:01:02. > :01:11.A heart beat faster. -- the heart beat faster. Their hairs stand on
:01:11. > :01:18.end. Your pupils dilate. You perspire. All symptoms of exposure
:01:18. > :01:28.to extreme emotional situations. Like fear. Nervousness.
:01:28. > :01:29.
:01:30. > :01:35.Exhilaration. Symptoms of exposure to the Streif. There is pressure as
:01:35. > :01:41.well. The slightest mistake is magnified beyond comprehension.
:01:41. > :01:51.Goodness me! That is a massive fall! But the reward for victory is
:01:51. > :01:53.
:01:54. > :02:01.well worth the risk. Skiing for the winner. He has got it. Because this
:02:01. > :02:08.is Alan Monaco. Allow Wembley. Our Wimbledon. -- our Monaco, Dark Side
:02:08. > :02:13.Of The Moon Wembley. This is the Hahnenkamm, at this is Kitzbuhel.
:02:13. > :02:16.It is that time of the year, the biggest race of them all, the men's
:02:16. > :02:20.downhill from Kitzbuhel, which rivals the Olympics for prestige
:02:20. > :02:23.and Glory and we will be here as the action unfolds. Later in the
:02:23. > :02:27.show, we will be looking at the history and development of
:02:27. > :02:33.snowboarding. And challenging the traditionalists who continue to
:02:33. > :02:40.bury their heads in the snow. don't allow snowboarders. It is
:02:40. > :02:43.usually just hardcore skiers who are here. Some very old-school
:02:43. > :02:46.attitude, you couldn't make it up. Talking of old school, Graham has
:02:47. > :02:51.been around for a few years and with experience comes wisdom, at
:02:51. > :02:56.least that is what he tells me. He is taking a closer look at the
:02:56. > :02:59.Streif. We have struggled with rain, wind
:02:59. > :03:02.and snow over the last few days and they have worked incredibly hard to
:03:02. > :03:12.get this race under way. This is Kitzbuhel, they will try everything
:03:12. > :03:12.
:03:12. > :03:18.to make the race happen. Let's have a look. We are starting at the top.
:03:18. > :03:26.Quite a bit of new snow on the track, it is snowing very hard. It
:03:26. > :03:34.is going to be really important to go out along here, to get the skis
:03:34. > :03:39.straight and hardly get any air of the jump. -- off. It is almost like
:03:39. > :03:45.three or four centimetres of new snow on the track. Heading towards
:03:45. > :03:49.the top, it is really slow. Absolutely crawling along. The race
:03:50. > :03:58.will obviously go much, much quicker. They will be looking to
:03:58. > :04:02.cut these corners off. A tighter line in on the gate. It is fast
:04:02. > :04:12.from hereon end. Into the conversion. You have to hand on --
:04:12. > :04:12.
:04:12. > :04:20.hang on to that ski. Big jump. While. Absurdity rock-and-roll down
:04:20. > :04:28.here. -- absolutely. The visibility is very bad. Finish with the jump.
:04:28. > :04:33.Can't really see anything at all. And across the line.
:04:33. > :04:39.I have got to say, it is right on the edge of being able to hold that
:04:39. > :04:43.race. A lot of new snow on the course. The largest flying down,
:04:43. > :04:51.you can't see anything a, you can't see the bumps, the bottom section
:04:51. > :04:54.is just unbelievably tough. Well then, the biggest race of the
:04:54. > :04:59.season for you, and arguably the biggest call of the season. Who
:04:59. > :05:04.will do well? Didier Cuche is the obvious favourite, he has won here
:05:04. > :05:08.for tyres and has trained well. He didn't ski well last week but he
:05:08. > :05:18.loves this course. He has announced his retirement, he would race here
:05:18. > :05:20.
:05:20. > :05:25.again and he wants to beat Franz Klammer's record. Were due back him
:05:25. > :05:28.to win this week? The -- would you. I don't think he quite has the
:05:28. > :05:34.experience to win on this course, but I might be wrong. They prove
:05:35. > :05:39.you wrong last week. You have been studying the training notes. Bode
:05:39. > :05:43.Miller was a name you mentioned. The difficulty with him is he never
:05:43. > :05:48.trains quickly, he will pick and choose the sections he wants to ski
:05:48. > :05:52.fast on and then take a breather and slow himself than. He was then
:05:52. > :05:57.the 21st in the second training run but he has had sections where he
:05:57. > :06:02.has come down and produced the fastest time -- only 21st. If you
:06:02. > :06:06.string those sections together, it produces a very good time and he is
:06:06. > :06:10.a big race skier. He has never won on this course and he wants his
:06:10. > :06:19.name on the gondola. We can't talk about the chances without talking
:06:19. > :06:23.about the home team, the Austrians. Klaus Kroell has skied very well in
:06:23. > :06:27.the training, he is right up there, but they will have an almost
:06:27. > :06:33.pressure on them. The training runs were done in bright sunshine and
:06:33. > :06:37.since then, we have had rain, wind and snow and the cause is almost
:06:37. > :06:43.unrecognisable. It could well be that the cause conditions play more
:06:43. > :06:49.of a factor than the ability of the skiers -- the course. You may see
:06:49. > :06:53.someone coming in on a very late start number, some of the people
:06:53. > :06:57.who like this course, could come through and win this race. For all
:06:57. > :07:02.of the glamour and excitement in this race, it has been responsible
:07:02. > :07:07.for some horrific casualties. In the last bore ears, we have had
:07:07. > :07:12.three serious head injuries. -- bore the years. How do the race as
:07:12. > :07:20.cope? It is one of those races where the intimidation of the cause
:07:20. > :07:24.can get to you. There isn't anyone section that it used keep it up
:07:24. > :07:29.section by section, it would be OK, all of them together are daunting.
:07:29. > :07:33.You do one section well, then you get to the next section mentally.
:07:33. > :07:38.When you were racing here, way you scared of crashing or losing a
:07:38. > :07:44.question mark always scared of losing. -- I was always scared of
:07:44. > :07:47.losing. Crashing is not in the mind, otherwise you cannot ski. You are
:07:47. > :07:55.just thinking about what you are going to do and then you
:07:55. > :08:00.concentrate on the job ahead of you. Downhill at Kitzbuhel is one of the
:08:00. > :08:06.toughest the break. It is deep and very icy and it is a mixture of the
:08:06. > :08:13.gut feeling that tells you know, definitely no. And it is the brain
:08:13. > :08:18.that says you have to go hard and go bust. What I admire from all of
:08:18. > :08:25.the athletes is that mixture -- Belfast.
:08:25. > :08:31.Would you say it is the biggest thrill in ski racing?
:08:31. > :08:36.Hahnenkamm is still fantastic, being on the start and racing dam,
:08:36. > :08:43.it is the best. -- banned. They are bona fide legends of ski racing but
:08:43. > :08:46.none of them have won in Kitzbuhel five times, which is what Didier
:08:46. > :08:56.Cuche is going to attempt to do today. He will retire as the
:08:56. > :09:00.
:09:00. > :09:06.and the snow and they were to be disappointed. Hahnenkamm 2012 his
:09:06. > :09:16.arm, albeit on a shortened course. The man who has made the decision
:09:16. > :09:17.
:09:17. > :09:21.to run the race, the World Cup referee. You may remember, if you
:09:21. > :09:31.watched it last weekend, he had a couple of a very shaky moments. But
:09:31. > :09:38.
:09:38. > :09:46.compared to how it normally is en Kitzbuhel but the bottom section is
:09:46. > :09:51.as rough as it always is. Look at the snow are falling. -- snow
:09:51. > :09:58.falling. The technicians are working frantically at the top,
:09:58. > :10:08.choosing the right lenses for the goggles. Going well, coming towards
:10:08. > :10:10.
:10:10. > :10:20.the canter. The biggest jump on the course this year. Nicely done.
:10:20. > :10:42.
:10:42. > :10:46.Trying to keep a high line. Coming there, not the cleanest start. Such
:10:47. > :10:50.is the importance of this race in terms of the economy in this part
:10:50. > :10:56.of Austria, the locals were calling the office of the mayor asking how
:10:56. > :11:00.they could help. The answer was to grab a shovel, go to the finish
:11:00. > :11:06.area and help to clean the snow. Late last night, there were up to
:11:06. > :11:16.300 people struggling fog to make the race possible.
:11:16. > :11:20.
:11:20. > :11:30.here. He clouted the control gate, which sends him tunnelling down
:11:30. > :12:00.
:12:00. > :12:09.Austrian competitors given a chance here. Look at the start he has made.
:12:09. > :12:16.The green light is on for Puchner. He is getting bounced around, he is
:12:16. > :12:23.not in control of his destiny. That was a risky move. Now he is back
:12:23. > :12:33.over his skis and very quick through the speed, tap. Puchner
:12:33. > :12:35.
:12:35. > :12:39.Gets the lead. 1,200 summer second quicker. -- hundredths of a second.
:12:39. > :12:46.With the amount of beer snow that has fallen, with every racer, the
:12:46. > :12:52.track is going to get quicker. The question is Willett break-up at the
:12:52. > :13:02.bottom? -- will it. He was able to hold it at the finish. The snow
:13:02. > :13:07.
:13:07. > :13:17.conditions change and it becomes less snow falling at the top of the
:13:17. > :13:24.
:13:25. > :13:34.down, and a little wobble as the comes into the succession of turns
:13:35. > :13:42.
:13:42. > :13:51.Not 0.27 of a second down. A huge jump from the Frenchman. How is his
:13:52. > :13:58.line? He is quick through the gun. He is pushing 131, took an hour. He
:13:58. > :14:08.flies off the final jump. He is second. Oh my word, that is tied.
:14:08. > :14:10.
:14:10. > :14:20.year. He took the gold and then came third in the downhill. Last
:14:20. > :14:28.
:14:28. > :14:35.week he took third. He has never talented. Very brave. This is
:14:35. > :14:43.ranked as the second toughest on the World Cup tour, and the longest.
:14:43. > :14:47.In terms of difficulty, it's the second hardest. Way up in the soft
:14:47. > :14:55.snow there. A quarter of a second off the pace. It was not the ideal
:14:55. > :15:00.line. I wonder how much he can see? He has bounced really low. Pressing
:15:00. > :15:05.on that right ski, and he nearly high-sided. There was a collective
:15:05. > :15:10.gasp at the bottom of the course. They saw that happening. He made a
:15:10. > :15:16.recovery and thankfully stayed on his feet, and he has done well. 7th,
:15:16. > :15:21.despite a really scary moment. was an amazing recovery. The
:15:21. > :15:25.problem was, he floated low on the Traverse. He went through the term,
:15:25. > :15:29.clipped the gate but took too much air on the jump, flew down low, and
:15:29. > :15:39.was fighting to get back up, and suddenly, the pressure released on
:15:39. > :15:42.
:15:42. > :15:47.his right to ski, and his left ski Feuz, the new young star of
:15:47. > :15:57.downhill racing. Last week he smashed the opposition.
:15:57. > :16:02.Can his raw power triumph over experience? A few years ago, Didier
:16:03. > :16:12.Defago conquered these courses in successive weekends for Switzerland.
:16:13. > :16:24.
:16:24. > :16:31.Can Beat Feuz do the same in a dream up of victory on the
:16:31. > :16:38.legendary Streif. Here comes Beat Feuz. The World Cup leader. He was
:16:38. > :16:42.also second in Beaver Creek and was second at run up in Canada earlier
:16:42. > :16:49.in the season. He has the best downhill skier of the World Cup
:16:49. > :16:56.tour so far, the most consistent man so far. Winding down the
:16:56. > :17:01.windows. Half a second off the pace. Getting bounced around. Oh, it's
:17:01. > :17:07.really rough, despite the soft snow. It makes it even harder, because
:17:07. > :17:17.you can't even see. It's incredibly quick for Beat Feuz, but only third
:17:17. > :17:22.
:17:22. > :17:27.place for the moment. 900 two new snow meant he was a bit slow on
:17:27. > :17:33.the top section of the course. he came over and made up a huge
:17:33. > :17:36.amount of time. He really nailed it on the left hand. And it flew on to
:17:36. > :17:44.the Traverse and had more speed down the finish than anyone, but
:17:44. > :17:54.just not quite enough. Aksel Lund Svindal from Norway. He
:17:54. > :17:54.
:17:54. > :18:02.won't be fazed by the conditions. Downhill is his best discipline. He
:18:02. > :18:08.has had victories in slalom and Super-G over the years. He is still
:18:08. > :18:12.in touch as he comes to the raft reverse. Drifting off towards the
:18:12. > :18:22.powder snow at the side of the course. I wonder how much control
:18:22. > :18:24.
:18:24. > :18:29.he had there? His speed is slow. He is 7th. Didn't have the speed at
:18:29. > :18:36.the bottom of the Xhosa. Aksel Lund Svindal was quick at the top part
:18:36. > :18:40.of the course but skied the second half cautiously, and his hip was
:18:40. > :18:45.into the hill, and he deliberately let it go, because he was not sure
:18:45. > :18:50.about where he was going, which meant he flew down. A low line on
:18:50. > :18:55.be reversed because of it falls up ready to go is Bode Miller. Nine
:18:55. > :19:00.downhill victories, he should be a big favourite in Kitzbuhel, but has
:19:00. > :19:04.never quite got it right on the Streif. Can he held it together and
:19:04. > :19:10.take the big one which has eluded him?
:19:10. > :19:19.Bode Miller has been a World Cup champion, Olympic champion, but has
:19:19. > :19:23.never conquered Kitzbuhel. Maybe today. In the driving snow. He can
:19:23. > :19:30.come good. He loves this course. He has twice won at the combined
:19:30. > :19:35.events appear. He takes the speed from downhill and slalom and joins
:19:35. > :19:41.them together but has never won the downhill I tried to. He is
:19:41. > :19:46.struggling for full board 0.96. Oh my word! What a recovery. I thought
:19:46. > :19:50.he had lost his before that somehow, he stayed upright. His heart will
:19:50. > :19:58.have skipped a beat. Only he can do that sort of thing and get away
:19:58. > :20:02.with it. He does not like skiing in bad light and he wasn't very quick
:20:02. > :20:06.on the top of the course. And then he made the most incredible
:20:06. > :20:15.recovery. It he had crashed there, that would have been horrible. The
:20:15. > :20:18.worst place to crash on the that course. Amazing recovery. I think
:20:19. > :20:23.he can just be happy he is safely in the finish.
:20:23. > :20:28.Cometh the hour, cometh the man. This is that for Didier Cuche. A
:20:28. > :20:31.victory here would take him to five victories, making him the
:20:31. > :20:37.undisputed greatest ever racer in Kitzbuhel, but this is his only
:20:37. > :20:45.chance. His last race on the Hahnenkamm, before he retires. What
:20:45. > :20:55.a moment. Didier Cuche is on his way on this shortened Streif course,
:20:55. > :21:00.
:21:00. > :21:09.from Didier Cuche! He took the most aggressive line there and he is
:21:09. > :21:19.playing. 125 almost through. He skis for the lead in Kitzbuhel. He
:21:19. > :21:21.
:21:21. > :21:25.has got it! Didier Cuche leads the way! The record has gone.
:21:25. > :21:29.Didier Cuche absolutely loves this cause and although he didn't have
:21:29. > :21:33.the top section to play with, he was able to nail it down the bottom
:21:33. > :21:38.section. When you go over, you accelerate so fast and when you
:21:38. > :21:43.land, the snow conditions change and you fly across the job first.
:21:43. > :21:53.Didier Cuche did not back off, kept the pressure on, and flew down the
:21:53. > :22:01.
:22:01. > :22:06.here. That was once he went on the podium in 2009. He won last year.
:22:06. > :22:16.Can he handle the pressure? Austria have not had a winner here since
:22:16. > :22:17.
:22:17. > :22:24.the 2006. The Austrian, Klaus Kroell, at the start. Slightly
:22:24. > :22:27.improved visibility for Klaus Kroell. He won the Super-G a few
:22:27. > :22:33.years ago which was cancelled this year but is due to be held on
:22:33. > :22:37.Friday, but was cold -- called off and they focus their efforts on the
:22:37. > :22:42.downhill. Klaus Kroell is going down nicely. Coming into the
:22:42. > :22:46.Traverse. Not as good as we saw from Didier Cuche. He is being
:22:46. > :22:52.thrown around by the lumps and bumps on the snow. The speed is
:22:52. > :22:58.fast for Klaus Kroell. Can he topple Didier Cuche? He is close.
:22:58. > :23:02.He is second! Didier Cuche holds on. Not quite the same technique as
:23:02. > :23:06.Didier Cuche as he goes on to the finished reverse. A little less
:23:06. > :23:10.committed but very, very smooth on his skis, and actually had more
:23:10. > :23:20.speed at the bottom. But wasn't able to pick up enough timer.
:23:20. > :23:24.
:23:24. > :23:28.course is getting slightly quicker as the soft snow which continues to
:23:28. > :23:34.forget pushed away. There is a definite racing line, even sunshine
:23:34. > :23:40.to show the way for Romed Baumann and he has made a really strong
:23:41. > :23:46.start. Didier Cuche is not starting to celebrate just yet. He's
:23:46. > :23:55.watching Romed Baumann on the big screen. A quarter of a second
:23:55. > :23:58.behind. The Austrians have spotted this. A mistake of a battered jump.
:23:58. > :24:05.Look at them flapping like a bird, desperately trying to keep his
:24:05. > :24:15.balance. His speed is good. 130 plus. He's almost home. Will it be
:24:15. > :24:19.an Austrian women? Can he do it? Not quite -- an Austrian victory?
:24:19. > :24:21.Romed Baumann showing this race could be a surprise if you're quick
:24:21. > :24:27.on the top part of the course. He was quicker but lacked the
:24:27. > :24:33.commitment. On his heels, he looked like he was not committed. The only
:24:33. > :24:43.way to win on that section is to attack 100%. And Romed Baumann
:24:43. > :24:48.
:24:48. > :24:58.record. On this particular course. He loves it. He was second here in
:24:58. > :25:00.
:25:00. > :25:05.2010, and he is flying in to a 1012. 1,600ths up at the intermediate.
:25:05. > :25:13.Can he keep it going? He got slowed down by the soft snow slightly but
:25:13. > :25:18.that time favours him up. Accord of the second up. That a quarter of a
:25:18. > :25:27.second up. Looks like he is over his skis, and now he sets his
:25:27. > :25:35.sights on the finishing line. Can he deny Didier Cuche his official
:25:35. > :25:39.Kitzbuhel legend status? Not quite. Well, very close to pulling off the
:25:39. > :25:44.big surprise. Quick on the top part of the cause but when he went on to
:25:44. > :25:50.the second part, and the Traverse, I felt he had to work too hard to
:25:50. > :25:53.get behind line he wanted and that didn't let him become fast enough.
:25:53. > :26:03.Didier Cuche just could not watch and then a massive sigh of relief
:26:03. > :26:14.
:26:14. > :26:20.I think you've got an unfair advantage because I think you can
:26:20. > :26:25.ski this course with your eyes closed. Maybe today, it was not
:26:25. > :26:32.close your eyes, but it was a kind of difficult to see the track. I
:26:32. > :26:37.got really lucky because I had a big mistake and I felt, when I came
:26:37. > :26:45.into the finish, it's not a victory. I'm a very happy to come down. With
:26:45. > :26:53.how important is that to an Austrian? Yes, it's the greatest
:26:53. > :26:58.race of the year. For me, I live at 30 kilometres away from here, so it
:26:58. > :27:03.is my home race. A lot of my family and friends are here. Yes, we are
:27:03. > :27:13.going to party tonight. Will you be glad to see the back of Didier
:27:13. > :27:16.
:27:16. > :27:22.Cuche now? Yes, he is amazing here. Yeah, he's a big man in the sport.
:27:22. > :27:32.When you come to Kitzbuhel next year without Didier Cuche? Next
:27:32. > :27:36.year, there will be a new winner It is the fairy-tale ending, it
:27:36. > :27:40.didn't look like anyone else was going to win. These are the
:27:40. > :27:46.conditions Cuche would have wanted, taking out the top section of the
:27:46. > :27:55.course where he is very good, he does well are hard, icy snow. The
:27:55. > :27:59.top part of the course is a ski test, a lot of guys coming down,
:27:59. > :28:03.ploughing through thick powder, but when you go over the Hausberg,
:28:03. > :28:08.whatever the conditions, you still have to absolutely attack this
:28:08. > :28:12.course, had he knows that more than anyone. And he is unbeatable on
:28:13. > :28:17.that section of the course. He did enough on the lower section to take
:28:17. > :28:22.the wind. He looked like a cannonball on that final section.
:28:22. > :28:28.That is exactly it, get the pressure on the ski and have the
:28:28. > :28:32.commitment to pressure themph -- ski and turn it into forward motion.
:28:32. > :28:36.The pressure is off banned the downhill racers will be glad for
:28:36. > :28:41.downhill racers will be glad for the rest. But the slalom skiers
:28:41. > :28:47.don't have a rest. And if you press read at the end of the show, you
:28:47. > :28:54.can see today's Kitzbuhel slalom. Also next week, as special Olympic
:28:55. > :28:57.Dreams, featuring the winter Youth Olympics. And on Sunday, we have
:28:57. > :29:07.highlight of the European Figure Skating Championships from
:29:07. > :29:09.
:29:09. > :29:13.In the skeleton World Cup, British Newcomer Elizabeth Arnold claimed a
:29:13. > :29:18.victory on only her second career start in St Moritz. The 23-year-old
:29:19. > :29:25.from Maidstone clinched gold ahead of Olympic silver medallist Shelley
:29:25. > :29:32.Rudman. Great Britain has won their first medals at the Winter Youth
:29:32. > :29:39.Olympics in Innsbruck. Nottingham's Jack Burrows clinched gold and also
:29:39. > :29:43.Great Britain claimed a silver in the mixed speed skating. And this
:29:43. > :29:51.morning, more silverware, with a second in the two woman bobsleigh
:29:51. > :29:57.event at the Olympics gliding Centre. -- and Olympic sliding.
:29:57. > :30:02.We are red players, a mecca of downhill skiing, where the best
:30:02. > :30:06.skiers have cemented reputations -- in Kitzbuhel. But on a snowboard,
:30:06. > :30:16.you feel like a fish out of water, but at least I am welcome, unlike a
:30:16. > :30:21.
:30:21. > :30:26.Utah. The 11th largest estate, home to over 1.5 million Mormons, and
:30:26. > :30:31.one of the jewels in the crown of America's mountain resorts. With an
:30:31. > :30:35.average of 500 inches of snow each year and an abundance of world
:30:35. > :30:39.class to rain, it is easy to see why. But I was heading to one
:30:39. > :30:43.resort in particular that I wanted to see with my own eyes, although
:30:43. > :30:48.it was a place I approached with more than a little apprehension.
:30:48. > :30:53.Here we are, around 50 minutes outside Salt Lake City and its tag-
:30:53. > :30:58.line is "The greatest snow on earth". The only hitch is I am not
:30:58. > :31:02.welcome here. To be more specific, I am actually banned.
:31:02. > :31:06.That is because it is only one of three resort left on the planet
:31:06. > :31:10.that enforces a complete ban on snowboarding. That means to gain
:31:10. > :31:16.access to the mountain, I would have to turn rogue.
:31:16. > :31:21.It feels so awkward. If you can't beat them, join them.
:31:21. > :31:25.Well, for the day at least. It doesn't feel right.
:31:25. > :31:30.With pride well and truly swallowed, it was time to meet the locals and
:31:30. > :31:35.discover exactly what had drawn them to the place. It has that old
:31:36. > :31:40.school vied, they cater to all types of skiers. The snow is
:31:41. > :31:44.fantastic. The snow is reliable, particularly in early December.
:31:45. > :31:50.had a big family, it is one of the biggest selling point. Where else
:31:50. > :31:54.would I go? It is a gas. As well as challenging terrain and deep powder,
:31:55. > :32:00.and there was another reason people chose to ski at this resort in
:32:00. > :32:10.particular. They don't allow snowboarders. It is usually just
:32:10. > :32:10.
:32:10. > :32:14.hardcore skiers who are here, I just love it. It became clear that
:32:15. > :32:20.this gentleman wasn't alone in his concerns regarding so his
:32:20. > :32:23.snowboarding are cousins. It is a selling point. A lot of people want
:32:23. > :32:27.to be at the resort without snowboarders. I think a lot of
:32:27. > :32:32.people like it and a lot of people don't. If you have a family member
:32:32. > :32:39.who snowboards, it is not a good -- as good a place. But traditional
:32:39. > :32:43.family skiers like the fat -- the fact that some things that come
:32:43. > :32:48.with snowboarders bug them. I have been hit and brushed aside by
:32:48. > :32:54.snowboarders. I am not totally sure they are in control all the time.
:32:54. > :32:58.They make a sound like a locomotive, it is unnerving. I think it is more
:32:58. > :33:02.of an age thing. If I was starting up there, I would be a snowboarder.
:33:03. > :33:07.Perhaps that was the key to the ban, fear of the unknown and the
:33:07. > :33:12.generation gap that had created a climate of anxiety that now sees
:33:12. > :33:14.snowboarders somewhat demonised. Snowboarding was once regarded as
:33:14. > :33:18.anti- establishment, which is at least a little removed from the
:33:18. > :33:22.sport we know today. But it is the new generation who seemed to be
:33:22. > :33:28.suffering the fall-out of the stereotypes.
:33:28. > :33:34.They turned away completely? Yes, there are no snowboarders. We can
:33:34. > :33:39.go skiing but... And how do you feel? It is kind of dumb. I asked
:33:39. > :33:43.my wife if they let snowboarders and she said, everybody does now.
:33:43. > :33:48.We would be coming here any more. This is the second what we have had
:33:48. > :33:51.this season. We try to stop them as quick as we can, because it is
:33:51. > :33:58.embarrassing, especially for the little ones. Bail out snowboarding.
:33:58. > :34:01.It is a corporate decision, a lot of people like it. But it is skiers
:34:01. > :34:05.only. I am actually really pleased that
:34:05. > :34:10.we saw that, not because the kid got turned away, I am gutted for
:34:10. > :34:15.him, but because it illustrates perfectly who this ban affects. It
:34:15. > :34:19.is not hard core snowboarders, it is a family is.
:34:19. > :34:24.It was finally time to rediscover my long-lost ski legs.
:34:24. > :34:29.The thing about skiing, and this is the snowboarding, I have always
:34:29. > :34:35.relaxed whenever I and snowboarding. I feel like I am shopping for men's
:34:35. > :34:39.wear when I a man skis. Fortunately, there was no side of
:34:39. > :34:45.Graham Bell. Demanded was all but deserted and as I headed down the
:34:45. > :34:50.slopes, I couldn't help but think what a shame it was -- the mountain
:34:50. > :34:55.was all but deserted. But a resident snowboarder explained. A
:34:55. > :35:02.ban on the use of Liszt and facilities did not made a total ban
:35:02. > :35:06.on to rain. That left. If you are willing to take a few hits, that is.
:35:06. > :35:12.Most of the people are very accepting, they don't care if you
:35:12. > :35:17.ski or if you ride. I have had no animosity, but the client tell on
:35:17. > :35:26.plication don't like snowboarders. That clientele. You get a lot of
:35:26. > :35:31.stairs and I have actually had skiers hitting me with his hole.
:35:31. > :35:36.Telling me to get out of here. But I don't really care -- with a pole.
:35:36. > :35:42.It is very traditional, you can tell just from the lift and the
:35:42. > :35:47.largest that not much has changed since the beginning. -- lodges.
:35:47. > :35:51.People who have ski and snowboard tell me it is the right thing, that
:35:51. > :35:54.they wouldn't want to share their experiences with snowboarders and
:35:54. > :35:58.they are fired with it as the tears. If you talk to everybody who is
:35:58. > :36:02.here today, that might be the reason they are here -- they are
:36:02. > :36:08.fine with it as it is. You may talk to other folks there may not think
:36:08. > :36:12.it is as good an idea. It is just a business decision. A business
:36:12. > :36:18.decision it may be, but Park City, a huge popular resort close by,
:36:18. > :36:23.repealed its snowboarding than 15 years ago and hasn't looked back.
:36:23. > :36:27.When we actually dropped the ban on snowboarding, it was like a riot.
:36:27. > :36:32.We would be segregated runs, so it was a snowboard only run, and we
:36:32. > :36:39.quickly adopted, it was chaos. We told them they have to live
:36:39. > :36:48.together. -- drop kick. It wasn't until after the 2002 games that we
:36:48. > :36:53.had a huge push. The 2002 Olympics put the spotlight on us -- Park
:36:53. > :36:58.City and Utah and also Onslow barding. We said we would allow
:36:58. > :37:02.snowboarding. There was a period where it was chaos, how dare you do
:37:02. > :37:04.that, but 15 years later, it is one of the smartest decisions we have
:37:04. > :37:06.made. Do you think there will be
:37:07. > :37:11.appointed the future where there will be a referendum whether it
:37:11. > :37:15.should remain? Most business decisions don't come down to
:37:15. > :37:20.referendums. Like I say, it is a business decision and we will
:37:20. > :37:23.continue to look at that as time goes on. It is a policy you are
:37:23. > :37:32.proud of was something that this slow-burning, with the people who
:37:32. > :37:37.come back year after year? -- that is. No, we are very proud of the
:37:37. > :37:41.product we have and the skiing experience that we provide a,
:37:42. > :37:45.fiercely proud of that, and will remain to be. It doesn't have
:37:45. > :37:53.anything to do with what we did sell, it has to do with what we do
:37:53. > :37:57.sell. Spending a day on skis was an eye-opener. The resort sticks
:37:57. > :38:02.rigidly to the business decision reasoning, but some say blame must
:38:02. > :38:07.fall at the feet of the clients, who have seemed to be unwilling to
:38:07. > :38:11.embrace change. But whilst there are people willing to pay for a ski
:38:12. > :38:16.only resort, the ban is likely to remain for some time.
:38:16. > :38:20.Business decision or not, for me, there is no room for segregation on
:38:20. > :38:23.a mountainside. And what gets me, the better the standard of skier,
:38:23. > :38:29.the more time they spend on the mountains, the more accepting they
:38:29. > :38:33.are. Fundamentally, snowboarding, apart from three resorts, is widely
:38:33. > :38:37.accepted, as was proved that the 2010 Winter Olympics when
:38:37. > :38:42.snowboarding actually out did the then Hosking and got the highest
:38:42. > :38:46.figures of the Games. -- the downhill skiing. I am sure you
:38:46. > :38:53.remember Shaun White getting the gold medal. Very few people about
:38:53. > :38:57.the Kevin Pearce, the man had a lot of people expected to take the gold.
:38:57. > :39:03.He had a very bright future ahead of him but it was all taken away in
:39:03. > :39:07.an instant. 2009 and Kevin Pearce is on top of
:39:07. > :39:12.the snowboarding world. The whole last few years of training, really
:39:12. > :39:17.I was working so hard, because all I wanted was to win and that was
:39:17. > :39:21.where my focus was, where my head was at and what I was trying to do.
:39:21. > :39:24.One of the most promising talents of his generation and capable of
:39:24. > :39:30.beating the ledge and very short white, he was tipped for Olympic
:39:30. > :39:34.glory. -- the legendary Shaun White. It was either win or go home. If
:39:34. > :39:39.you are not first your last. Christmas Eve two years ago, his
:39:39. > :39:45.world fell apart. I didn't want second or third, I wanted to win.
:39:45. > :39:48.And I didn't. During a training accident, Kevin suffered major head
:39:48. > :39:56.injuries and brain trauma and at one point it was feared he might
:39:56. > :40:00.not make it. I am a very lucky boy. If I was in a critical care
:40:00. > :40:06.hospital or the first month and a half, I don't remember. It was when
:40:06. > :40:09.I went to Denver and did we have for 2 and a half months. I always
:40:09. > :40:13.be when I started this sport and doing these tricks in these
:40:13. > :40:17.conditions that this was always possible and it is part of the game.
:40:17. > :40:22.That is what makes it so far no, we are allowed it come out here and do
:40:22. > :40:27.what we want, no one is telling us what to do or how to do it. That is
:40:28. > :40:31.why we are so in love with snowboarding. There was no better
:40:31. > :40:36.way for me to get injured so severely than to be snowboarding,
:40:36. > :40:41.doing what I loved so much, so I never felt any self-pity. Just how
:40:41. > :40:45.hard was the Rehab? What did you have to learn again? It was crazy
:40:45. > :40:49.having to learn everything again, from the basics like trying to
:40:49. > :40:53.swallow and how to walk and how to talk. I had to start from the very
:40:53. > :40:59.beginning. Last month, against all of the arts, Kevin Pearce got back
:40:59. > :41:04.on his snowboard. Dashboards. have been so lucky with the support
:41:04. > :41:08.I got. Everybody has been behind me, whether it is my family, the Stoke
:41:08. > :41:13.board committee, my friends, just everybody has kind of been there
:41:13. > :41:21.for make -- snowboard. It was really call to come out here last
:41:21. > :41:27.week and get on the hill and I didn't have to... I had a snowboard.
:41:27. > :41:32.But it took two years. Obviously, you have been searching for this
:41:32. > :41:36.day for two years, what comes next? What is next is really starting to
:41:36. > :41:42.get out into the back country and exploring more of the snowboarding.
:41:42. > :41:46.I was so focused on contests that I never really got to explore a much
:41:46. > :41:53.more, but now I am not going to be doing that side of things, I am
:41:53. > :41:59.going to ride on the power that, go out there and film and do more
:41:59. > :42:04.stuff like that -- of the powder. It has been strange, going so hard