miles away.
Snow-Camp Director Dan Charlish
said, “Over the years we have
developed a number of snow-sports
events at Snow-Camp, such as the
Alpine Challenge and the Snow-Camp
Rally, which are great fun and have
helped raise some fantastic funds for
our work. However, these events will
always be limited to a set location,
on certain dates and with specified
targets – all of which restricts people
getting involved. We were inspired by
the
ethos
around
Movember – that
wherever you are in
the world you can grow a
moustache, raise some funds and
support a charity. Fun, simple, genius.”
Snow-Camp developed the Ski 2 the
Moon idea after approaching Core
Coders, the developers of the popular
Ski Tracks app now used by over 1.4
million skiers and snowboarders.
Charlish said, “I use Ski Tracks a
lot, and was wondering about the
possibilities of using apps as a way of
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enabling large numbers of people to
join in a huge snow-sports challenge,
wherever they were skiing. We wrote
to the developers, explained the idea,
and asked them if it was possible to
deliver an app of this kind, utilising
their GPS tracking technology. They
wrote back the same day saying they
loved the concept and their office
happened to be 5 minutes down the
road from Snow-Camp! They could
have been anywhere in the world – I
started thinking this was meant to be.”
The Ski 2 the Moon app is free to
download and available to everyone
with a smartphone. The concept is
simple: you download the app
before you go skiing, you
set your own personal ski
target in miles / kilometres
and the timeframe you are
giving yourself to achieve this
distance. When you want to start
your challenge, you hit “Go” and the
app starts to track your skiing – and
your miles start helping towards the
collective goal of reaching the Moon.
“What I like about the idea is it
can engage everyone who skis or
snowboards, whatever their level,”
says Charlish. “If you are out in Les 2
Alpes for a week with your mates –
set a 200-mile target and do it over
a week. If you are spending a day
at Chatham Snow Centre – go for
20 miles in a day. If you are doing a
season in Whistler – set a target of
3000 miles skiing and a timeframe of
the whole season. But the key is that
the event brings everyone together
to achieve one shared goal – and we
hope the snow-sports community will
get behind the idea.
Being powered by Ski Tracks, the Ski 2
the Moon app will provide participants
with the very best Ski Tracks features
in terms of measuring your speed, total
distance, vertical drop and providing
GPS tracking which maps your route
on Google Maps.
It will also be fun! The team have
developed cartoon characters Jenny
(a lady hare) and James (a cool
tortoise), named after Olympians
Jenny Jones and James Woods, which
pop up at various times during your
challenge, encouraging you to keep
going, congratulating you on reaching
milestones towards your target or
awarding various other achievements.
There will be a range of awards and
cups to collect as part of the app which
keeps it really interactive, and of course
everything is easily sharable across all
social media, helping spread awareness
to other snow-sports enthusiasts.
Alongside the Hare and the Tortoise,
other graphics within the app enable
participants to see their own personal
contribution towards the Moon
target and also the live
ongoing
progress
of the
whole event as
each combined mile skied by
participants around the world
is recorded – shown on
a “totaliser” screen
alongside an
animated
rocket
making its
way from Earth
to the Moon 240,000
miles away.
The app is free, but as a charity event
everyone will also get a prepopulated
Just Giving page for their personal Ski
2 the Moon challenge, which they can
easily share with friends and family.
All funds raised are going directly to
support Snow-Camp’s work with inner-
city young people.
“This event could make a massive
difference. If we can get thousands
of people involved, Ski 2 the Moon
could be a huge support in achieving
our vision of expanding Snow-Camp’s
work to support young people in cities
across the UK,” said Charlish.
The event begins on the 20th December
2014 and will continue until the end of the
season – or until we reach the Moon!
To find out more and to
download the app, check out
www.ski2themoon.com.
Thanks to: Gompels
HealthCare Ltd
For many winter-sports fans, the
question of whether there is water
anywhere in our galaxy or beyond to
sustain life comes secondary to the
deeper question – is there water that
can sustain snow?
Over the decades as NASA has sent
ever more probes closer to our solar
system’s planets and their moons, and
while Virgin Galactic have moved ever
closer to developing space tourism, the
hopes that one day we will be skiing
and snowboarding on other worlds
have moved ever closer to reality.
SNOW ON MARS
Early in 2000 space scientists reported
on the first signs of “Martian snowfall
and avalanches” after studying images
from the Mars Orbiter’s cameras. The
spacecraft’s images showed what
appeared to be avalanches on crater
lips – leading space snowfall experts
to speculate that Martians may risk
skiing and boarding off-piste on a
regular basis.
The data shows that as the planet
warms up in the morning, thin clouds
are formed and liquid taken from the
ice caps falls back to Mars as frost or
snow. “This is clearly evidence that it
snows on Mars,” said David Smith, a
researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space
Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Further spacecraft have added to the
weight of evidence that Mars will make
a great ski destination. The fact that
its highest peak, Olympus Mons, at
nearly 22km high, is more than five
times bigger than Everest means the
long trip there should be worth it for
the skiable vertical alone, and the low
gravity also means that it will be much
easier to get really big air.
However, such plans may be
considered fanciful by mainstream
scientists who instead highlight the best
powder stashes on planets and moons
further away from the sun than we are.
The following are some of the best bets
this season.
JUPITER’S MOONS
Although Jupiter itself has a gassy
surface, you’d sink through faster
than Utah powder, and several of the
planet’s moons seem to be a very
good bet for some sort of futuristic
winter sports. In April 1999 the Hubble
Space Telescope helped confirm that
volcanoes on Jupiter’s moon Io spew
plumes of “sulphur-dioxide snow” into
space at incredible speeds – putting
even the most advanced snowmaking
systems on earth to shame with their
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SNOW CAMP MAG 2015 // 039
30-miles-a-minute output speed.
The telescope photographed Io’s
volcano Pillan ejecting a hot plume
of sulphur dioxide – about 2,240oF –
into space. The scorching gas cools
quickly in the chilly emptiness of
space, freezing into snow, researchers
believe. Images showed sulphur-
dioxide “snow” in green, whilst
sulphur-dioxide frost is a nice shade of
blue when recorded as an ultraviolet
image (light you can’t see with your
own eyes).
“Other observations have inferred
sulphur-dioxide ‘snow’ in Io’s
plumes, but this image offers direct
observational evidence for sulphur-
dioxide ‘snow’ in a Io plume,” said John
R. Spencer of Lowell Observatory in
Flagstaff, Arizona.
Another moon, Europa, is seen as one
of the few other bodies in our solar
system that could sustain winter sports.
Similar in size to our own moon, Europa
seems to contain a vast ocean of ice or
liquid (depending on which scientific
theory you believe) beneath its cloud-
covered surface.
Europa has a surface temperature of
-260° F so probably a one-piece suit
would be best rather than jacket and
ski trousers, for maximum insulation.
Whilst some scientists believe Europa
is a deep freeze, others theorise that
warmth generated by Jupiter’s tug on
its inner core could turn the frozen
material to liquid. It’s possible both
are half right and that it’s actually
covered in snow.
If NASA’s proposed Europa Ice
Clipper probe, or the European Space
Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer,
ever get off the ground (literally), we
could have the answer, including
hopefully the first upper- and lower-
slope snow-depth reports. NASA’s
project envisages a “Hydro Bot” being
dropped on to the surface of Europa
to report these vital facts, along with
details about primitive life which might
be encouraged to evolve and join us
on Europa’s virgin slopes.
Ganymede is the largest moon in the
solar system, bigger than Mercury or
Pluto and with distinct North and South
Pole ice caps, so it’s another promising
choice; definitely worth scheduling
a day out of your 6-day multi-space-
ski-resort Jupiter lift pass, even if
you spend most of the week in your
slopeside condo on Europa.
SATURN’S MOONS
Saturn has those cool rings which
would obviously be great for cosmic
figures liked the Silver Surfer to ride on.
But sadly such characters are
just fantasy, and Saturn
itself probably wouldn’t be a good base
for a ski centre.
However, once again the planet’s
moons do look ripe for a resort village
development – no doubt taking into
consideration the history, local culture
and natural light on a moon like Titan,
Saturn’s biggest and the solar system’s
second largest.
Titan, a place that excites space
scientists because it “has atmosphere”,
was visited first by Voyager then by the
Cassini Orbiter which landed a probe
on Titan in 2004 that sent back a few
pictures of some unexciting-looking
rocks before it broke.
However, back in 1994, a group of
scientists working with the Hubble
Space Telescope first noticed a
“bright spot” on the moon which
they calculate is “about the size of
Australia”. Their “best guess” for this
phenomenon is that it’s actually a vast
range of ice mountains, and who are
we to argue?
“My favoured picture of Titan’s surface
is an exotic place with methane-snow-
covered mountains, a few hydrocarbon
lakes, lots of water-ice chunks and some
rocks,” said one
scientist.
“There
is a lot of water
ice on Titan, and at minus 298 degrees
Fahrenheit, ice is as strong as granite
– so you can make big mountains out
of it,” he continued enthusiastically.
Snow-Camp are committed to bringing
our unique programmes to even more
young inner-city people, working with
individuals and corporate partners
who are passionate about social
responsibility and supporting the team
to achieving this goal.
Whether you’re an individual looking to
get involved in our unique fundraising
events (or indeed a fundraising event
of your own) or an organisation who
can offer a company-wide commitment
to fundraising, cause-related
marketing, sponsoring Snow-Camp
programmes and events or something
different altogether, we will put your
requirements and objectives at the
heart of the partnership.
In the first instance we are looking to
open a dialogue with yourselves so
that we can learn a bit more about you
or your organisation and your CSR
objectives, with a view to establishing
a meaningful and lasting relationship
that delivers your goals and helps us to
help more young inner-city people. The
five key areas that we are particularly
keen to explore, developing on existing
partnerships with a wide range of
individuals and organisations, are:
1. Do you have a dedicated charity
partner/charity of the year and would
you consider Snow-Camp?
2. Could there be possibilities to
explore offering bespoke auction items
for Snow-Camp’s future fundraising
events in return for an agreed
sponsorship package?
3. Could your staff get involved in Snow-
Camp’s Alpine Challenge endurance
fundraising event held in Morzine each
year? Or the Ski 2 the Moon event? The
Snow-Camp Rally? Or indeed an event of
your own? We’re behind you all the way!
4. Would there be opportunities to offer
cause-related marketing through your
in-house channels?
5. Would you be able to support Snow-
Camp’s young people either through
the bursary programme or offering work
experience to Snow-Camp’s apprentices?
We are really flexible about how we
work with individuals and companies
and would love to discuss any ideas you
may have for a potential partnership.
Thank you for considering to support
our work and please do not hesitate
to call the team on 01273 241383 or
email [email protected].
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Well-maintained kit makes your
skiing or boarding easier, less tiring
and lots more fun.
Maintaining your kit is very simple
and can save money.
DataWax (www.datawax.com)
supplies all the products you need
and has a helpful and detailed
“How To” section (written by Snow-
Camp patron and British Champion
Dougie Crawford) to help make it
straightforward for you to service
your equipment.
Sharp edges make it easier to grip
while skiing or boarding. This is
especially important for difficult
conditions like hard snow or ice;
however, whatever the conditions,
sharp edges are always helpful for
enjoyable, safe, effective skiing
or boarding. A 90o angle is sharp
enough for almost all conditions
and stays sharp for a long time. If
it’s really hard snow or you need
extra grip, then go for 88o – it’s
sharper, but won’t last as long.
Waxing is easy. “Rub-on” wax is
good but it is always best to iron
on a wax. Universal wax is great
for most conditions, although
there are many different specialist
waxes for different conditions. Use
a waxing iron (you can’t use it on
clothes afterwards!). Gently drip the
wax onto the base and then iron it
smooth. Once it has cooled (wait
at least 30 minutes) scrape off the
excess wax – remember, it is the
wax IN the base that is important.
That is it – you are set to go!
DataWax stock starter kits
containing all the equipment you
need to maintain your gear.
Use DataWax products to keep
your gear in top condition,
extending its life and making
your skiing or snowboarding
manoeuvres easier, safer, more
effective and more fun.
www.datawax.com
Why Wax & Edge Your Skis or SNOWBoard?
0800 0664 996La Plagne • Les Arcs • Tigneswww.snowchateaux.co.uk
Visit our website for special
offers
“One of the top 5 places to stay”
Proud sponsor of:
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
snow-camp advert 2014 60x240.pdf 1 08/10/2014 17:47
The Snow-Camp team, based in Hove, East Sussex, will be delighted to hear from
you if you feel you can support our work. Please feel free to call us anytime on 01273
241383 or catch us on the email addresses below:
T H E
T E A M
DAN CHARLISH DIRECTOR & FOUNDER
LARA KINNEARPROGRAMME DIRECTOR
GAVIN HANMERASST PROGRAMME [email protected]
RACHEL CRUZTRUSTS & FUNDRAISING MANAGER
DAN KEELEYSNOWSPORTS COMMUNITY
JULIA FEESSPROJECT & EVENTS ASSISTANT
WILL FERGUSON-SMITHSCOTLAND PROJECT MANAGER
THE SNOW-CAMP TRUSTEES
ALAN GRANT, WILLIAM MICHIE, DOMINIC DE TERVILLE, CAROLINE STUART-TAYLOR, CHRIS WALSH, CLAIRE PEARSON, IAN FINLAY, DOUGLAS MCKENZIE AND YOUTH TRUSTEES LAYAL TAWFIEG AND AARON MINTO.
SNOW-CAMP’S 2014/15 APPRENTICES ARE:
JONJOE BOULTER, DEANA IRWIN, WESLEY MONTEIRO, JASMINE JONES, NADIR CHENTOUFI
042 // SNOW CAMP MAG 2015
SUPPORTING BRITISH SKIERS AND SNOWBOARDERS
HOW CAN WE HELP?By offering skiers and snowboarders Grants and by providing a Bespoke Fund System for sponsors.
www.skierstrust.co.uk 00 44 (0)208 123 2307
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