Mainstage Festivals specialise in providing huge music events in scenic locations.  They are known for Snowboxx and Elevations, both 5000 person festivals in the breathtaking ski resort of Avoriaz in the French Alps and Snowboxx New Zealand, its counterpart on the Southern Hemisphere.

With social distancing measures in place to combat the coronavirus pandemic, Mainstage are being innovative by changing tack to deliver outstanding outdoor movie experiences in the form of several drive-in big screen events.

@TheDriveIn events will range from comedy and bingo and silent car discos, ahead of a film you can listen to on your car radio.

Running for 12 weeks, across 11 cities, @TheDriveIn will begin in South London on July 2 before travelling to Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, Bristol, Southampton, Brighton and finishing in East London on September 20. Each location will host six screenings.

Visitors will be able to comply with social distancing rules form inside your car while ordering from a food delivery app to get American style snacks served by staff on roller skates.

Alan Crofton, organiser of @TheDriveIn, said: “We are incredibly excited to bring our modern day version on the classic drive in to the UK this summer. Expect a myriad of entertainment from comedy to silent car discos to delicious American-style food delivered directly to your cars ahead of watching your favourite film. Our aim for @TheDriveIn is to be an experience that brings real joy this summer and the perfect antidote to a post-lockdown world, and we promise to deliver it within a safe yet fun environment.”

Tickets start from £35 per car and go on sale from Wednesday 27th May 2020.

Full list of @TheDriveIn Screenings

London, South: 2nd – 5th July
Birmingham: 9th – 12th July
Manchester: 16th – 19th July
Newcastle: 23rd – 26th July
Edinburgh: 30th July – 2nd August
Glasgow: 6th – 9th August
Liverpool: 13th – 16th August
Cardiff: 20th – 23rd August
Bristol: 27th – 30th August
Southampton: 3rd – 6th September
Brighton: 10th – 13th September
London, East: 17th – 20th September

Find out more about setting up your own outdoor movie screening

The post Festival Organiser Pivots to Provide Drive-in Experiences appeared first on Active Outdoors.

Ever wanted to have a go at skiing or snowboarding but only wanted to pay an affordable amount for a taster?  Well now you can.

 Snowsport England’s early season participation initiative, 30 Days of Snowsport returns for its sixth year as it again aims to get thousands of people trying snowsports across the country.

www.goskigoboard.org.uk/30-days-of-snowsport-2019

In 2018 almost 8500 people engaged in snowsports during 30 Days of Snowsport, many of them complete beginners trying skiing or snowboarding for the first time. For 2019, the initiative returns to indoor and dry slopes up and down the country, running from Tuesday 1^st October to Wednesday 30^th October 2019. 

Many slopes will be offering free or discounted sessions during 30 Days of Snowsport, encouraging as many people as possible to give snowsports a go and aiming to break down barriers to the sport. 

For complete beginners there are ski and snowboard taster sessions throughout October at the Chill Factore in Manchester, SnowDome in Tamworth and at Norfolk Snowsports Club.The RT Ski Club at Silksworth Ski & Snowboard Centre will be offering FREE taster sessions to young people every Thursday throughout October. 

On the 5^th October the North Staffordshire Ski Club will be running a Taster Day where people can try skiing or snowboarding for FREE all day. Similarly the two Open Days at Plymouth Snowsport Centre on the 5^th and 6^th October and at Pendle Ski Club on 6^thOctober, where Dave Ryding learnt to ski, are both completely FREE to everyone. 

There are also several opportunities to try rollerskiing during 30 Days of Snowsport, including 1-day learn to rollerski courses at Dorney Lake near Windsor and Redbridge Cycle Circuit in Essex. A full listing of all sessions and activities can be found on www.goskigoboard.org.uk/30-days-of-snowsport-2019.

Tim Fawke, Chief Executive of Snowsport England said: “We are delighted that our 30 Days of Snowsport campaign continues to go from strength to strength, bringing new people into snowsports for the last five years. This year we are working with our slopes and clubs to offer even more sessions so everyone can get excited for the upcoming winter season.

“30 Days of Snowsport is for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re a complete beginner or whether you’ve been skiing before there will be a session available for you. Whether you’re young or old, male or female; our clubs and facilities will aim to cater for everyone.”

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As well as taster sessions and open days, 30 Days of Snowsport events include races and freestyle events. This includes the National Schools Open Dry Slope Championships on the 13th and 14th of October hosted by the National Schools Snowsport Association. 

The 30 Days of Snowsport initiative is part of a series of Snowsport England initiatives aimed at getting more people into skiing and snowboarding. GO SKI GO BOARD (www.goskigoboard.org.uk) continues to be the hub of everything to do with getting into snowsports. The website includes a guide on getting into skiing and snowboarding, a slope map, a club & activity finder and information on getting into competitive snowsports. 

If you want to get involved or become a partner in any of Snowsport England’s initiatives, contact Luke Williams luke@snowsportengland.org.uk.   

The post Thousands of people to try skiing or snowboarding this October appeared first on Active Outdoors.

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3,250 participants aged 4 to 89, 27 nationalities, 30 different brands, 5,600 tests… The figures speak for themselves and show the success of the inaugural edition of the Verbier E-Bike Festival. The date for the second edition is already scheduled for the 13^th– 16^thAugust 2020.

A similar concept with many new features

If it’s not broken don’t fix it! The basis of the program will stay the same: E-bike Tests, the Rando Gourmande, the Discovery Trails, the E-Tour du Val de Bagnes and the E-Tour du Mont-Blanc (12^th-14^thAugust with the final day streamed live) will all be on the menu to celebrate e-bikes in all their forms: from E-MTB to E-Road via E-Gravel. There will be plenty of events in the exhibition village and a Kids Race to complete the picture. 

As far as new additions go: there will be even more bike brands on test! Furthermore, the Discovery Trails will include new routes. The Rando Gourmande will take you on a trip to discover new gourmet tastes and places. Finally, the E-Tour du Val de Bagnes will offer the choice of a 50km route that requires only 1 battery.  

Registrations are now open, the 100 first people to register will benefit from a 50% discount! 

For more information and to register head to: www.verbierebikefestival.com

The post The Verbier E-Bike Festival announces its second edition from the 13th– 16th August 2020 appeared first on Active Outdoors.

Skills – Strength: 6, Balance: 6, Flexibility: 6, Agility: 6, Coordination: 6
Time needed: 1 hour, Cost to try: Free or minimal cost.

The basis of an obstacle course is to create a physical challenge where you have to use strength, agility and often brains to get past the obstacles in your path.

Sometimes competing against the clock, sometimes as a team, obstacle courses come in many forms. They range from the sack races at a school sports day, to something big like Total Wipeout on the TV. The military use assault courses to test the ability and endurance of personnel. Army assault courses have gained notoriety with the public, especially the Royal Marines assault course with its notorious Sheep Dip, and consequently events such as the Tough Mudder, and the Dirty Dash have become great events to take part in.

Obstacle Course Races

Obstacle course races such as the Tough Mudder have events organised all over the world. Every obstacle course race has a new type of obstacle created that will encourage obstacle course race teams to enter. Fire, water, mud, crawling under barbed wire, swimming and lots of thoroughly exhausting challenges await you.

You will need to train hard to be in with a chance to successfully complete the Tough Mudder or Spartan Run. Some competitors are so dedicated they even have special Tough Mudder running clothing. Basically, you want to be wearing something that will cope with lots of wet mud and freezing cold temperatures.

Every year, the Royal Marines open up the Royal Marine training course at Woodbury Common, Exeter in Devon to anyone over 16.

In early October, there is the 4km fun run through the obstacles on the Royal Marine Training Course. This includes the infamous Sheep Dip, where you go fully submerged through a muddy tunnel full of water. There is also the 10km Marine Challenge, which still has the obstacles, but includes road runs.

How to Make Your Own Obstacle Course

An obstacle course is a challenging outdoor personal development and team building activity which usually consists of high and or low elements. Low elements take place on the ground or only a few feet above the ground. And yes, you guessed it high elements can be constructed in trees and require a belay for safety.

Depending on your own skill, qualifications and experience, you can be quite adventurous with the obstacle course you create. If you are going to include some higher elements, you will need to consider whether climbing harnesses and belay equipment is needed. Safety first.

Belay systems are used to secure climbers on the higher parts of the course as you move through the course. This means that you have to explore the fundamentals of trust, craftsmanship, and coaching. The lower parts of the course are most often designed to explore group interaction, problem-solving, and leadership.

For the most part, you can create some great obstacles on the ground. Tyres spread on the ground to hop from one to the next, tunnels, poles to jump over or crawl under.

If it is summer, a water slide is usually a great way to end. You will need a long sheet of tarpaulin, a slight slope, and some way of keeping the tarp wet. Usually, you can do this with a hosepipe.

Modern adventure courses meet a number of educational, developmental, and recreational goals by focusing on personal achievements and ask participants to confront their personal fears and anxieties. Challenges are usually physical and or emotional – although not too emotional I hope!

If you don’t have the resources or time to create your own obstacle course and want to try one, then why not pay a visit to one of the many outdoor obstacle courses around the world. You can find them at adventure camps, Go Ape Treetop Adventures in the UK and US, or for those who love a challenge, you can enter an obstacle course race like Tough Mudder.

So if you think you have got what it takes, get your team toughest and sign up for the Tough Mudder or Spartan Run. There are several places all over the world you can now go to try outdoor obstacle courses and assault courses.

The post Assault Courses and Obstacle Course Races appeared first on Active Outdoors.

Organisers of the inaugural Verbier E-Bike Festival have announced that they are opening up four amateur team places for the first ever E-TMB (E-Tour du Mont Blanc). The amateur teams will be able to race against elite teams in the epic 300km 3-day race, which consists of 12,000m of climbing and 16,000m of descent. Public applications will open on 18^thJune 2019 (closing on 10^thJuly 2019). 

The E-TMB race takes place August 14-16, 2019 and follows a route through the three countries surrounding the Mont-Blanc massif: beginning in Verbier, Valais, Switzerland, the race continues to Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy and the mythical resort ofChamonix-Mont-Blanc in France at the foot of Europe’s highest mountain. It then concludes where it all started, in Verbier, Switzerland.

Featuring over 260km of single-track trails and nearly 16,000m of vertical descent, thisonce in a lifetime adventure takes riders through some of the most renowned alpine bike terrain on the planet. 

20 teams of elite professional riders from across the world have already been selected to compete in this groundbreaking event, destined to become one of the world’s premier E-bike competitions. 

Four additional amateur teams will be selected through the application process. Each of the finalteams will consist of two competitors. Selected amateurs will directly compete against their prequalified professional counterparts. 

Amateur teams can apply by sending their personal information and their sports track records  to register@verbierebikefestival.com. The best teams will be selected by the event organisers and will be officially announced on 13^thJuly 2019. The fee to enter E-TMB is 850 USD per rider and the prize money is 20,000 USD.

This innovative new event will give amateur riders a chance to ride side-by-side against the world’s most talented riders on an action-packed journey through Europe’s most stunning alpine landscapes. 

More information www.verbierebikefestival.com

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Concert Tickets and Festival Tickets

Look around to get the best ticket prices for the concert or festival. It is always best to buy your concert tickets from a reputable ticket agent. Some gig tickets are security marked and can only be used by the person who bought them. Beware of ticket touts and ticket resellers as the ticket you buy may not be valid.

It is also good to have the tickets in your grubby little hands before you go to the concert. It is nice to look at the tickets in your bedroom and count down the days until you go. Sad, but true! Also, it can be a bit nerve racking collecting the tickets from the box office on the day in case something goes wrong. I have been ok so far, but it is always a bit uncertain.

Concert diary and Concert Listings

The first thing to do if you are desperate to see your favourite bands live in concert is to get hold of a gig guide or concert diary. These will show tour dates and can be found in the national newspapers, or on Concert-diary.com. Get together with your friends and choose a concert that is on a date you can all make, and at a concert venue you can get to. You may not be able to see the band you had in mind, but may see gig listings for another band you want to see.

UK Festivals

Every year there are a range of music festivals held at the same locations. Every year the festival line up is different, with the band or artist of the moment headlining. Here is a list of UK music festivals:

• Bestival – Robin Hill, Isle of Wight, 8-11 September
• V Festival – Chelmsford and Staffordshire, 20-21 August
• Reading Festival – Richfield Avenue, Reading, 26-28 August
• Leeds Festival – Bramham Park, Leeds, 26-28 August
• Wireless Festival – Hyde Park London, 8-10 July
• Glastonbury Festival – Worthy Farm, Pilton, 22-26 June
• Download Festival – Donnington Park, 10-12 June
• Isle of Wight Festival – 9-12 June
• Creamfields – Daresbury, Halton, Cheshire, 25-28 August
• Lovebox – Victoria Park, London, 15-16 July
• T in the Park – Kinrossshire, Scotland, 8-10 July

Planning Your Concert Trip

Seeing an open air concert is a fantastic experience that will be memorable. My first live concert was going to see Bon Jovi at the Milton Keynes Bowl in the UK. A group of my friends got the concert tickets for what promised to be a great day out.

The first thing we did was agree how to get there. We decided to drive, as it would provide more flexibility. The two drivers also were happy not to drink any alcohol. The drivers worked out the route in advance so that they knew how to get to the concert. They also agreed where to stop on the way for food. Carrying walkie talkies or mobile phones helped with talking between cars to make plans.

On the way to the gig, we saw lots of other people who were also going to the concert. It was obvious from the t shirts and other branded things hanging out of the car windows.

You can also get to your concert using planned coach trips or public transport.

Concert Parking

When you arrive, make sure you make a note of where you park the car. If you have gone to the concert by coach, it is vital to make a note of what the coach looks like. Make note of physical landmarks like lampposts or marker signs. The taller the better. When you arrive, the car park will be filling up. when you try to find you transport after the concert the car or coach park will be packed. The only way we could ever find our cars was to look for the third set off floodlights from the big fir tree near the fence!

Food

We took our own food to the concert. There is plenty of food available at the concert venue, but it will be pricey. The Milton Keynes Bowl is a massive grass arena. We had a picnic and set upi a base where we would stay for the warm up acts. That way the rest of our group could always find their way back to us. Once the night had set in, we all moved down to the front to join the main crowd. It was standing room only, so we made sure we had a drinks bottle with us. Take a bag for your rubbish, but get rid of it before the main band comes on.

Where to stand

For open air concerts, you can choose where you stand. Most concerts are seating only. If you end up with tickets near the back your band will look like ants in the distance! If you go near the stage, you will have to be happy with the crush of people.

Make a note of where the toilets are. Also, make a note of where the exits are. At the end of the concert, it can be everyone for themselves in trying to get out!

Festival Tips

Festivals are a fantastic experience. Go with an open mind about what to expect. Be prepared for all weathers, but don’t let the weather stop you form going. Make sure you take your wellies.

Other vital tips are to write down phone numbers in case your mobile phone battery runs out. Take a pocket torch. Dynamo torches are great as they don’t need batteries. Also, take something to sit on, whether it be a folding chair or a carrier bag. Standing up all day gets tiring, so you will be grateful of something dry to sit on. You may also want to take a walkie talkie for some free communication with your mates. The Motorola TALKR range are not only good walkie talkies for festivals, but they look cool as well. You can buy all your Festival essentials from Amazon

We hope you see some great concerts. Keep gigging!

The post Survival Guide for Going to Concerts, Gigs and Festivals appeared first on Active Outdoors.

Some of the original sports were alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping, and speed skating. Other events have been added as time went on, and some of them, such as luge, short track speed skating, and freestyle skiing have earned a permanent spot on the Olympic programme. Others, such as speed skiing, bandy, and skijoring were demonstration sports but were never incorporated as Olympic sports. Lately, snowboard cross and ski cross have been added.

SKI AND SNOWBOARD DISCIPLINES EXPLAINED

Alpine skiing

Alpine skiing involves all skiing events which occur on a downhill course and do not involve ramps or bumps.

The Olympic Alpine competition consists of 10 events: five for women and five for men. The rules are the same for men and women, but the courses differ. In all cases, time is measured to .01 seconds and ties are permitted.

Downhill

The Downhill features the longest course and the highest speeds in Alpine skiing. Each skier makes a single run down a single course and the fastest time determines the winner.

Slalom

The Slalom features the shortest course and the quickest turns. Each skier makes two runs down two different courses on the same slope. Both runs take place on the same day. The times are added and the fastest total time determines the winner. Athletes are not allowed to take training runs through the courses, but on race day, they can inspect each course by skiing slowly alongside it. Inspection of the second run does not begin until all the racers have had a chance to ski the first run.

Giant slalom

Also known as the GS. It is a looser version of the slalom, with fewer turns and wider, smoother turns. As in the Slalom, each skier makes two runs down two different courses on the same slope. Both runs take place on the same day, usually with the first run held in the morning and the second run in the afternoon. The times are added, and the fastest total time determines the winner. Athletes are not allowed to take training runs through the courses, but on race days, they can inspect each course by skiing slowly alongside it. Inspection of the second run does not begin until all the racers have had a chance to ski the first run.

Super-G

Super-G stands for Super Giant Slalom, an event that combines the speed of Downhill with the more precise turns of Giant Slalom. The course is shorter than Downhill but longer than a Giant Slalom course.

Each skier makes one run down a single course and the fastest time determines the winner.

Super – Combined

The Super – Combined event consists of one Downhill, or one Super G, followed by one Slalom run. The times are added together and the fastest total time determines the winner. The combined downhill and the combined slalom are contested independently of the regular downhill and slalom events, and the
combined courses are shorter than the regular versions.

Cross Country skiing

The Cross Country skiing discipline involves racing over undulating terrain along a series of prepared tracks.

Skiers set off at intervals and race against the clock rather than against each other, with the exception of the pursuit-style races.

Cross Country involves two different skiing techniques: Classic and Freestyle. The Classic technique is the traditional one: the skis are kept parallel and never abandon or deviate from the two tracks marked on the course. The Freestyle technique allows the skier to choose a style similar to skating, pushing the skis from both legs. Gripping wax is generally applied to the skis to prevent them from slipping backwards on the uphill sections.

The Cross-Country discipline comprises twelve different Cross-Country skiing events. Three events are the same as those held at Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games 2002 – the 10/15km classic individual start, the fourperson relays, and the sprint freestyle.

The format of the pursuit has changed, with the distance increasing to 30km (15km each leg) for men and 15km (7.5km each leg) for women, and there is now a pit-stop to change equipment from Classic to reestyle between the two legs. The race starts with a mass start in Classic technique.

The Team Sprint was a new Olympic event, introduced in Turin. This involves two-person teams, each skiing the course three times in Classic Technique. The events are:

Sprint (1.5km Freestyle for men and women)

The sprint is the shortest event on the Cross Country program and any style of skiing is permitted. Sprint events begin with a qualifying round and the top skiers advance to a knockout phase, with quarter-finals, semi-finals and an A and B final.

Pursuit (15km women, 30km men)

The men’s and women’s pursuit race feature two parts. From a mass start, the athletes race in the Classical style (7.5km women, 15km men). During a pit-stop at half way, the athletes change equipment from the Classic to the Freestyle technique. The second part is a Freestyle race (7.5km women, 15km men), with
competitors starting the Freestyle portion staggered according to their finish in the first half Classic style.

The athlete who crosses the finish line first wins.

Interval Start (Classic – 10km women, 15km men)

In the Classic events competitors start at 30 sec intervals and the winner is the skier with the fastest time.

Team Sprint Classic

There are two skiers per team, each of whom skis the course three times. The event has around 20 teams, with two heats of 10 teams. The top five teams in each heat advance to the final. The Team Sprint is run on the same course as the Individual Sprint and held in the Classic technique.

Relays (4x5km women, 4x10km men)

Each team has four skiers, each of whom skis one of the four 5km (women) or 10km (men) relay legs. The first two legs of the relay are skied Classic style and the final two are Freestyle.

Mass Start (Freestyle – 30km women, 50km men)

Competitors start simultaneously, lined up in rows. The first competitor across the finish line wins the race.

Freestyle skiing

Freestyle skiing consists of Aerials and Moguls plus the events of Ski Cross, and the newly added Olympic events of Halfpipe and Slopestyle. All are dynamic and spectacular to watch making them firm favourites with the crowds. Ski Cross was added to the Olympic programme in time for Vancouver 2010 with Halfpipe
and Slopestyle due to make their debut at Sochi 2014.

Ski Cross

Although new to the Olympic sport program, Ski Cross has existed as a sport since the early days of Alpine skiing competition. The “mass start” appeal of Ski Cross, also seen in Snowboard Cross, sets the stage for fast and exciting competition.

The Ski Cross course incorporates turns in a variety of types and sizes, flat sections and traverses, as well as rolls, banks and ridges similar to those found on a normal ski slope. Structures on the course resemble those found in Snowboard Cross events. Physical endurance and strength play a key role in Ski Cross as
athletes ski four to five runs lasting 60 seconds or longer. A group of four skiers start simultaneously and attempt to reach the end of the course. The first two to cross the finish line will advance to the next round.

The final and semi-final rounds determine 1st to 4th and 5th to 8th places, respectively.

Halfpipe

The Freestyle Halfpipe event is new to the Olympic programme, making its first appearance in 2014 in Sochi. Halfpipe is held on a half-cylindrical tube shaped into the snow. It is approximately 120-130 m long with a gradient of 16-17%. Using speed gained on the slope, skiers come up over the rim of the pipe to
perform jumps, rotations and other mid-air manoeuvres or tricks. The object is to perform difficult manoeuvres with perfect form and land the run.

Slopestyle

The Freestyle Slopestyle event is new to the Olympic programme and will make its first appearance in 2014 in Sochi. Slopestyle has evolved into a unique format where riders compete to achieve the highest score over a range of obstacles. Courses are unique to each event and usually include a range of jumps, rails and boxes. Competitors aim to perform the most technical tricks whilst getting the highest amplitude from the jumps.

Moguls

A moguls course is made up of a series of bumps and mounds in the snow. Skiers absorb the impact of the bumps by bending at the knees and hips. In a good run, shoulders remain parallel to the finish line, turns should be quick and short, and skis should not leave the snow surface, except at predetermined jumps.
In competitive Moguls events, competitors aim to perform aerial manoeuvres where they hit two large jumps, placed one-third and two-thirds of the way down the run. Inverted moves are not permitted. Off each jump, skiers typically combine moves such as a spread-eagle, twister, helicopter, daffy, iron cross or
backscratcher.

Aerials

In Aerial competitions, athletes perform various combinations of flips and twists off snowpacked jumps as high as 4 metres, (13 feet), with takeoff angles as steep as 70 degrees. Skiers choose a point on the in-run to begin, calculating the location carefully to attain the necessary speed to execute a planned manoeuvre.
Concave aerial’s ramps come in various heights – the smallest is used primarily for training.

The radius of the concave section of the big and medium jumps varies. The competitor chooses the one most suitable for the planned manoeuvre. Both men and women compete with multiple twisting somersaults.

Skiers will drop from a height equal to that of a three- or four-story building. The landing area has a 37-degree gradient and is covered in soft, churned snow to absorb the impact of the landings.

Competitors are assessed on the technicality of their manoeuvre and whether or not they land the run.

Snowboarding

Snowboarding competition consists of both racing and freestyle snowboarding: Snowboard Cross, Halfpipe and Slopestyle.

There are four Snowboard events: Halfpipe, Parallel Giant Slalom, (PGS), which appeared for the first time at The Salt Lake City Games in 2002, with Snowboard Cross (SBX) introduced in Turin. The Snowboard Slopestyle event will make its first appearance in 2014 at Sochi.

The four Snowboard events are as follows:

Snowboard Cross

The Snowboard Cross course incorporates turns in a variety of types and sizes, flat sections and traverses, as well as rolls, banks and ridges similar to those found on a normal slope. Structures on the course resemble those found in Ski Cross events. A series of blue and red gates and triangular flags marks the
course and indicate entrances to obstacles. Physical endurance and strength play a key role in Snowboard Cross as athletes ski four to five runs lasting 60 seconds or longer. A group of four snowboarders start simultaneously and attempt to reach the end of the course. The first two to cross the finish line will advance to the next round. The final and semi-final rounds determine 1st to 4th and 5th to 8th places,
respectively.

Parallel giant slalom

The parallel giant slalom is a competition in which two riders race down the same slope on two parallel courses, outlined with gates and triangular flags, blue on the left course and red on the right course. The setting of the courses, the terrain and snow coverage must be as identical as possible.

Halfpipe

The Halfpipe event is held on a half-cylindrical tube shaped into the snow. It is approximately 120-130 m long with a gradient of 16-17%. Using speed gained on the slope, snowboarders come up over the rim of the pipe to perform jumps, rotations and other mid-air manoeuvres or tricks. The object is to perform difficult manoeuvres with perfect form and land the run.

Slopestyle

The Slopestyle event is new to the Olympic programme and will make its first appearance in 2014 in Sochi.

Technical details of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games Slopestyle course

Slopestyle has evolved into a unique format where riders compete to achieve the highest score over a range of obstacles. Courses are unique to each event and usually include a range of jumps, rails and boxes.

Competitors aim to perform the most technical tricks whilst getting the highest amplitude from the jumps.

The slopestyle competition venue, which will stage a total of 20 Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard competitions, is located at the Rosa Khutor ski area. The snowboard slopestyle course for Sochi 2014 is 635 metres long at Rosa Khutor , and features three jumps that get progressively bigger, allowing the athletes the chance to build momentum and execute their biggest and best jumps at the bottom of the course. There is approximately 100 metres between each jump, with the ramps being about 10 metres high.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How are Halfpipe and Slopestyle judged?

Halfpipe and Slopestyle judging, like figure-skating judging, is subjective—in other words, it’s not a timed event. Tricks don’t have an assigned degree of difficulty or specific points awarded~ to them. The athletes don’t have to call out their runs ahead of time.

The Olympic Halfpipe is scored by five judges and one head judge based on the following criteria: execution of tricks, variety of tricks, difficulty, pipe use, and amplitude.

The Olympic Slopestyle is also scored by five judges and one head judge based on the following criteria:

execution of tricks, variety of tricks, difficulty, use of features, and amplitude.

For Slopestyle skiers and snowboarders use the same course?

Yes, if they are competing at the same event such as the X Games and it will be the same course at the Olympics.

Does every Slopestyle / Halfpipe have the same dimensions?

No they are all different although there are guidelines for top level standard in both.

What does “corked” mean?

Rotations can either be flat where there is no somersaulting element or “corked” where there is a somersault element within the spin. Many riders perform double corked spins and the top riders are now performing triple corked spins.

What is a canon?

Rail, jib, wall ride, canon, rainbow, flat down, kink, butter pad, bonk are all Slopestyle features that are not kickers or jumps.

What is the coping and the deck?

In Halfpipe, the coping or lip is the edge of the pipe. And the deck is the flat part at the top of the wall that extends from the edge of the pipe. If a rider “decks out” they have landed outside of the pipe on the deck and this usually results in a crash.

What does vert mean?

In a Halfpipe, the vert describes the last part of the wall where it should just reach vertical to send the rider out to perform a trick and then back in to land in the wall of the pipe.

She knuckled the jump. What does that mean?

On a kicker, the deck is the area between the take off and the landing of the jump. And the knuckle is the transition between the deck and the landing. If a rider knuckles a jump then they didn’t quite travel far enough to make the landing, often resulting in a crash.

GB First ever Olympic medal on snow – Jenny Jones get Bronze in Slopestyle Snowboarding

Jenny Jones took bronze in the first-ever women’s snowboard slopestyle in Sochi, defying those who claimed, at 33, her time had probably passed.

She’s the former chalet girl who ended a 90-year wait for a British Winter Olympic medal on snow.

It’s all about Jenny Jones today. Did you know she won Team GB’s first medal at Sochi 2014 quicker than Lizzie Armitstead got Great Britain off the mark at London 2012 with her road race silver?

She needed to come through the semi-finals to make the final 12 that decided the medals and then put down a second run that had her in the gold medal position for 15 minutes.

Over the course of the next 45 minutes she waited anxiously as others tried to dislodge her, dropping down to silver and then bronze before, finally, securing her podium place.

American Jamie Anderson took gold and Finland’s Enni Rukajarvi claimed silver and Jones took the last step on the podium by just a quarter of a point, the slenderest of margins possible.

“I’m feel very proud to have won a bronze medal for my country, I can’t believe it’s our first on snow,” she said.

“I never thought this would be a possibility because it was only three years ago that slopestyle was added to the Olympics and I’d never competed for my country.

“It feels amazing. I cannot believe it, I just can’t believe it. Even when I was in the gold medal position I knew I was going to drop but I didn’t know how far. I am just so happy that I stayed on the podium.

“It was so difficult waiting. I thought I did my best run and landed it as best as I could, thankfully it was enough.

“But it was a long waiting game. It feels just ridiculous right now. You sense the world is watching and you had to control that part of things and not let it get to you too much.”

“I tried to stay relaxed by doing some meditation and yoga and burning some sage,” said snowboard slopestyle gold medallist Jamie Anderson in her press conference.
“What did you do Jenny?” the moderator asked.
“I watched an episode of Downton Abbey,” said the British snowboarder.
Snowboarders have different ways of preparing for their big moment at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park

“I feel very proud to have won a bronze medal for my country, I can’t believe it’s our first on snow.”

Jenny Jones erases Gina Hathorn from the record books. Her slalom fourth at the 1968 Grenoble Games was the previous best by a British snow sport athlete at the Winter Olympics

“I don’t feel like an old lady, these girls are a lovely bunch and they keep me young and allow me out late to party every now and then.”

Olympic bronze medallist Jenny Jones believes age is just a number, despite being the oldest in the snowboard slopestyle final by six years

“Jones is amazing, she’s a legend in the sport and I’m so proud of her and I’m so proud to be her team-mate. She’s the pioneer of women’s snowboarding. She put it on the map for the UK and proved it was possible that a bunch of Brits can compete against the world’s best.”

Team GB’s snowboard slopestyle semi-finalist Aimee Fuller on team-mate Jenny Jones

Keep up with all the latest from Team GB on the Team GB website

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Gaming events are scheduled to take place all around the ski resort, situated at the heart of the Three Valleys ski area, over the opening weekend of the new winter season.

Gamers and geeks will be able to enjoy laser quest, animations that are virtually real as well as life-size video games – all on snow.

It’s the first time an event like this has been held in a mountain environment and Les Menuires are very proud hosts.

Les Menuires has dedicated a further 1000m² inside to gaming during the festivities:

Geeks and guests can indulge in historical ski and snowboard console action in the Retro-gaming area.

The next generation of gaming technology is on show on snow for people to get their hands on in the Experience section and discover an escape game hidden in an igloo on the mountainside. At the snow front in La Croisette watch the NEW illumination of the area on Saturday 9^th December with a ‘pyro’ show and concert.

Divided in 4 teams, gamers and skiers – comedians, Youtubers, artists and free riders will also compete for the Menuires Geek festival Cup, awarded during the evening Raclette Party.

And as the sun sets and apres ski begins so does ‘GAMEAT’ – which is gaming and eating of course!  www.menuiresgeekfestival.com/en/

 …and Female Fitness Freaks.. Pop in!

9000 women have participated in urban events ‘Pop in the City’ since its inception in 2012. Now for 2018 it’s in back in the mountains…

Pop in Les Menuires is just for the girls and takes place on 10 March 2018. Intrepid females from all over Europe will take on a series of mental, strategic and physical challenges over 8 hours culminating in an evening extravaganza and prize giving.

‘Pop in’ originated in the cities of Europe and moved to the mountains for the first time in 2014.

Estelle Roy, Press Officer, Les Menuires adds, “We are excited to host these two ‘first time’ events, the Geek Festival over our opening weekend and ‘Pop in Les Menuires’ later in the season. We offer so many events season long and this ‘Pop in’ girls-only challenge will be great fun and really complements our other activities.”

www.popinthecity.com /  www.lesmenuires.com

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• New marked trail runs in Arêches-Beaufort and even more marked trails in Chamonix
• New trail running events including the Interlac Trail and Le Trail des Moulins in La Rosière

Trail Running in Arêches-Beaufort

In Arêches-Beaufort 12 new marked trails have been created for different abilities – ranging from green to black trails. You can buy a topographic map of the routes for just three euros and this year there will also be a dedicated area where you can test equipment including trainers and sticks.

Trail Running in Chamonix

In Chamonix there are even more marked runs as the ‘Vallée du Trail’ now includes a total of 18 marked trail runs varying from ‘small’ to ‘XL’. The small trails are suitable for people looking to run for between 45 minutes to 2 hours and the XL trails aimed at serious runners who could be on the trails for over 9 hours. The maps can be downloaded online (www.valleedutrail.com) or an overview is available at the tourist office.

With the trail running event season in full swing, there are even more new events on Savoie Mont Blanc’s trail running calendar, including the Interlac Trail and Le Trail des Moulins à la Rosière.

Interlac Trail

The Interlac Trail that runs from 19-20 July, is a new event where competitors race between France’s two largest lakes – Lake Bourget and Lake Annecy. Starting at Lake Annecy, competitors can choose their distance – with 77km being the longest distance and 17km the shortest. The race finishes with competitors putting their feet in Lake Bourget.

Le Trail des Moulins in La Rosière

For trail runners looking for something more mellow, Le Trail des Moulins in La Rosière takes place on 20 July and consists of 22 km route starting at 1200m and finishing at 2400m. Runners ascend 850m over alpine routes at the foot of the Col du Petit Saint Bernard with spectacular views of Mont Blanc.

The event season then continues with some of the classic long distance trail runs taking place in the region including the Ultra Tour du Beaufortain on 19 and 20 July, the 6th edition of the Tour des Fiz on 27 July, the Trail du Galibier on 17 August and the famous Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc from 25-31 August.

For those looking for a challenge, runners can test themselves against the pros at the Défi des Arolles organised by the Arêches-Multisport Club. Participants can take on the local professionals in a race of 3.2km but with 700m of elevation. The friendly local event takes place several times over the summer, with the next event running on Thursday 10 July.

For more information on trail running in Savoie Mont Blanc and a full list of events, get your trail running shoes on and visit www.savoie-mont-blanc.com

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Every year, the Royal Marines open up the Royal Marine training course at Woodbury Common, Exeter in Devon to anyone over 16.

On the 8th October, there is the 4km fun run through the obstacles on the Royal Marine Training Course. This includes the infamous Sheep Dip, where you go fully submerged through a muddy tunnel full of water. There is also the 10km Marine Challenge, which still has the obstacles, but includes road runs. The first teams will start at 0900, with teams starting every 2 minutes until approx 1500.

On the 9th October, there is the 10km Marine Challenge run. This covers the same Royal Marine Training Course with all of the obstacles, however it is sandwiched between two 2km road runs.

You can download route maps, information and enter for the Commando Challenge October 2017.

For more information, visit www.commandochallenge.co.uk

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