0:00:00 > 0:00:52History rarely looks like history when it's being created. At that
0:00:53 > 0:00:56time, there's no knowing... When some eccentric Brits decided to turn
0:00:57 > 0:01:00sliding down a mountain into a sport, they probably didn't think it
0:01:01 > 0:01:04would become the world tour that it is now. And as the World Cup has
0:01:05 > 0:01:10grown, so have the reputations of those who have competed. The number
0:01:11 > 0:01:26one! Now legends. Their names edged into
0:01:27 > 0:01:33the history books. Lindsey Vorn, Brilliant run! Million stuff from
0:01:34 > 0:01:38the World Cup leader! History has a habit of repeating itself. But in
0:01:39 > 0:01:45our sport, simply imitating those who have gone before doesn't cut it.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50So no sooner has history smiled on its achievement than the smirk is
0:01:51 > 0:01:55wiped off its face by someone doing something bigger and better than
0:01:56 > 0:02:01anyone had imagined possible. For now, we won't trouble ourselves with
0:02:02 > 0:02:04the bigger picture. The joy is in watching the boundaries being
0:02:05 > 0:02:12pushed. History will be its own judge. Let the drama unfold.
0:02:13 > 0:02:20Hello and welcome to Adelboden. This year, the World Cup celebrates its
0:02:21 > 0:02:2850th anniversary and we join the tour just in time for the classic
0:02:29 > 0:02:34races. Yes, several great races coming up in the next few weeks but
0:02:35 > 0:02:38first this is Adelboden, 20,000 fans ready to scream on their ski idols
0:02:39 > 0:02:42in the men's slalom. We've got a stellar line-up including the
0:02:43 > 0:02:46overall champion for the last five years Marcel Hirscher, and the most
0:02:47 > 0:02:49dominant force in slalom skiing at the moment, Henrik Kristoffersen.
0:02:50 > 0:02:58But getting closer and closer to those two is Britain's very own Dave
0:02:59 > 0:03:05Ryding. Like so many of the stars of British snow sport, Dave started out
0:03:06 > 0:03:10on one of the country's dry slopes. They've uncovered a couple hidden
0:03:11 > 0:03:16gems. Just blown by the locals really, just look at them, they are
0:03:17 > 0:03:20just sessioning this and absolutely loving it! More on that later on in
0:03:21 > 0:03:25the show but now it is back to the slalom here in Adelboden and before
0:03:26 > 0:03:30the race began, Graeme Winch went to talk to Dave Ryding, who goes into
0:03:31 > 0:03:34this race in the form of his life. Dave Ryding scored his first ever
0:03:35 > 0:03:41World Cup top ten in the first race of the season in Levi, Finland, with
0:03:42 > 0:03:45a sixth place and he backed that up in Zagreb with a seventh. I'm
0:03:46 > 0:03:52guessing he's going to be in a good mood! Dave, how you doing?
0:03:53 > 0:04:00Congratulations. Thank you. Awesome season. Tell us about the result in
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Levi,. I knew I had some better skiing than last year and I came
0:04:05 > 0:04:07into the season in good shape. I just had everything out there and I
0:04:08 > 0:04:11was forth after the first run and I thought crikey, it's on now, I'm
0:04:12 > 0:04:14going to have to step up on the second one. I wasn't as good on the
0:04:15 > 0:04:21second one but still, second place is a dream start to the season. You
0:04:22 > 0:04:26jumped into fourth and then it was like wow in Levi. In Zagreb, you
0:04:27 > 0:04:29were lying down in 16th place and you came down and you took the lead
0:04:30 > 0:04:37by quite a substantial margin over Stefano Gross. Levi was like, I've
0:04:38 > 0:04:41got it all to lose. Zagreb was like, I knew I could do better on the
0:04:42 > 0:04:45first run. I was slightly annoyed with myself. I was slightly
0:04:46 > 0:04:49motivated and itching to get going on the second run. It's an awesome
0:04:50 > 0:04:52feel when -- feeling when you see the green light and you let it all
0:04:53 > 0:04:58out. What was it like actually being in the leaders's in closure. It's a
0:04:59 > 0:05:01dream you just start dreaming and you think you can start picking off
0:05:02 > 0:05:08the next guy and the next guy and to get to seven the game was great.
0:05:09 > 0:05:14Those strong results meant a ride down a zip wire to the Adelboden
0:05:15 > 0:05:22draw. Last night he joined slalom's biggest names as the start list for
0:05:23 > 0:05:28the race was picked. As the top skiers, Henrik Kristoffersen and
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Marcel Kircher, what do you have to do to challenge them? You're right,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37they are a step above the rest. If you look at Henrik, need is the
0:05:38 > 0:05:42basics rather than every -- better than everyone else. That's what I'd
0:05:43 > 0:05:45been working on for the last three years now, just do the basics better
0:05:46 > 0:05:49and I will keep trying to do that. Keep looking at people like Henrik.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52They are the guys that I looked it and you can see they are working on
0:05:53 > 0:06:02doing the basics right and that's what I'm trying to do as well. To
0:06:03 > 0:06:05skiing well? On this slope. I've not figure that out in the last two
0:06:06 > 0:06:10years! I've not had my best races here. But I think it is believing
0:06:11 > 0:06:14myself. My improved form shows that I'm better and I will just try and
0:06:15 > 0:06:19attack it and bring what I've got. It's a cool experience, the crowd is
0:06:20 > 0:06:23just buzzing on the piste and you can't not hear it. But you've just
0:06:24 > 0:06:28got to keep focusing on going down. It feels a little bit like deja vu.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Every year we come to Adelboden and talk about just how much Dave Ryding
0:06:33 > 0:06:35has progressed. What would you put that down to? I think it's mostly a
0:06:36 > 0:06:43lot of hard work but he has also added to his very small team. He did
0:06:44 > 0:06:47have one coach and he has now added another and the two of his support
0:06:48 > 0:06:51staff are the same age as Dave and they are both former racers. They
0:06:52 > 0:06:55are as committed to the programmers he is. It's all about incremental
0:06:56 > 0:07:03gains, anything they can do to make Dave faster, they do. Do you think
0:07:04 > 0:07:10he is a realistic medal contender at Pyeongchang, only a year away? I
0:07:11 > 0:07:16think they've could become a medal contender for Pyeongchang. The
0:07:17 > 0:07:18overall slalom champion from last year, Henrik Kristoffersen can he
0:07:19 > 0:07:23missed a couple of races at the start of the season despite being
0:07:24 > 0:07:27fit and in the form of his life. What's that all about? He had an
0:07:28 > 0:07:30argument with his national federation, he wants to sign Red
0:07:31 > 0:07:39Bull is a personal sponsor, like his team-mate, Axel, but he wasn't
0:07:40 > 0:07:43allowed to do so. It wasn't just about the money. When he started
0:07:44 > 0:07:50running again, he started winning. Add Valdez there he put down eight
0:07:51 > 0:07:54special -- per down a special run. The two of them are in a league of
0:07:55 > 0:07:58their own at the moment. The Norwegian is certainly the man to
0:07:59 > 0:08:02beat at the moment. The slalom is contested over two runs. Only the
0:08:03 > 0:08:12fastest will race again. The classic looked set up to be
0:08:13 > 0:08:21contested by slalom's big names. Felix Neureuther laid down a solid
0:08:22 > 0:08:26if unspectacular run. They say some guys have all the luck and the
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Norwegian's dominant performance, if that wasn't enough, the weather
0:08:30 > 0:08:38closed in, completely changing the make-up of the race. Conditions took
0:08:39 > 0:08:41a turn for the worse. The rest of the field struggled as visibility
0:08:42 > 0:08:46got worse and worse. Current slalom World Cup leader Marcel Hirscher
0:08:47 > 0:08:50became lost in the fog on the fiendishly steep bottom section and
0:08:51 > 0:08:55was absolutely livid after he finished 1.6 seconds behind his
0:08:56 > 0:08:58biggest rival. Britain's Dave Ryding was frustrated after a couple of
0:08:59 > 0:09:03costly errors left him over three seconds off the lead but even so he
0:09:04 > 0:09:10still gets a second run and a chance of a career-best finish here in
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Adelboden. I think it's fair to say that weather dictated the results
0:09:15 > 0:09:18rather than the skiers's form? Massive time differences as well.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23Earlier this week in Zagreb, the top 30 were separated by one and a half
0:09:24 > 0:09:27seconds. Here, Marcel Hirscher is down in sixth place. It was very
0:09:28 > 0:09:31thick fog. If it was a football match, it would have been cancelled.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36But it is a ski racing and they will only stop it if it is dangerous. It
0:09:37 > 0:09:40wasn't fair, but life is not fair. What do you think the best Dave
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Ryding and Marcel Hirscher can expect from the second run? Even
0:09:45 > 0:09:49though Dave Ryding was massively disappointed with his run and he was
0:09:50 > 0:09:55not happy about the conditions, he's lying in 18th place and he could
0:09:56 > 0:09:58potentially move up into the top ten which would be a great result for
0:09:59 > 0:10:02him. The last time I saw Marcel Hirscher this angry after a run was
0:10:03 > 0:10:08when he put his goggles the wrong way round and he moved up into 20th
0:10:09 > 0:10:13position. Marcel Hirscher will go absolutely 100% on the second run
0:10:14 > 0:10:16and try and shoot for top spot. Talking of the top spot, Henrik
0:10:17 > 0:10:21Kristoffersen may have had the best of the weather but he skied
0:10:22 > 0:10:25beautifully. Classic Henrik Kristoffersen. Really clean angles
0:10:26 > 0:10:33and really setting his terms. Interesting to see how close Moelgg
0:10:34 > 0:10:38was. It may now become a three horse race for slalom wins.
0:10:39 > 0:10:48Over to Charlie with the commentary. COMMENTATOR: Jonathan Nord button
0:10:49 > 0:10:53will get this under way, 8.4 seconds off the pace of the first round
0:10:54 > 0:11:01leader who is his compatriot, Henrik Kristoffersen. Nordbotten With that
0:11:02 > 0:11:07very upright start in the upper body, trying to keep it as tight as
0:11:08 > 0:11:11possible while the legs go to work underneath him. Edge to edge,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15alternate red and blue gates. As you can see, the weather is
0:11:16 > 0:11:22significantly better for this second run, as Nordbotten comes over into
0:11:23 > 0:11:26the steepest pitch of the run, perhaps the steepest pitch on any
0:11:27 > 0:11:35slalom run on the World Cup tour. 60%. It's about 30 degrees. A couple
0:11:36 > 0:11:39of slip turns but he has got them calving again and now Nordbotten
0:11:40 > 0:11:46looking to set the pace in this second run, which he does at
0:11:47 > 0:11:511:58.73. That is the time they will all be looking to beat. That was a
0:11:52 > 0:11:54great run by Jonathan Nordbotten, taking full advantage of the fact
0:11:55 > 0:11:58that he started number one on the second run. The mist has lifted and
0:11:59 > 0:12:04the visibility is much better. A good run laid down and that time
0:12:05 > 0:12:09should stand for a few races. Dave Ryding of Great Britain than next to
0:12:10 > 0:12:18go. Can he find a second run charge like he found in Zagreb on Thursday
0:12:19 > 0:12:21when he moved from 16th to seventh? 0.57 is his advantage over
0:12:22 > 0:12:26Nordbotten. Conditions far better for Ryding, but he has lost a lot of
0:12:27 > 0:12:31time on those opening gates, but many before him have lost time as
0:12:32 > 0:12:40well. Can he find it between intermediate and one and two? Ryding
0:12:41 > 0:12:46is a 100 of a second the wrong side of the clock. Coming in now to the
0:12:47 > 0:12:52finish pitch, one of the steepest pitch is on the World Cup tour. 60%.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57To put that into perspective, the steepest road in Great Britain is
0:12:58 > 0:13:0230%. Ryding has the green light but can he keep it to the finish?
0:13:03 > 0:13:10Nordbotten has led all the way but Ryding is putting his time under
0:13:11 > 0:13:14pressure. 1:58.73. Can Ryding get there? No, he's just outside. He
0:13:15 > 0:13:21goes at second for the time being. That was a great second run from
0:13:22 > 0:13:29Dave Ryding. Jonathan Nordbotten, he had a really tough time to beat. He
0:13:30 > 0:13:34has set a course with a big offset and Ryding came on to that finish
0:13:35 > 0:13:38pitch and did the left foot under gate, two Gates set in the same
0:13:39 > 0:13:41direction, he did that well and took the lead at that point but just
0:13:42 > 0:13:46couldn't quite hold it until the finish. Still a great performance
0:13:47 > 0:13:56from the British skier. Next up representing Germany, Linus
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Strasser. Strasser has had a good season, points scored in every
0:14:00 > 0:14:04slalom race and he's starting to knock on the door of the top 30. Can
0:14:05 > 0:14:16he maintain the green light from top to bottom? 1:26.89, Strasser still
0:14:17 > 0:14:22has it and he has found three hundredths of a second. If he gets
0:14:23 > 0:14:27to the bottom of this run he will better his best ever result here,
0:14:28 > 0:14:35but what he will want to do is try to get in front of Jonathan'
0:14:36 > 0:14:43Nordbotten, who was the first place skier down this run. It's that
0:14:44 > 0:14:47enough to take the lead away from the Norwegian, Nordbotten? He's done
0:14:48 > 0:14:54it... No, it is the same time! Exactly the same time. Strasser goes
0:14:55 > 0:15:02into equal first position with Jonathan Nordbotten. Jonathan
0:15:03 > 0:15:07Nordbotten's time is not beaten but it is matched exactly to the
0:15:08 > 0:15:13hundreds of a second. As the German came onto the finish pitch, he skied
0:15:14 > 0:15:17the under gate very well. It's confusing, you can dive in on that
0:15:18 > 0:15:20last one and you might get a quick split time but you haven't invested
0:15:21 > 0:15:24in the height to carry the Skeete the finish and that is exactly what
0:15:25 > 0:15:25happened there. Still, nothing to separate the Norwegian and the
0:15:26 > 0:15:34German. The Frenchman next challenge, the
0:15:35 > 0:15:41winner of the giant slalom here yesterday, looking for the double.
0:15:42 > 0:15:47His advantage over the leaders .15 of a second and he's having to jump
0:15:48 > 0:15:53into the turns. It's very, very scrappy, somehow stays upright,
0:15:54 > 0:16:00that's a wonderful piece of athleticism to stay on his skis. Its
0:16:01 > 0:16:16cost and time. Still in touch, point to two off the pace. How can he'd
0:16:17 > 0:16:24get on? He has found time, .17 of a second. Can he keep it clean to the
0:16:25 > 0:16:30finish? Last couple of turns, looking to take it away from the
0:16:31 > 0:16:43competition. He does. He leads for France. Living by the seat of his
0:16:44 > 0:16:49pants. Using his skills, his giant slalom skills to make that long left
0:16:50 > 0:16:53footed under date very clean. Carried speed and got hyped and was
0:16:54 > 0:16:56able to carry the exhilaration of the way down into the finish and
0:16:57 > 0:17:04that is what made up the time, the last section. COMMENTATOR: Next ago,
0:17:05 > 0:17:14the Austrian who led after the first round run in Zagreb the other night.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18No pressure here, but look at that for a start, full out attack from
0:17:19 > 0:17:29the man who has found time on those opening turns. Really taking it to
0:17:30 > 0:17:35these gates. He continues to find time. He is flying. Enter the
0:17:36 > 0:17:44finishing Petch, the cloud comes back in. Conditions far from ideal
0:17:45 > 0:17:50for the Austrian but he's not holding back. Look at that 0.7 five.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55He will be so disappointed after his performance in Zagreb, he's taking
0:17:56 > 0:18:04it out on the course, surely the leaders time will be beaten? Here he
0:18:05 > 0:18:10comes, he's done it! 0.43, what response.
0:18:11 > 0:18:16A very exciting skier to watch, so loose and relaxed on his skis. Loose
0:18:17 > 0:18:22and relaxed personality as well. He lets absolutely everything wrapped
0:18:23 > 0:18:30when he is on the course. Ready to race as the overall World Cup leader
0:18:31 > 0:18:34who puts his balance down to childhood summers riding on cows and
0:18:35 > 0:18:46playing on slack lines. Can he balance speed and control to claim
0:18:47 > 0:18:50top spot? COMMENTATOR: He leads the slalom standings, not happy with the
0:18:51 > 0:18:53first run and the cloud but things have not improved. But at least he
0:18:54 > 0:19:02will be used to skiing this piste in the cloud today.
0:19:03 > 0:19:10He really needs to put in one of those second run charges late in the
0:19:11 > 0:19:15line, that's a big mistake. He got his 100th podium finish here
0:19:16 > 0:19:22yesterday to go level in all-time podium finishes. He needs one more
0:19:23 > 0:19:29to go into second position out right. He will have his work cut out
0:19:30 > 0:19:34here. He's being juddered around. You can see him gritting his teeth.
0:19:35 > 0:19:42Still has the green light, looking to take it away from his compatriot,
0:19:43 > 0:19:50Manuel Feller. He leads, that's really good skiing in the bottom
0:19:51 > 0:19:54half. He leads by 0.86 of a second. That is the lead and crucially he is
0:19:55 > 0:19:58not punching the air with the light in the finish area, he made a couple
0:19:59 > 0:20:04of small mistakes, one on the flat and then coming onto the steep very
0:20:05 > 0:20:08hard on his edges, really aggressive. Interesting that the fog
0:20:09 > 0:20:13might be coming in on the top of the course as that could play a part in
0:20:14 > 0:20:17the last part of this race. Next ago is the German number one, a sporting
0:20:18 > 0:20:23celebrity, his patchy start the season is not the focus of German
0:20:24 > 0:20:26tabloids, his girlfriend recently caught the bikini at a celebrity
0:20:27 > 0:20:35wedding and the press are getting excited. Can he be best man on this
0:20:36 > 0:20:45big day? COMMENTATOR: Just three remain at the top of the hill. First
0:20:46 > 0:20:50of which is Felix. Second in Zagreb. On Thursday. The three remaining
0:20:51 > 0:20:59scares were the podium finishers in Zagreb. He sees his advantage on was
0:21:00 > 0:21:11totally wiped out in the opening turns. He needs to get into the red
0:21:12 > 0:21:17over and quickly. -- into the rhythm of the course and quickly. Can he
0:21:18 > 0:21:26scheme this bottom pitch? That's the difference at the moment, these
0:21:27 > 0:21:31bottom turns, get it back together again, finds an extra tenth of a
0:21:32 > 0:21:42second. As the cloud clears they can let the skis go. Can he get in front
0:21:43 > 0:21:45of the leader? No! 0.05, the wrong side of the clock from his
0:21:46 > 0:21:50perspective. They say what goes around comes
0:21:51 > 0:21:56around, he started early on the first run and had a brilliantly
0:21:57 > 0:22:00clear race, second run the for could come in, not as clean on that second
0:22:01 > 0:22:08section, could not carry the speed to the line. It looks like Marcel
0:22:09 > 0:22:17Hirscher will be on the podium again. The veteran ski racer loves
0:22:18 > 0:22:21his bike on what as much as his skis. He raised money for critically
0:22:22 > 0:22:26ill children in the summer. They say nice guys finish last but he has won
0:22:27 > 0:22:37this week in Zagreb and should not be ruled out. COMMENTATOR: Manfred
0:22:38 > 0:22:43Moelgg, his advantage a massive 1.22 seconds. Had the last of the good
0:22:44 > 0:22:50weather in the first run, he's got cloud in the second. What can the
0:22:51 > 0:22:58veteran do? The answer is it's a good start, the second oldest winner
0:22:59 > 0:23:04on the World Cup tour in Zagreb. And at the next time split he finds
0:23:05 > 0:23:15himself 1.23 seconds the right side of the clock. Now, coming onto the
0:23:16 > 0:23:21finish pitch. The right gets thrown behind his body, he gets it back
0:23:22 > 0:23:25together quickly. The advantage is 0.9 to take the lead away from
0:23:26 > 0:23:34Marcel Hirscher. It's only a mistake which will cost him now or at least
0:23:35 > 0:23:41the lead. Surely the time will be beaten and it is, but only by 0.3
0:23:42 > 0:23:47six. He backs up his Zagreb win with another fine performance.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Great run from Manfred Moelgg, clearly not going to settle for
0:23:52 > 0:23:56second place, relaxed and aggressive skiing from the Italian and he's
0:23:57 > 0:24:02thrown down the gauntlet to Henrik Kristoffersen. But it was his coach
0:24:03 > 0:24:09who set the second run, that should help the Norwegian. Next is Henrik
0:24:10 > 0:24:14Kristoffersen, last season he was champion of this discipline and the
0:24:15 > 0:24:20first race to win six slab runs in one season since 1992. But the
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Norwegian is staying grounded. He is dating his childhood sweetheart and
0:24:24 > 0:24:27has a new puppy. While the fairy tale continues here and see him
0:24:28 > 0:24:34crowned top dog? COMMENTATOR: The final race at the top of the hill,
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Henrik Kristoffersen, can he take the win away from Manfred Moelgg? We
0:24:40 > 0:24:43have seen those in the past folding under the pressure of leading after
0:24:44 > 0:24:46the first run but not this man, he knows no fear. He has eyes in his
0:24:47 > 0:25:02veins as he attacks once again. He keeps the advantage at 0.6 one.
0:25:03 > 0:25:08Trying to defend his title that he won here last year, into the
0:25:09 > 0:25:14finishing pitch. Had good weather in run one, cloud in the second run,
0:25:15 > 0:25:18can he keep it together? You bet he can, he is annihilating Manfred
0:25:19 > 0:25:28Moelgg's time, stamping his authority on the slalom World Cup
0:25:29 > 0:25:32tour. Surely for the win? It's immense! Its immense! 1.83, what a
0:25:33 > 0:25:47winning margin! Henrik Kristoffersen is the winner! What a performance.
0:25:48 > 0:25:56Marcel Hirscher does not look happy. That's because of the first run. But
0:25:57 > 0:26:03Henrik Kristoffersen is on top of the podium once again.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07We said before the race that this was a two horse race and between the
0:26:08 > 0:26:11runs it was maybe a three horse race but now I think Henrik Kristoffersen
0:26:12 > 0:26:15has proven he is in a league of his own, that was absolutely
0:26:16 > 0:26:21outstanding. Admittedly it was a course set for him by his coach but
0:26:22 > 0:26:23that's the way to do it, superb angles are superbly clean,
0:26:24 > 0:26:32generating speed all the way down. Brilliant. Confirmation of the
0:26:33 > 0:26:35result. He won the four Classics last year and he could repeat the
0:26:36 > 0:26:59feat in 2017. Mandrake more Dave Ryding recalls his best finish
0:27:00 > 0:27:09ever hear coming 15th in Adelboden. That is four top 15 finishes this
0:27:10 > 0:27:17season. It is so fun to ski and with the people around, thank you so
0:27:18 > 0:27:24much. I can hear them on the course and it's so fun to ski here. The
0:27:25 > 0:27:32second run was very impressive, tell us about it? I just tried to push as
0:27:33 > 0:27:38hard as I could. Just skiing. I'm having fun. It's just a nice
0:27:39 > 0:27:43feeling. You must have had the worst of the conditions on the first run
0:27:44 > 0:27:47but the second, happy with it? I give it what I had, pushed as hard
0:27:48 > 0:27:51as I could. It always could be better but I was happy with how I
0:27:52 > 0:27:55approached it and some of the skiing I put down. It's a tough course,
0:27:56 > 0:28:04it's really nice to be in the top 15. The second run course set by the
0:28:05 > 0:28:10Norwegian coach, big offset a set of Henrik Kristoffersen? Yeah, and I
0:28:11 > 0:28:13would guess Jonathan Nordbotten as well, he was still leading when I
0:28:14 > 0:28:19came down so you can say he did a good job. What does 15th place mean
0:28:20 > 0:28:23for you in terms of staying in the top 15? I'm not sure, I will find
0:28:24 > 0:28:26out when I get back to the hotel and see where it puts me, I just have to
0:28:27 > 0:28:30keep chipping away throughout the season and it should take care of
0:28:31 > 0:28:33itself. Better skiing and hopefully a bit more luck like the first round
0:28:34 > 0:28:43and we will see. A personal best you here. By far, positives to take
0:28:44 > 0:28:46away, showing if you fight and are willing to stick it in the finish on
0:28:47 > 0:28:50the first run then anything is possible and to come away with 15th
0:28:51 > 0:28:54is more than I expected, when I saw you after the first run and I
0:28:55 > 0:29:02thought I was going home early. Congratulations, well done. Thank
0:29:03 > 0:29:07you. Elsewhere in winter sports, Inc credible results for British
0:29:08 > 0:29:09athletes. Elise Christie winning five World Cup races in speed
0:29:10 > 0:29:14skating and Lizzie Arnold is barred in the World Cup standings having
0:29:15 > 0:29:18returned to competition after over a year of break from the sport.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23Meanwhile Team GB snowboarders have been impressing in the World Cup.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27Billy Morgan took third in Monchengladbach where Katie Ormerod
0:29:28 > 0:29:32won Silver, having already claimed bronze in South Korea in November.
0:29:33 > 0:29:39In Moscow yesterday she became the first Briton ever to win gold at a
0:29:40 > 0:29:44World Cup. Congratulations. When you think about at the fact that Team GB
0:29:45 > 0:29:47has a handful of Olympic medal contenders in freestyle and ski
0:29:48 > 0:29:51racers regularly placing on the World Cup it's pretty incredible.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56Especially when you consider we don't have mountains on this kind of
0:29:57 > 0:30:00scale back home. Which means that our relative success in snow sports
0:30:01 > 0:30:05can be attributed in no small part to a huge made of hard work, a
0:30:06 > 0:30:10sprinkling of ingenuity and a large portion of creativity.
0:30:11 > 0:30:22We are pretty resourceful when we have to be here in Britain. Nowadays
0:30:23 > 0:30:28you are never far from a course. The current generations success is down
0:30:29 > 0:30:33to the humble dry slope. They are dotted all over the UK, come in all
0:30:34 > 0:30:36shapes and sizes and they might look a bit tired compared to their shiny
0:30:37 > 0:30:40new indoor cousins but scratch beneath the surface and you will see
0:30:41 > 0:30:45they are thriving. To prove it I'm going on a road trip from south to
0:30:46 > 0:30:50north visiting some of the UK's best and most unique dry slopes.
0:30:51 > 0:31:01Unfortunately for me I've got a friend for a company. You probably
0:31:02 > 0:31:03know him from this. Or maybe this? It is of course Jamie Nicholls. Good
0:31:04 > 0:31:16morning. No, I've never ridden here so I'm
0:31:17 > 0:31:24quite excited. That jump looks fun. Let's try it out.
0:31:25 > 0:31:32I got Jamie's autograph when he was about 11. Keep up the snow!
0:31:33 > 0:31:47The first stop here at Snowtrax done and dusted and you have to say,
0:31:48 > 0:31:51pretty rad set up. I like how it is confined in a small space. There's
0:31:52 > 0:31:55loads of stuff you can do, loads of rails. It's 9am on a Wednesday
0:31:56 > 0:32:00morning and beginner lessons are happening over there and there is an
0:32:01 > 0:32:0785-year-old guy learning to ski! How amazing is that! Lock and Load and a
0:32:08 > 0:32:23warm well dry slope here we come! I remember competing here when I was
0:32:24 > 0:32:31eight years old and I remember that so well! Still here.
0:32:32 > 0:32:41Blown away by the locals really. Look at them, they are just
0:32:42 > 0:32:45sessioning this rad setup and absolutely loving it. Warmwell! We
0:32:46 > 0:32:50had a lot of fun but we couldn't hang around. Our final stop for the
0:32:51 > 0:32:54day in Gloucester was 124 miles and two and a half hours up the road.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59This was a chance to relive the good old days. My first ever competition
0:33:00 > 0:33:03here a few years back. Jamie wasn't even born.
0:33:04 > 0:33:11And it was our first encounter with the infamous wrist injuring finger
0:33:12 > 0:33:17snapping diamonds of doom. Feeling very nervous right now! It's like
0:33:18 > 0:33:24200 metres of panicking the whole way down. Kind of like going back in
0:33:25 > 0:33:28a time warp to 80s. Riding on this stuff, I don't know. But it's nice,
0:33:29 > 0:33:38it's got a romantic charm to it. This is the dry slope of old right
0:33:39 > 0:33:45here. Soaking wet, hanging out with your mates. Isn't it ironic that
0:33:46 > 0:33:53it's called dry slope and yet you leave soaking wet! How you feeling
0:33:54 > 0:33:58now? Feeling tired, man. Good, though, isn't it? Feel like I've
0:33:59 > 0:34:05written three slopes in a day. We have! -- ridden. Really excited for
0:34:06 > 0:34:15tomorrow. How do you feel being back at
0:34:16 > 0:34:22Halifax? Every time I'm back home, I love coming back here. It's where I
0:34:23 > 0:34:28started snowboarding, so it brings back great memories for me. Andy is
0:34:29 > 0:34:33here and he has come to shred. Come on then. We don't have long, do we?
0:34:34 > 0:34:36An hour and then I have to meet the rest of the GB crew in Scotland, so
0:34:37 > 0:35:18we had better get going. why has this place produced well,
0:35:19 > 0:35:21obviously, two in edible European snowboarders but also Katie Ormerod
0:35:22 > 0:35:25is a product of this place. She started just after me and I can
0:35:26 > 0:35:33remember her being so small and now she's just amazing, the first woman
0:35:34 > 0:35:36to do a double cut 1080. This is from all the practice riding on this
0:35:37 > 0:35:43dry slope. We would hit this one and then that one, right through those
0:35:44 > 0:35:48trees. On top of the quarter pipe or over there. You have to be a bit
0:35:49 > 0:35:57creative, basically. That transfers then onto snow and that is where we
0:35:58 > 0:36:02have counted today. Jay is off to meet up with Team GB and I'm going
0:36:03 > 0:36:11to take you down to Sheffield. They've got a half pipe, they've got
0:36:12 > 0:36:16an actual dendex half pipe! In 2012, Sheffield ski village was destroyed
0:36:17 > 0:36:23by fire. They had a half pipe... Sheffield is sadly very much the
0:36:24 > 0:36:26past of dry slopes. In its heyday, this was Europe's largest artificial
0:36:27 > 0:36:32ski resort and it was a resort. It's not just a straight slope with just
0:36:33 > 0:36:39one jump. It's got all sorts. This was an amazing breeding ground for
0:36:40 > 0:36:44so many good snow was and -- so many good skiers and snowboarders. James
0:36:45 > 0:36:50Woods, obviously. It's terrible this burned down a year ago. There's
0:36:51 > 0:36:55nothing left to right for us. But in 2015, the Salt Street crew proved
0:36:56 > 0:37:03that where there's a will, there's a way. There are whispers of Sheffield
0:37:04 > 0:37:08ski village being rebuilt but I'm not the only one who hopes they are
0:37:09 > 0:37:14true. For now, though, it was time to hit the road again. I left him in
0:37:15 > 0:37:20Yorkshire and hit the road with an impromptu stop off along the way. As
0:37:21 > 0:37:23we were barrelling up the M6 we had a quick look on the map and noticed
0:37:24 > 0:37:29that not more than 50 minutes off the motorway is this little hidden
0:37:30 > 0:37:33gem, Kendal dry slope. CHUCKLES
0:37:34 > 0:37:36Look at it! Answer me this, why is it green? It is green because we are
0:37:37 > 0:37:40just on the edge of the national park. Where we are based, having a
0:37:41 > 0:37:46white slope wouldn't have been fitting with the local surroundings.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50OK. How important do you think it is to have dry slopes like this? It is
0:37:51 > 0:37:54important because for that weekly, day-to-day practice, this is the
0:37:55 > 0:37:57scene for these guys. Some of these guys have never been on snow and
0:37:58 > 0:38:01some of them might never go on snow but they can still take part. It's a
0:38:02 > 0:38:06great facility and it's a great scene in the UK. It looks great. The
0:38:07 > 0:38:10sprinklers have just come on. I'm going to have a quick slide. Is that
0:38:11 > 0:38:27all right? Yes! CHUCKLES
0:38:28 > 0:38:33Well, there you go. Kendal done and dusted. Very stoked we stopped off
0:38:34 > 0:38:38here. What a little treat, that one. As the sun set on day two of our
0:38:39 > 0:38:44tour, quickly back to the M6 and the small mile of 150 -- small matter of
0:38:45 > 0:38:49150 miles to drive to Glasgow for our final stop. We've met back up
0:38:50 > 0:38:52with Jamie and also that boy right there, Matt McCormack. He's a local
0:38:53 > 0:39:05legend around these parts. Apparently pretty good!
0:39:06 > 0:39:16Pretty intimidating first go. Not going to lie. It's a big jump.
0:39:17 > 0:39:23It seems like all the slopes we've been to, it's a similar deal. It's a
0:39:24 > 0:39:27similar scene, there are kids just constantly sessioning and riding.
0:39:28 > 0:39:33Which is a good thing! It's a good thing that these dry slopes are
0:39:34 > 0:39:37still has scenes because nowadays with the snow centres, people
0:39:38 > 0:39:42ventured to those things. It's going to change at some point, some snow
0:39:43 > 0:39:47dome, some actual fridge kids will come through here. They are coming
0:39:48 > 0:39:52up now. There are loads of young kids coming up there. There needs to
0:39:53 > 0:39:58be a collaboration between the two. There's one kid from Braehead, he's
0:39:59 > 0:40:02just started here and he has progressed so fast through jumps.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07We've enjoyed it, we've had a good hot lap of the UK. From what you've
0:40:08 > 0:40:12said and obviously yourselves, the future of British no boarding is
0:40:13 > 0:40:18pretty bright, isn't it? Definitely. 100%. Listen, you haven't earned
0:40:19 > 0:40:25your bowl of chips yet, so let's do it, let's have a view more runs. --
0:40:26 > 0:40:28the future of British snowboarding. It's great to see so many UK
0:40:29 > 0:40:34facilities thriving. If you're interested in getting involved in
0:40:35 > 0:40:38skiing or snowboarding on British soil, you can go to that website and
0:40:39 > 0:40:44get involved and find your local slope. We want to show pictures and
0:40:45 > 0:40:48videos of you guys in action. Just send them in using the hashtag Ski
0:40:49 > 0:40:55Sunday. If you weren't inspired by our tour of the British dry slopes,
0:40:56 > 0:40:58this might inspire you, the inaugural year of the championship
0:40:59 > 0:41:03ski and snowboard league. It pits dry slopes and snow domes around the
0:41:04 > 0:41:08UK head-to-head. The standard is pretty impressive. Whether you are
0:41:09 > 0:41:13on dry slope at home or abroad, lay down your best runs and send them
0:41:14 > 0:41:16our way. We will also answer your questions from the silly to the
0:41:17 > 0:41:21serious and we have got all bases covered. We've had a lot of people
0:41:22 > 0:41:25asking about snow conditions in the Alps and where is best. It's
0:41:26 > 0:41:30important to say, don't believe in everything you read in the papers.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33Southern France and western Italy have had fantastic snowfalls and as
0:41:34 > 0:41:37you can see, Switzerland and Austria have had their fill in the last week
0:41:38 > 0:41:42as well. We've had questions from Nick and you, who want to know who
0:41:43 > 0:41:49our best prospects in British downhill are. -- Nick and Ewan. They
0:41:50 > 0:41:55say that ski and slalom discipline but downhill is a cult! Britain has
0:41:56 > 0:41:59had great history in producing downhill skiers in the past but now
0:42:00 > 0:42:06we are a bit thin on the ground and mainly producing technical skiers.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10On the women's side, we have got Alex and Charlotte McShane double
0:42:11 > 0:42:21guest. Do you think the lack of downhill has coincided with the lack
0:42:22 > 0:42:31of the mad gene! Another question asks how you get more roosters on
0:42:32 > 0:42:42his toes. That refers to the spray you get. He has got some incredible
0:42:43 > 0:42:45toe and he is finishing his heel side once beautifully. If you put
0:42:46 > 0:42:55more weight on it and then finish your turn by cutting across, you
0:42:56 > 0:43:02will pick up more snow. That is it for this week and join as next week
0:43:03 > 0:43:11for the fastest and longest downhill on the World Cup tour. We're also
0:43:12 > 0:43:17featuring a Swiss skier who doesn't like to hang around either, Jeremie
0:43:18 > 0:43:22Heinz. COMMENTATOR: He is really going for
0:43:23 > 0:43:32this! He leads the way!