27/01/2013 Ski Sunday

Hello and welcome to Ski Sunday. We are in Austria for the men's

downhill from Kitzbuehel. The entire racing world is buzzing

after a seminal moment last week, it was Johan Clarey who broke the

100 mph barrier. This man is obsessed with speed, constantly

striving to go faster and faster. We have invented, engineered and

manufactured speed machines. Nothing captivates quite like

natural Velocity, especially in the heat of battle. In the race...

speed on the gun is more than 100 mph, a new record. Man's need for

speed continues, where the faster you go the harder you fall. The 100

mph club has a new member, and the race is on to join him. That race

will go down in history, never mind that it was won by Christophe

Innerhofer, it was Johan Clarey who will be remembered for that

extraordinary speed record. I wonder how long it will last. Later

on I will be meeting Tom Burt, who has elevated the sport to new

heights. First it is the men's downhill. Victory here is the

ultimate prize for the racers. For one weekend every year the biggest

superpowers in skiing gather to contest the greatest title in their

sport. For the host of this adrenaline first, the win is long

overdue. The strife, of course carved out of Austrian rock. A

police ruled by Bass. systematic stuff from Hermann Maier.

This was once a symbol of Austrian skiing supremacy, but in recent

years the home nation has lost its stranglehold on the strife. Over

the last five years, Kitzbuehel has won -- has surrendered to the Swiss

reigniting an age-old conflict. was skiing in the 1960s, and to

beat the Swiss skier, it is always funny. Her how much does it mean to

have that victory? In it means a lot, it is Austria, the concurrence

between Switzerland and Austria so it is a fantastic race. To rub salt

even deeper into the Austrian wound, Didier Cuche surpassed the record

last year securing a staggering fifth victory. Didier Cuche leads

the way, the record has gone. means a lot, the name Franz Klammer,

and I was proud to equal his record. Passing him was just amazing.

Didier Cuche, now retired, will end his own reign and there seems to be

no serious Swiss successor much to the relief of the Kitzbuehel crowd.

Swiss domination has been hard to stomach for the home fans. They

have enjoyed a seven-year downhill drought. Austria is thirsty for

success. In the newspapers you can read this year 2006 because

everybody is writing about when will be the next win and we're

waiting. The to his kind of the same pressure we have in

Switzerland and it is never easy to manage that, especially when you

have 40,000 people pushing you, demanding you win the race and the

pressure is never easy to manage. The media builds up the pressure

and the rivalry between Switzerland and Austria, but I think everybody

would be happy if Austria can finally win again. Is it time to

scratch the seven-year itch? think so, for sure it is time. It

is a very long time and the last five years the Swiss guys have won.

Today we try to change this. big question this week is calmly

Austrians put some one on top of the podium? They have two big star

names who can do it. Where are the threats coming from? They are best

skier in the world, Aksel Lund Svindal, and don't rule out Johan

Clarey and Christophe Innerhofer. Johan Clarey has just beaten the

speed record, on a wave of confidence. What role does

confidence play? One is you get it, you are on an upward spiral.

Confidence breeds success and that is working for the now. By that

Russia now, Aksel Lund Svindal is on a downward spiral after crashing.

He made a point of winning the first two training runs and that

has boosted his confidence. didn't get them in the Rye Tour de

but you picked the top three last week. He was it this week? Aksel

Lund Svindal in first, Hannes Reichelt in second, and Klaus

Kroell in third. They imagine standing on top of the strife and

careering down the hill at breakneck speed. Luckily, you don't

have to do it because Graham is going to do it for you. This has to

be the most terrifying camera run in the world of sport.

This is the big one, the toughest course in the world. If you win the

championships, you become a champion, if you win in Kitzbuehel

the air, then through the compression. You are looking to

stay as high as possible. Then fighting to get back to the gate.

You have just got to stay out of this net. Made it! OK, this flat

section lets you catch your breath, then you go to the part where it

gets bumpy. Over the jump. Then through the best shape here. There

is a lot of terrain, you really have to work the skis. -- the S

shape. Get the energy back into your legs. We are approaching this

section where we have to get the line just right. You come out of

the fence into the compression, hard to the left. The skis just

bouncing around. That was a very low lying. I would not have been

faster in the race. Luckily I am not raising any more. Over the last

jump. My legs are burning, and I tell you what, that might be only

90 mph but it feels a whole lot faster. Skiing is very relative.

it as evil and dangerous as ever? would say so, yes. There are some

serious bumps. As you come across the finishing traverse, my line was

very low and I would not have been fast in the race. Now it is time

for the best races to take on the most difficult and dangerous

downhill in the world. Matt Chilton downhill in the world. Matt Chilton

has the commentary. It is the winter a theatre of dreams, where

legends are created. The strife course on the Hahnenkamm mountain.

Thousands have congregated. Max Franz is a way for Austria. He

suffered a crash early in the season. A good solid landing, into

the carousel turn. Gliding down towards this legendary section,

wanting to keep clear of the netting at the side of the course.

Just off the pace of Streitberger. The next major element is the big

jump. Max Franz flies again. Lovely landing, picking his line as he

hits the big bumpy traverse. Nice and high. 13 hundredth of a second

behind at the last intermediate. 141.3 through the gun, and the lead

in Kitzbuehel. Max Franz absolutely nailed the

bottom part of the course, carrying the speed on to the traverse, and

he was able to dive down at 141 kilometres per hour. That gave him

the speed at the finish. Race face on today for Kjetil

Jansrud. He means business as he the carousel. He has the top

section dialled in so far. Now, the line here could be crucial for the

Norwegian. He is the Norwegian number two with Aksel Lund Svindal,

who was quickest in training, still to come. It is green all the way.

He is still narrowly in front, 500 is of the second. On to the

traverse, getting blown around. Final jump. A bit clumsy in flight.

Has he done enough to lead? Not quite. Jansrud has come second.

That gave the ground a bit of a scare. He was very fast on the top

of the course, lost some speed in the middle, and didn't quite have

the same speed as Max Franz down to gate. He has a lot of experience on

this particular course. Smooth and long, and a soft, controlled

landing. Up by quite a long way, 11 hundredth. Just a little low on the

line as he comes into this turn. Peter Fill might have just lost his

edge. My word, he has lost it completely. He is on his belly as

he comes to a stop. He hit the netting hard, cartwheeling through.

are to Peter Fill's skis. That's a Austria. The best chance,

potentially, for the host nation today. That was lovely on the

Mausefalle. The Karusell, slightly lower than he might have liked.

Into the Steilhang. Nice control. Peter Fill got it all wrong - it's

well negotiated for Klaus Kroell. Very close inteed all the way

through for Klaus Kroell -- indeed all the way through for Klaus

Kroell. Max Franz still leads here. For

Austria they might be on for a one, two. Nice and gentle and soft on

the edges. Wonderful control - even at high speed. 1.37.39 for Franz.

Klaus Kroell is as close as he could be. Now he hits this bumpy

traverse. Off the little jump there, rolls it

through, tucks in, one more to come for Kroell.

He's second. Oh, my word! Relief for Max Franz.

So second place for Klaus Kroell. That's the Austrians in one and two

so far. Kroell, to me, looked a little bit passive on top of the

course. Then down the finishes, he had the same height and speed, but

didn't have quite the same attack. Wengen. He broke the World Cup

speed record. Can he be an ace on this maverick course and take our

breath away? Johan Clarey, of France, in the

across the snow. from danger, as he heads into the

forest and getting faster all the time. Green all the way for the

Frenchman. Five green lights in Kitzbuehel for Johan Clarey. He

approaches the Hausberg. Oh, he's winding down the windows! Makes a

decent landing. He has one-third of a second, surely. He's on to his --

his way to the netting. Big crash for Johan Clarey. I think he's OK.

He's fine. So, another crash. This time Johan

Clarey crashing probably the scariest part of the course. He

took huge air as he went off the Hausberg. Made that turn well. He

was ahead as he crashed and just lent on the insides. Very, very

consistent down hill racer of the season. He was very, very swift in

training earlier in the week. Perfect conditions today. Can

Svindal turn that training speed into a race win on the Hahnenkamm?

Now, through the Steilhang, time for our leader's 33.6 and Svindal

It would take a miracle for Aksel Lund Svindal to claw back that time.

A solid jump. Very, very close to the netting. He's low on the

traverse, into the shadow - it's dark down there and clips that

control gate, which sends him on to the Zielschuss. I don't think it

will happen for him. Sind sind is only fifth. -- Svindal is only

Picked up a little bit of speed in the mid-part of the course. Didn't

have the speed towards the finish. the high-speed courses. Likes it

when it's bumpy and icy. He's sucking it all in today in the

early stages on the Streif. Paris, joint winner of a downhill.

A massive jump from Paris. He is travelling in Kitzbuehel. It has

gone from red to green and getting better all the time for the Italian.

Dominik Paris is 1600ths of a second faster. Really good gliding

across the snow. He's still in front of Franz. Most of the crowd

are hoping that Paris will be slower, but he's getting faster and

faster. Now he's on the traverse. Won terful stuff from Paris --

wonderful stuff from Paris. He's way ahead. Skiing for the lead in

Kitzbuehel. Dominik Paris, of Italy, has first position by a massive

margin. What a run! If you were watching last week the

Wengen show, the piece we did on the two young Rockies, Max Franz

and Dominik Paris and they are number one and two on the podiums

so far. Brilliant skiing from Paris. Good on top of the course. He had

the height and speed. He's getting a really good round of applause

here in the finish. Erik Guay is ready to race. In preparation of

next month's World Championships, he spent the summer perfecting his

race position in a wind tunnel. Can Likes this course. Canadians in the

past with a very good tradition of skelsz in -- success in Kitzbuehel.

On the Mausefalle - a wonderful jump. He switched on the green

light. This puts him in a very fraction ally into the red zone.

1100ths of a second behind Paris. At the... A brilliant run from Erik

Guay. Nearly home. The final jump and Guay lands softly and skis for

the line. Oh, he's just missed it! traverse in the lead and he's

higher. He's worked harder to get there. Dominik Paris has carved a

cleaner turn and is carrying more speed. He's low, but he's just

about getting away with it. He has to clatter the final gate. He

carries good speed down the trap After a poor season two years ago

Reichelt has turned it around. A place on the podium for a second

year running in Wengen shows he's for the host nation, Austria.

Winning here would make him a national heroin stapbtly. He shared

-- national heroine instantly Reichelt, into the Steilhang. Good

line. Off into the forest in excellent shape. 0.37 in front.

It's been green all the way for Hannes Reichelt.

He needs to be ahead and he is still. This looks really good for

Reichelt. Oh, and then he clips that and he lifted his ski and that

would have slowed him down a fraction. A shaky moment for

Reichelt on the approach to the Hausberg.

On to the traverse. Oh, that might not be quite high enough. He's

dangerously low. Takes a shaky line as he tucks in for the finish. They

are holding their breath in Kitzbuehel as Reichelt goes for

third only. Oh, my word! That was close.

It goes to show how educated this crowd is. As soon as Hannes

Reichelt dropped low on that traverse, there was a big grown,

because they knew he would not be carrying the speed. He skied the

top perfectly. Did well to absorb and avoid those bumps after the

Mausefalle. Just that one mistake coming on to the final traverse is

He comes off the back in Wengen Sporn is faster through the first

second by 700ths of a second. Good work! Skiing with real confidence

after he went so well on the longest of the downhill courses in

Wengen a week ago. Now he's dealing the toughest and going nicely. It's

drifting into the red zone, but he can pull this back. Putting his

hands forward, trying to cut through the air as aerodynamicly as

possible as he sets up and chooses his line to the Hausberg. He's back

in front by 100ths of a second. The line on the traverse is high. Sporn

finds himself on the Zielschuss with a chance to make a name for

himself here. He goes fourth. Slovenian. David Poisson Really had

to flap to keep his balance, and he is certainly giving it everything.

A little brute of a man. He is so strong. How is his line here? Good

- nice and high. He has been in and out of the greens are known, into

the red now though. This is a chance for him to make up a few

places and possibly score himself a top five position in Kitzbuehel. He

might be the best Frenchman on the day. 139.9 through the gun, a fine

run from the Frenchman. And nothing fishy about his

performance on the lower part of the course, able to carry a good

line on to the Bombie traverse, a good speed on to the finish. It

just shows it is still possible to ski from a high number.

Star eating in 46, there was no advantage for Christof Innerhofer.

Despite an aggressive top section, he lost speed on the gliding part

of the course and couldn't make up the time, eventually finishing in

I have no words for the feeling. It is amazing, incredible. I can't

believe it. I tried my best and I saw the number one and it was

unbelievable. Still no Austrian winner.

What a classic race, Kitzbuehel served a top again. Christophe

Innerhofer won last week, and Paris here in Kitzbuehel. These guys do

speak Austrian so there is a certain amount of acceptance here

but the drought continues for the Austrian downhill team.

Now we are travelling across the Atlantic to one of the spiritual

birthplaces of snowboarding - Tahoe in California, where I went to meet

one of my heroes. Are you guys about ready? I have my snowboard on

now. Where and I am riding, it is like time slows down. It keeps me

alive and it also lets me live. one would recognise Tom Burt in the

street and he does not court fame, but in the world of snowboarding he

is a legend. To me, growing up he was an absolute hero and I used to

pore over the videos he put together. Over the last three

decades of cementing his position as one of the most important

snowboarders of all time. When you grow up in the mountains, you live

that lifestyle. You get kicked out of the house to go outside so we

were hiking, skiing when we were young. The ended you first come

across snowboarding? In about seventh grade, 1976, although I

didn't try it until 1992. I hiked up the hill, started to lean back

and realised I had to lean forward. Where does a Lasker fit into that

picture? Were your eyes bulging out the potential? So many mountains,

just wide-eyed because you are like that would be fully and that would

be funny. -- fun. We started doing first decents off the get go.

has done things that not a lot of people have dared to do since done

that was a long time ago. Just his outrageous lines, death-defying.

has the eye for getting down the mountain in the most difficult way,

of the path of most resistance. What's is probably the trademark of

his Roms is the exposure, the amount of risk on the slope.

Glaciers, the mini avalanche you create on a steep slope every time

you turn and a lot of his biggest runs were so exposed it is called a

no-fall run. If you fall, there is no question - you will die.

thought it was possible maybe. There were crevasses all over the

place at the bottom and I don't know how long it was, but probably

close to a 5000 ft descent. If anything went wrong on the upper

third, you are pretty much guaranteed to die. I looked at it,

didn't like the conditions, to picture on my Polaroid, thought

about it for several days, went back and thought it was not as bad

as I thought it might be. We are doing it right now. Three, two,

one... He has gone. Looking good. felt pretty psyched out by the

ice... I made my way down the mountain pretty fast. Everything

went good. Still to this day, I don't think anybody has ridden that

line. For that not to be re created in this length of time, that says a

lot. Looking back, what motivated you to take that on? It looked fun,

it looked do wobble. A back in the day, there was some pretty fierce

cadence. Tom had more of a sustainable riding approach which I

think helped trickle-down and probably saved a lot of lives. He

has probably been doing it for 30 years and there is something to be

said for that. Testament. I have never been afraid to back off from

anything. If you don't feel good about it, come back the next week.

I have climbed a lot of big mountains so I was very well versed

and everyone followed me around. No one would go there unless we went

there and check it out and we basically started guiding from day

one in Alaska and continue to do that today. If his entire career

has been built on a bedrock of incredible mountain knowledge. His

understanding of terrain, glaciers, snowpack is what allowed him to do

those ridiculous slopes in the first place, but these days he is

teaching not only Professional snowboarders but also the guides,

and anyone you speak to in Alaska will tell you his wealth of

knowledge is probably the most voluble commodity when it comes to

riding such big mountains. I have been with a lot of people for their

first ride. The to such another level when your guide is giving you

(BLEEP) for not riding something. He stands on the lines and says you

can go down here. I'm like it you think so, I got it. He approves of

my riding, that is a lot to me. Obviously he is one of my idols.

Snowboarding, like any creative pursuit, is incredibly fickle when

it comes to fashions. Tricks come and go. Throughout the phases and

fashions, Tom Burt has stayed true to his big mountain ideals and at

times that was extremely unfashionable. During the big 1990s

when it was about freestyle on kickers, I was teased mercilessly

by my friends for watching his videos but now he has had the last

laugh. When you go back and watch the videos, the tricks you see the

other riders doing look basic compared to today's standards. But

when you watch Tom's sections, his tricks have stood the test of time.

In all the movies I did, there is one repeat shot of one line, a

credit roll repeat. Of every line in every film you have ever been in,

they are all fresh? You have never repeated another line? No, I

haven't. He may be one of the oldest guys on the hill, but he is

still quiet and humble and takes pleasure from the simple things.

could have continued to film but I chose to have family and hang out

with my kids. I ride hard when I ride and it is really fun. In

snowboarding you had racing, pipe competitions, how big the X Games

is and the Olympics, and you add everything else in some there.

this series we have been looking at some of Britain's newest stars of

winter sports. Those men and women will be hunting for gold in Sochi

next year. My name is Ben Kilner, and I have

been snowboarding now for 14 years. I am getting on a bit. It started

with some snowboarding lessons, and it just went on, and I got here

where I am today. Half pipe is a U- shaped ditch. We tend to get about

six hits. You want to get everything perfect. When you have

managed to stay on your feet at the bottom of the half pipe, it is a

brilliant feeling. You get the same on slope style if you stay on your

feet. Sochi will be my second Olympics, so I can concentrate

fully on my run. I have taken in the experience and now I can give

it 100%. News from the women's tour - a

Lynsey von won on her home snow. In Aspen Colorado, one of our medal

hopefuls James Woods has qualified first in the skiing slope style.

His final is coming up in a few hours so we wish him the best. In

Alpine, Robert Potts scored a rare victory in the under 16s category

in the Czech Republic. If you press your red button, you can get the

highlights of the men's slalom from Kitzbuehel. Next week, we are