:00:58. > :01:02.There is a contradiction in snowboard, up close and personal the
:01:03. > :01:08.riders look normal. They're not physical giants stacked with muscle,
:01:09. > :01:11.they're is not intensely focused, blocking their next move at the
:01:12. > :01:14.expense of their rivals. Snowboarding is fun and it would be
:01:15. > :01:23.ashamed to take it too seriously. Right?
:01:24. > :01:29.Wrong. For all the banter and camaraderie, everything changes when
:01:30. > :01:34.you're stood up here, just a massive kicker and the heavens in which to
:01:35. > :01:38.apply your trade. This is where the snowboarder gets down to business.
:01:39. > :01:40.The athleticism and creativity is off the charts and the distinction
:01:41. > :01:59.between risk and reward is so clear. In this environment progression is
:02:00. > :02:05.king. What's considered impossible today will be standard fare before
:02:06. > :02:08.you know it. And that is why the riders push their limits time and
:02:09. > :02:19.again laying it all on the line. And there's the contradiction.
:02:20. > :02:20.Perhaps it's because they snowboarder's concept of normal is
:02:21. > :02:31.anything but. Hello and welcome to Innsbruck, we
:02:32. > :02:34.are here for the Air Style, an event whose name says it all. Yes,
:02:35. > :02:37.the best snowboarders in the world are throwing down in the legendary
:02:38. > :02:41.big air contest and it's the first time that female riders have been
:02:42. > :02:46.invited to ride the kicker. We have got live music and a massive crowd.
:02:47. > :02:49.This event has it all. Later in the show we have highlights from the
:02:50. > :02:55.Stockholm city event, a parallel slalom battle that pits the race
:02:56. > :02:58.against race in a unique alpine skiing format. And with Dave Ryding
:02:59. > :03:05.in the elite of slalom racing, regularly taking X Games and welcome
:03:06. > :03:09.medals, Graham and Jenny bring you a report into how we develop young
:03:10. > :03:12.talent both alpine and freestyle disciplines. First it is the big air
:03:13. > :03:14.from Innsbruck and Ed has been getting the lowdown on who is here
:03:15. > :03:23.and what we have to look forward to. Air Style is one of the oldest and
:03:24. > :03:27.most prestigious contests in snowboarding and attracts the
:03:28. > :03:34.biggest names in the game. An impressive line-up of live acts, and
:03:35. > :03:38.the biggest and critically most knowledgeable crowd you'll ever find
:03:39. > :03:43.at a snowboard event, who will tonight be screaming at this jump.
:03:44. > :03:47.Air Style Innsbruck is probably one of the oldest snowboard contests
:03:48. > :03:50.and to be part of it is awesome. It is like almost a legendary event, I
:03:51. > :03:56.can say, which makes it extra special for me. If you win the Air
:03:57. > :04:00.Style in Innsbruck everybody knows about it and talks to you. It is
:04:01. > :04:05.like the famous race in Kitzbuhel in skiing, that is what Air Style is
:04:06. > :04:09.in Innsbruck. Air Style started here in 1994 in Innsbruck set up by
:04:10. > :04:12.two friends, Andrew Osmond and Charly Weger who did it for their
:04:13. > :04:16.friends, and there was no way they could imagine the global spectacle
:04:17. > :04:19.it would become today. The first year was all over the place, we had
:04:20. > :04:22.no idea what we were doing, I was a snowboard photographer at the time
:04:23. > :04:26.and we had a stupid idea of doing a small event in Innsbruck. Since then
:04:27. > :04:29.I guess it has grown all over the world. The one thing that makes
:04:30. > :04:33.Innsbruck so unique is the crowd. Do you think that's the part of the
:04:34. > :04:36.recipe you couldn't predict? Yes, that is what happened first time
:04:37. > :04:40.around, we expected a few hundred people on Monday evening and 5000
:04:41. > :04:44.turned up and it was just like out-of-control and crazy and that is
:04:45. > :04:49.Innsbruck for you, it is a snowboard city. You've had women riding the
:04:50. > :04:52.hip jump before but this is the first time men and women have
:04:53. > :04:58.competed equally on the kicker as well. That is a huge milestone. Yes
:04:59. > :05:02.and it's about time. Back in the 90s the girls were not ready for it and
:05:03. > :05:05.we had some injuries back then and decided to stop. You've seen now
:05:06. > :05:09.over the last few years since the Olympics in Sochi that the girls are
:05:10. > :05:14.right up there developing really well so they absolutely deserve to
:05:15. > :05:16.be part of Air Style. Women snowboarding is amazing now, there
:05:17. > :05:21.are so many girls and boys trying harder and difficult tricks and
:05:22. > :05:24.progressing way faster which is awesome to see. I wish we had been
:05:25. > :05:29.here earlier but I think they needed us to see we are ready for these
:05:30. > :05:32.ramps. It is so important for women's progression. In this event I
:05:33. > :05:35.tried a new trick yesterday and I think it's going in the right
:05:36. > :05:41.direction. We haven't had an Austrian winner
:05:42. > :05:46.here since 2001, how does irk with the crowd go if Anna wins? They will
:05:47. > :05:50.go crazy because it's been a long time and everyone has been waiting
:05:51. > :05:53.for an Austrian to win, so let's hope it works out. All of the girls
:05:54. > :05:58.are really good riders and I know I have to throw down my best tricks to
:05:59. > :06:04.be able to win. Everybody will be cheering for her and wanting her to
:06:05. > :06:07.win but I have people supporting me, I have my hyper crew supporting me,
:06:08. > :06:11.so I will have to block all the other things out and concentrate on
:06:12. > :06:15.my runs and hopefully it will go my way. There are three of us here,
:06:16. > :06:18.usually it's just Billy, and we have stayed up late at night whether it
:06:19. > :06:21.has been and watched it. This morning when the girls are training
:06:22. > :06:27.we had a good crew of us and got really hyped up about it.
:06:28. > :06:35.It's the heaviest hitters here. Yeah, the top ten guys are here, so
:06:36. > :06:42.it's always a heavy hitting contest, for sure. OK, predictions? Yuki has
:06:43. > :06:48.been off for a bit, Cleveland and Max. I reckon that is your podium.
:06:49. > :06:53.And EU, where do you fit in to it? I don't know, just in between them
:06:54. > :06:57.somewhere -- and you. It's always a very special event,
:06:58. > :07:02.unique contest. With the women competing on the kicker for the
:07:03. > :07:06.first time and in Snowboard Big Air, and Olympic discipline, does that
:07:07. > :07:09.wrap up expectation? It does but this is the Air Style, one of the
:07:10. > :07:13.biggest contests in the world and you have 30 of the worlds best men
:07:14. > :07:17.and 18 of the worlds best women and a credit to the UK we have three
:07:18. > :07:21.riders, Rowan Coultas, Billy Morgan, a veteran of Air Style and Katie
:07:22. > :07:24.Ormerod, a woman in there for the first time. You mentioned Katie
:07:25. > :07:29.Ormerod, in fantastic form, she won the World Cup in Moscow, big air and
:07:30. > :07:33.third in the X Games slopestyle, can she podium tonight? She could win.
:07:34. > :07:37.She's one of the most consistent female riders there is. Billy Morgan
:07:38. > :07:42.was the first man to land the quad core, were people that out of his
:07:43. > :07:45.locker on this jump? No, Billy did the quad core and put it in a box
:07:46. > :07:49.and put it under his bed. He wanted it as a milestone but not something
:07:50. > :07:53.he wants to pull out all the time. That said, Marcus Cleveland and Max
:07:54. > :07:57.Power, both threw down quad corks in competition for the first time last
:07:58. > :08:09.weekend at the X Games and that has definitely changed the landscape of
:08:10. > :08:12.big air. I think it is going to be one of those two in first place.
:08:13. > :08:14.With only 30 men and eight women in the competition vying for 12 spots
:08:15. > :08:17.in the final, the qualifying rounds have been any credible contest in
:08:18. > :08:19.their own right. Ed has been watching it for us.
:08:20. > :08:22.On Friday night the men's field was whittled down from 30 to 16 riders
:08:23. > :08:25.with all of the top names making it through, including both Brits Billy
:08:26. > :08:29.Morgan and Rowan Coultas. Saturday's semifinals were contested in tricky
:08:30. > :08:35.conditions with the high wind making clean runs a premium. The big names,
:08:36. > :08:38.however, made it through, with the exception of you Kaikai. No.
:08:39. > :08:41.Sebastien to Tom recovered recklessly from huge slam in the
:08:42. > :08:46.first run to scrape through to the final and was joined by not one but
:08:47. > :08:50.two Brits, Billy Morgan might have expected to progress, but Rowan
:08:51. > :08:54.Coultas is enjoying the competition of his life, spirits are high
:08:55. > :08:58.amongst the British boys. The best day ever! In the women's semis only
:08:59. > :09:05.four riders could make it through to the finals and the big surprise was
:09:06. > :09:10.home favourite temple -- Turn 2's failure. Britain's Katie Ormerod
:09:11. > :09:15.just made it through to join them in fourth place but will have to raise
:09:16. > :09:20.her game to compete for the win. The standard has been set and now it
:09:21. > :09:24.is finals time. First up it is the women. The riders get three jumps
:09:25. > :09:28.with the top two scores added together and the highest combined
:09:29. > :09:32.score winning. The judges were looking for technical difficulty and
:09:33. > :09:34.clean landings. I'm sure Ed is looking for creative flair, but both
:09:35. > :09:39.of us will have our fingers quietly crossed for some British success.
:09:40. > :09:48.Enni Rukajarvi will be the first woman to drop in on the kicker here
:09:49. > :09:55.at Innsbruck Air Style. The fin has been very selective about the
:09:56. > :10:02.contests she enters. She winds up switch, frontside 720, or cab 720
:10:03. > :10:06.with indie grab a very clean. This is the trick that qualified her in
:10:07. > :10:12.first place. You can see the control she has got over it there. She lands
:10:13. > :10:17.squarely over the board, beautiful first jump from Enni Rukajarvi. 86
:10:18. > :10:21.points is a great marker from the Finn. Cena Kendrick of the last time
:10:22. > :10:26.you would have seen this woman she was putting Jenny Jones for the
:10:27. > :10:32.bronze medal in Sochi. She has a frontside tent in her bag. What is
:10:33. > :10:37.she winding up for? Frontside 720 tell grab and she lands beautifully.
:10:38. > :10:45.Another very, very clean jump here in the first runs. The grab is so
:10:46. > :10:56.hard to get on the tail. She holds it. 80.3. The third woman to drop,
:10:57. > :11:02.one of the other states women of snowboarding. She has done video
:11:03. > :11:10.parts, web series, she has gone most of the contest. Very nice switch
:11:11. > :11:13.backside 40 but she didn't get enough speed. She finishes with a
:11:14. > :11:20.very elegant penguin slide but is not going to count for anything --
:11:21. > :11:26.backside 540. Katie Ormerod, qualified in fourth, just snuck in.
:11:27. > :11:31.The cab 900 is her hardest trick. Is she going to open with that? She is
:11:32. > :11:37.dropping in switch. Yes, winds up into it. Beautifully put down. The
:11:38. > :11:43.grab was maybe a little short but she is so, so solid on those
:11:44. > :11:50.landings. Beautiful. The mute grab in the middle. She just gets it in,
:11:51. > :11:55.90 degrees to the spin. The landing and amplitude were there. The height
:11:56. > :12:04.she got on the trick, 82.3, second place for Katie Ormerod. Run number
:12:05. > :12:12.two. Enni Rukajarvi looking to capitalise on that great first run
:12:13. > :12:18.score. She won the Lienz open two weeks ago and the World Cup last
:12:19. > :12:24.week. Backside 720. Oh! She was so lucky then. This landing early on
:12:25. > :12:27.was very soft. It has hardened up a little bit as the temperature has
:12:28. > :12:34.dropped. That is what held her up there. So that score, 50.3, not what
:12:35. > :12:42.she was looking for. That she does sit in first. Sina Candrian warming
:12:43. > :12:46.up a backside spin, backside and frontside are denoted by the
:12:47. > :12:49.direction of the rotation as you leave the kicker. Backside because
:12:50. > :12:53.she has turned her back on the landing. Backside 540 Domino grab
:12:54. > :13:03.and a little bit sketchy on the landing. She didn't look comfortable
:13:04. > :13:10.at all. Run two down to experience for both Sina Candrian and Enni
:13:11. > :13:16.Rukajarvi. There is a great chance for Katie Ormerod to take advantage
:13:17. > :13:24.of these scores. What can Katie lay down? Dropping in full wets, Goofy
:13:25. > :13:30.footed rider with the right foot forwards, backside 720, tiny bit in
:13:31. > :13:37.the back-seat but she controlled landing beautifully again. --
:13:38. > :13:40.dropping in forwards. That's the strongest of the second run tricks
:13:41. > :13:46.so far and will almost certainly be rewarded with first place. A woman
:13:47. > :13:52.who learned her trade in Castleford gets a 64 and that bumps her up from
:13:53. > :13:58.third into first place. Look how much that means to her. It is all
:13:59. > :14:07.going to come down to these third jumps here in Innsbruck. Run three,
:14:08. > :14:15.Enni Rukajarvi, so much style, such good technical ability. Dropping in
:14:16. > :14:21.forwards, going for the backside 720 again. She's gone huge and she
:14:22. > :14:25.controlled that spin beautifully. She got a really really strong grab,
:14:26. > :14:30.and then you will see she just wallops out the front leg,
:14:31. > :14:36.straightens it there. And styles it out and pulls it back in with out
:14:37. > :14:42.letting grow of the -- letting go of the grab. Sitting really deep into
:14:43. > :14:47.the landing. 90.34 Enni Rukajarvi and the Finn moves back into first
:14:48. > :14:54.place ahead of Katie Ormerod. It is Sina Candrian, her weak second
:14:55. > :14:59.jumper. Can she follow Enni Rukajarvi and capitalise on her
:15:00. > :15:04.third run? She winds up into the same backside 720 this time and she
:15:05. > :15:10.has sat down. Disappointment for Sina Candrian, that guarantees Katie
:15:11. > :15:13.Ormerod is second but can she make it first? Rowan Coultas and Billy
:15:14. > :15:22.Morgan enjoying the show behind her as she drops in.
:15:23. > :15:29.Just a little bit short! It was beautiful. The grab was really
:15:30. > :15:35.strong. It is a super technical trick but she just under rotated. It
:15:36. > :15:42.feels amazing. It is so good that girls can do this. To get the first
:15:43. > :15:46.podium as well is amazing. You are podium material now? Yes, it feels
:15:47. > :15:53.great. It is definitely a boost to my confidence. What an incredible
:15:54. > :15:58.women's final. If Katie had landed that last jump, could she have
:15:59. > :16:03.wrestled the lead back? Definitely. She held the grab all the way
:16:04. > :16:11.through. That is critical. It is the best indicator of style and control.
:16:12. > :16:17.She just under rotated slightly. Enni Rukajarvi, you said she would
:16:18. > :16:24.be good? She has incredible technique. She is very stylish. It
:16:25. > :16:30.is also technical. A deserved win. The men are warming up. It is time
:16:31. > :16:35.for the men's final. We have two Brits in the next. Billy Morgan Dan
:16:36. > :16:42.Roan cultus. Three jumps, the best two count. Can we get another bread
:16:43. > :16:48.on the podium? Ed Leigh is the commentator.
:16:49. > :16:57.-- Brits. Marcus Kleveland qualified first, so he will drop first. He is
:16:58. > :17:10.very lied on his feet and incredibly precise. Four full horizontal
:17:11. > :17:15.rotations mixed with three vertical rotations. He creates a corkscrew
:17:16. > :17:21.spinning technique. That is the benchmark of a good finals rider.
:17:22. > :17:25.You have two have this trick down. 87.64 Marcus Kleveland on the first
:17:26. > :17:34.run. A very high marker from the young Norwegian. Max Parrot. He
:17:35. > :17:38.doesn't have the style and finesse of Marcus Kleveland body as a huge
:17:39. > :17:43.repertoire of tricks. He is going to set off with that benchmark trick we
:17:44. > :17:51.have seen from Marcus Kleveland. A triple cork mute. The mute is the
:17:52. > :17:59.grab. It is the landing that is immaculate. The spot said. Clean
:18:00. > :18:11.over the board. Centred. 89.6. Max Parrot moves into the lead. Next in,
:18:12. > :18:17.Billy Morgan. Southampton's finest. The Acrobat turned snowboarder who
:18:18. > :18:24.has phenomenal natural talent. Backside triple cork 40 nose grab
:18:25. > :18:28.air. The difference is he is going for the nose of his board. That
:18:29. > :18:42.slows the rotation down. He couldn't hold onto the landing.
:18:43. > :18:55.The first time Rowan Coultas has made the finals. 3.5 full spins. Two
:18:56. > :19:02.corkscrews. The Grabban that was beautiful. He was wielding the
:19:03. > :19:09.snowboarder like a scimitar. Absolutely beautiful. He stopped it.
:19:10. > :19:21.79 points. Now it is good enough for third place. Rowan cultus' dream
:19:22. > :19:25.continues. -- Rowan cultus. Michael Ciccarelli. They backside 1440.
:19:26. > :19:33.Another one. We are seeing the benchmark trick by everyone.
:19:34. > :19:38.Backside 40 triple cork mute. He controls this landing. It tries to
:19:39. > :19:46.get away from him. He manages to catch the toe edge and getaway.
:19:47. > :19:52.Third place. Enoch 's Rowan Coultas down to fourth. -- he knocks. Marcus
:19:53. > :19:58.Kleveland, set just behind Max Parrot. He wants to get his nose out
:19:59. > :20:09.in front. People need something very, very big. He knows what a wily
:20:10. > :20:22.competitor Max Parrot is. 4.5 full spins there. Sven Thorgren, the
:20:23. > :20:26.Swede, dropped his first jump. He went for a jump arguably harder than
:20:27. > :20:39.a triple cork. Willie go for the 1440 again? No.
:20:40. > :20:47.A 720, with his hands between his legs, then he slows the board stand,
:20:48. > :20:53.over rotates it. Then does another 360. There is so much going on in
:20:54. > :21:00.that trick, it is ridiculous. 15.6 from the first run. 83.3. It is the
:21:01. > :21:09.combine the score from two of the 3-runs that will count. All pressure
:21:10. > :21:16.on Sven Thorgren in the third run. Max Parrot looking to build on that
:21:17. > :21:25.immaculate first-round score. Cab 1620. What?! He made that look
:21:26. > :21:32.ridiculously easy. Three corkscrew rotations mixed in with 4.5 flat
:21:33. > :21:39.spins. His spatial awareness in the middle of that spin is absolutely
:21:40. > :21:46.phenomenal. He has added a 94.6. That has fired Max Parrot into
:21:47. > :21:49.nearly untouchable territory. Billy Morgan has got that fall from the
:21:50. > :22:01.first round. He desperately needs this. He has absolutely stomped
:22:02. > :22:07.that. Look at the style he has on the landing. He is flexing the nose
:22:08. > :22:18.of the board. What's the angle as he lands, his posture is perfect. --
:22:19. > :22:25.watch. Billy needed that. 81.6. He has got one more jump to really
:22:26. > :22:32.crank up that score. Rowan cultus in phrase second run after that magic
:22:33. > :22:40.first run. -- Rowan Coultas. Backside and 1216 nose grab air. He
:22:41. > :22:45.made that look so easy. -- 1260. Unbelievable. That blind landing. He
:22:46. > :22:50.spotted it just as he comes in there. Then he is blind through the
:22:51. > :22:58.last 180 degrees of that rotation. Rowan Coultas is riding absolutely
:22:59. > :23:14.out of his skin. Second place! 160.6. Michael suture rally --
:23:15. > :23:24.Michael Ciccarelli. Cab 1260, I think. Lovely grab on that.
:23:25. > :23:28.Absolutely beautiful. 75.3 though. Difficult to see where he got marked
:23:29. > :23:38.down. He does push Rowan Coultas down. Sebastien Toutant. The
:23:39. > :23:45.horrendous crash in the semifinals. Can he put it to bed? Jesse can!
:23:46. > :23:52.That is the tricky fell on in the semifinals. He fell on it in the
:23:53. > :23:58.first run in these finals. This man is a warrior. Horrific Slammy
:23:59. > :24:09.earlier on. He got back on the horse. Landed it perfectly. Open to
:24:10. > :24:13.sixth place. -- up into sixth place. Max Parrot is in a very strong
:24:14. > :24:17.position but it is all still to play for. This is the man who can
:24:18. > :24:25.realistically still catch him. Marcus Kleveland, the young
:24:26. > :24:32.Norwegian. Cab 1620. In some ways, not quite a corkscrew. Suddenly he
:24:33. > :24:37.gets is the end of that location -- rotation. Such incredible spatial
:24:38. > :24:50.awareness. The landing looked effortless. 92.3. It doesn't catch
:24:51. > :24:54.Max Parrot. Sven Thorgren, another one of the riders with a big second
:24:55. > :25:02.run score. He needs this third run if it is going to pushing up.
:25:03. > :25:10.Absolutely beautiful! The backside 1440. Flat Spon. That is actually
:25:11. > :25:15.win more technical than the corkscrew rotation. It is harder to
:25:16. > :25:28.slow the spin down. Pushes him into third place. Max Parrot sitting in
:25:29. > :25:38.first. What's he going to do? He has such a huge repertoire. Winds up. He
:25:39. > :25:43.holds onto the landing. It isn't as clean as either the backside 1440 or
:25:44. > :25:50.the 1620 whee saw. It won't improve the score. Billy Morgan needs this
:25:51. > :25:58.run if he's going to make it to the podium. Cab 1440 triple cork. That a
:25:59. > :26:05.new trick for Billy. He went absolutely all in there. He just
:26:06. > :26:15.misses this landing. He spotted and then he is blind through the last
:26:16. > :26:19.180. So close to getting there. 66 points. He improves massively on his
:26:20. > :26:24.score. But it is only enough for sixth place. Rowan Coultas, what can
:26:25. > :26:35.he add to his already stellar performance tonight? Backside at
:26:36. > :26:41.1260. So close. Look at the smile on his face. If you could bottle joy,
:26:42. > :26:49.it would look like that. Sebastien Toutant on, the last man to drop.
:26:50. > :26:56.Can he upset the podium? He started so badly. He has turned it around in
:26:57. > :27:01.the final. Frontside air triple cork 14. He can't put it down. If he had,
:27:02. > :27:04.that would have been one of the top spots without doubt.
:27:05. > :27:18.Confirmation of the result. That looked, from the first jump,
:27:19. > :27:24.that there wasn't a doubt in your mind? You look focused on winning.
:27:25. > :27:29.Yes, I was definitely focused. Focused on doing my best. Not
:27:30. > :27:34.necessarily on winning. The trick I did in the first jump. I was pretty
:27:35. > :27:39.stressed before. I went for it, landed and it worked out. The first
:27:40. > :27:48.time we have ever had a to Brits in an era in style final. You crusted?
:27:49. > :27:54.We did all right. How hard is it after you dropped the first, you
:27:55. > :27:59.went back and nailed the second? Is never a good thing. If you get your
:28:00. > :28:04.first jump, you get two tries on the second. You have two land the last.
:28:05. > :28:09.I could've done with another one but I'm happy to landed. First time
:28:10. > :28:12.stoked. With the world Alpine Skiing
:28:13. > :28:16.championships just around the corner, the Ski Jumping calendar has
:28:17. > :28:18.taken a break this weekend. The last event was on Tuesday night in
:28:19. > :28:23.Stockholm. Graham is the best of the action.
:28:24. > :28:27.The Stockholm city race is very different to a usual World Cup
:28:28. > :28:32.competition. It is a knockout format. Head-to-head racing decided
:28:33. > :28:40.after two short runs. Any time deficit is carried into the second
:28:41. > :28:48.round. The course is between slalom and giant slalom. Only the top 15
:28:49. > :28:54.skiers are invited. The men and women race on the same night. It all
:28:55. > :28:58.adds up to a pretty special night. The format is a throwback to Junior
:28:59. > :29:02.competition. The pressure of racing an opponent rather than the clock
:29:03. > :29:12.suit some rather than others. It was a huge surprise in the first heat
:29:13. > :29:19.when World Cup leader was taken out by his Norwegian opponent. He saw
:29:20. > :29:23.off Alexander Hirscher by several hundredths of a second. That was not
:29:24. > :29:28.the only surprise in round one. Henrik Kristoffersen -- Henrik
:29:29. > :29:37.Kristoffersen was beaten by Linus Strasser. The top three in the World
:29:38. > :29:41.Cup standings into the quarter finals. The door was ajar for day
:29:42. > :29:48.riding to register another World Cup podium. Perhaps better. -- day
:29:49. > :29:59.riding. Things were looking good for the bread as he got through the
:30:00. > :30:07.first round. In the semis, he met Aleksi Patja role, is supremely fast
:30:08. > :30:16.giant slalom racer. It was a case of close but not close enough for Dave.
:30:17. > :30:25.He was relegated to the other final. Linus Strasser marched through to
:30:26. > :30:30.the final. He saw of gross. It was Dave Ryding against Hagglund for
:30:31. > :30:37.third place. It was a fine result for Dave.
:30:38. > :30:47.In the final Linus Strasser's habit of upsetting the odds continue
:30:48. > :30:50.taking his first World Cup win, Pinturault settling for second. If
:30:51. > :30:56.the men's race was full of surprise the women's race was true to form.
:30:57. > :31:00.Mikaela Shiffrin, Veronika Velez Zuzulova Rover breezed into the
:31:01. > :31:05.semifinals on opposite sides of the draw and they were joined by home
:31:06. > :31:12.favourite and fellow Scandinavian. The semis proved one-sided affairs
:31:13. > :31:16.with Veronika Velez Zuzulova is a love and Mikaela Shiffrin setting of
:31:17. > :31:21.the battles for gold between the world's top two slalom racers and
:31:22. > :31:24.the American's domination continued as Mikaela Shiffrin grab the early
:31:25. > :31:31.lead forcing Veronika Velez Zuzulova Rover into a mistake. Next up for
:31:32. > :31:34.the racers it's the World Championships. We will have live
:31:35. > :31:39.coverage of all of the medal races from St Moritz with Ski Sunday
:31:40. > :31:43.extra. On the red button ABC sport website and app and unconnected TV.
:31:44. > :31:49.It all kicks off with the women's super-G on Tuesday at 10:45am. Full
:31:50. > :31:53.coverage details are on the winter sports index and the BBC's website.
:31:54. > :31:56.British snow sports are riding the crest of the way that the moment
:31:57. > :32:00.with Dave Ryding doing brilliantly in Alpine and hold team of writers
:32:01. > :32:04.excelling in is freestyle we decided to cast an eye to the future to see
:32:05. > :32:09.how both disciplines are developing the next generation of British
:32:10. > :32:14.talent. We have been taking a closer look.
:32:15. > :32:20.When I discovered snowboarding at 17 and I never even thought about a
:32:21. > :32:27.long-term career in the sport, I just really liked going riding with
:32:28. > :32:29.my friends. Little did I know that I would be a professional for over ten
:32:30. > :32:39.years. COMMENTATOR: Jenny Jones has just
:32:40. > :32:45.taken Britain's first-ever Olympic medal on snow.
:32:46. > :32:51.For young riders today GB Park and pipe have developed a clear pathway
:32:52. > :32:54.programme. Coaches can identify the best young talent across the UK and
:32:55. > :33:00.bring them into the performance pathway. From their the aim is to
:33:01. > :33:05.support them to reach the pinnacle, representing GB at the Winter
:33:06. > :33:11.Olympics. We have consciously created a vision for people to come
:33:12. > :33:18.in and start learning tricks with a view to competing in freestyle when
:33:19. > :33:21.you recognise the potential to be able to move into international
:33:22. > :33:24.level competition. It should be a seamless transition. You should get
:33:25. > :33:29.the kind of support you need all the way through the pathway. But most
:33:30. > :33:33.importantly, as an athlete you are still in charge. It's all about what
:33:34. > :33:40.makes you tick and what is fun for you. I've been involved with the
:33:41. > :33:44.setup of GB Park and pipe from the start and was looking after a lot of
:33:45. > :33:49.the athletes who are on the main team now when they first got into
:33:50. > :33:53.the sport, Katie Summerhays, it has been an amazing journey to come from
:33:54. > :34:03.that through to where they are now with the GB Park and pipe team. The
:34:04. > :34:07.setup we have now is the real deal. There was never any clear pathway
:34:08. > :34:13.but we have shown you can do it from the UK, people like Katie
:34:14. > :34:16.Summerhays, Ormerod, and now we have this pathway in place with a good
:34:17. > :34:31.programme behind it and people are achieving that.
:34:32. > :34:38.Alpine racing in Britain is very different. When I came through as a
:34:39. > :34:40.young ski racer there was a very competitive club structure with a
:34:41. > :34:47.clear pathway through to international competition.
:34:48. > :34:53.Graham Bell is running very well here. Yes, 12th, very, very good.
:34:54. > :34:57.Although the club structure still exists today the pathway has all
:34:58. > :35:01.been wiped out by funding cuts over the last six years, something that
:35:02. > :35:04.snow sport England has been trying hard to address.
:35:05. > :35:08.We have great numbers of kids racing at the moment. I think it is always
:35:09. > :35:12.a challenge in terms of Alpine with the funding that there is. To have
:35:13. > :35:16.that clear pathway for athletes to follow all the way through from when
:35:17. > :35:20.they are starting out on the dry slope here to progress onto snow and
:35:21. > :35:23.move through the different squads, there is a real challenge around
:35:24. > :35:28.funding that process and having clarity in the pathway all the way
:35:29. > :35:33.up to Dave Ryding in the World Cup. Dave Ryding has made skiing history!
:35:34. > :35:40.The first British racer on a World Cup podium since 1981. Amazing
:35:41. > :35:44.scenes in Kitzbuhel. Dave Ryding just enjoyed his best season on the
:35:45. > :35:48.World Cup circuit. What do we need to do to pick up on that success? I
:35:49. > :35:51.think David is doing a fantastic job by showing it is achievable. But
:35:52. > :35:56.there is more work to be done in terms of having a clear stepping
:35:57. > :36:00.stones and supporting the athletes once they come out of the children's
:36:01. > :36:04.and into this racing. Snow sport England once again laying the
:36:05. > :36:09.foundations to help our young Alpine athletes to reach the top of their
:36:10. > :36:15.sport, World Cup racing. And ultimately the Winter Olympics. It
:36:16. > :36:19.is partly down to Olympic success that GB Park and pipe have been able
:36:20. > :36:23.to develop the pathway and a support network for the next generation of
:36:24. > :36:27.riders. With 12 freestyle athletes in Sochi, one of the aims of the
:36:28. > :36:33.pathway is to ensure that success continues. It supported me in so
:36:34. > :36:38.many ways, not just on the slopes but off the slopes too, we now have
:36:39. > :36:42.opportunity and access to the physios, sports trainers, it's not
:36:43. > :36:46.just focusing on snow, it's focusing on everything. When you get on the
:36:47. > :36:50.snow after having all of that support it makes the difference. It
:36:51. > :36:55.helps me work up to be tricks I'm doing, and I just feel more
:36:56. > :36:58.confident going out and with lots of other people helping me. So I'm
:36:59. > :37:01.getting to do lots of different things, that I've not tried before.
:37:02. > :37:13.I really do want to go the Olympics. At times when I was younger I felt
:37:14. > :37:20.like a lone athlete pursuing my dreams. Olcott has gone second, what
:37:21. > :37:24.a cracking run! Now Snowsport England are bringing together on a
:37:25. > :37:27.regular basis the most talented athletes in the country to create a
:37:28. > :37:33.team environment and prepare them for life at the top of what can be a
:37:34. > :37:36.challenging and ruthless sport. British ski and snowboard now offer
:37:37. > :37:41.regular training weekends for members of the Junior Alpine squads.
:37:42. > :37:44.Athletes have access to on slope technical training, fitness testing
:37:45. > :37:48.and strength and conditioning sessions as well as classroom
:37:49. > :37:51.lectures on stuff like media training, sports psychology and
:37:52. > :37:54.nutrition. It came about because the squad has been lacking for a few
:37:55. > :37:58.years now and we have such strength in depth in young athletes that they
:37:59. > :38:02.need somewhere they can progress to. It is such a different change from
:38:03. > :38:07.being a young athlete in the under 16 and under 14 team to be an
:38:08. > :38:10.athlete in the international stage. For us we help them along the way
:38:11. > :38:14.with educational sessions and physical sessions so that they can
:38:15. > :38:18.build into it naturally. I was one of the first to join into it but it
:38:19. > :38:24.is a really good stepping stone in the Europa cup, World Cup and
:38:25. > :38:27.Olympics if I'm lucky. They are good with the fitness and you can see how
:38:28. > :38:30.you improve with your results and the time you have to work through
:38:31. > :38:34.them and with your fitness on the snow to get better and the drills we
:38:35. > :38:38.do our important. You can work on that but maybe it's not quite as
:38:39. > :38:42.easy. With the steps we are taking to help them with education and the
:38:43. > :38:46.psychological side, it is a huge part of the sport that a lot of the
:38:47. > :38:50.clubs don't get the chance to give them, so we are giving them that
:38:51. > :38:54.access so they can build on that. As a coach myself of some of these
:38:55. > :38:58.athletes I have seen first-hand how this pathway and education, combined
:38:59. > :39:01.with a strong on snow programme is helping to create a huge pool of
:39:02. > :39:03.talented young athletes and I'm really excited to see how far they
:39:04. > :39:14.can take it. One member of the park and pipe team
:39:15. > :39:22.is taking is right at the top, Jamie Nicholls. COMMENTATOR: Jamie puts it
:39:23. > :39:30.down! Jamie Nicholls for Great Britain! Hello, you all right? Are
:39:31. > :39:37.you good? Not too bad. How was the day on the Hill? Yes, it was a good
:39:38. > :39:41.day. Where are we going now? The freestyle Park. They get access to
:39:42. > :39:46.world-class training facilities like the freestyle academy here.
:39:47. > :39:55.Trampolines, slack line and all kinds of other things down that
:39:56. > :40:01.side. Ridiculously good, isn't he? Isn't there a skate park here
:40:02. > :40:07.somewhere? There is a skate park on our right side. Then you've got the
:40:08. > :40:13.jumps and the airbag down there. Remembered 12-year-old Kirsty from
:40:14. > :40:18.earlier? She's going. How cool is that? We need one of those in
:40:19. > :40:23.England. How much has the programme helped you to get where you have got
:40:24. > :40:28.to? It has massively helped because now there is more of a team
:40:29. > :40:31.atmosphere, it feels like everyone is more of a team and there is more
:40:32. > :40:34.people and we all travel together and we all push each other and I
:40:35. > :40:40.think that's really important to have that. Yes. Because the
:40:41. > :40:43.programme has kids coming up now and it is really good because those
:40:44. > :40:47.little kids coming up are looking at us who are at the top and then they
:40:48. > :40:54.are doing our tricks at God knows how old, 13, 14, now and it's crazy
:40:55. > :41:00.and the kids know if there is a programme it is perfect. With
:41:01. > :41:03.PyeongChang on the horizon, the future looks very bright for
:41:04. > :41:07.freestyle skiing and snowboarding in Britain. It's clear to see that the
:41:08. > :41:13.hard work that's gone into establishing and developing the
:41:14. > :41:17.pathway is paying off. With record participation levels and
:41:18. > :41:21.high profile skiers like Dave Ryding inspiring the next generation, the
:41:22. > :41:25.future could be bright for Alpine skiing in the UK. They will always
:41:26. > :41:29.be challenges, but with big challenges come big rewards. Alpine
:41:30. > :41:33.skiing is still the blue ribbon winter sport, and just because it's
:41:34. > :41:37.a tough nut to crack doesn't mean we shouldn't try.
:41:38. > :41:41.The Alpine and freestyle programmes are clearly getting more and more
:41:42. > :41:44.professional and the proof that they are working is in the results we are
:41:45. > :41:49.seeing now. It is important to remember, though, that our British
:41:50. > :41:53.athletes are up against nations with far greater financial and natural
:41:54. > :41:56.resources. Talking of money, Dave Ryding has proved that you can get
:41:57. > :42:00.to the top seven in the world with zero lottery funding. It has given a
:42:01. > :42:03.lot of hope and inspiration to a big group of Alpine skiers coming
:42:04. > :42:16.through. British snow sport is getting more
:42:17. > :42:19.creative in its fundraising as well. They have set up an initiative with
:42:20. > :42:22.tour operators allowing you to make a small donation to the British team
:42:23. > :42:24.when booking a ski holiday. With over 1 million skiers and
:42:25. > :42:27.snowboarders going abroad from the UK every year that could be very
:42:28. > :42:29.significant. Before we go we just have time for ski social. Last week
:42:30. > :42:32.we featured a couple of golden oldies, not including you in that!
:42:33. > :42:34.We thought we would let the pendulum swing the other way this week and we
:42:35. > :42:35.have the next generation of shredders, very appropriate after
:42:36. > :42:45.the feature we have seen. Keep working hard and you could end
:42:46. > :42:52.up on a podium just like the one we have seen here at Air and Style.
:42:53. > :42:55.Talking of recommendations, we want recommendations for a family ski
:42:56. > :42:59.holiday and with half term just around the corner that is very apt.
:43:00. > :43:02.Then focus solely on half term, later you go in the season the
:43:03. > :43:06.warmer it gets, the longer the days are and the cheaper it gets. If you
:43:07. > :43:11.are looking for location I wouldn't go further and Austria, good learn
:43:12. > :43:14.to ski resort, and the great thing about Austrian ski schools is they
:43:15. > :43:17.will take your kids straight out of nappies, and it's just a great way
:43:18. > :43:21.of getting them out on the mountain and having fun. If you have a mixed
:43:22. > :43:23.ability group look at one of the big ski areas like the Milky Way
:43:24. > :43:29.straddling the French and Italian border. They are small family,
:43:30. > :43:33.parochial results with cheap lift passes but there will also offer
:43:34. > :43:38.better skiers the chance to ski in a huge area. Keep sending in your
:43:39. > :43:42.pictures, videos and questions using the #Ski Sunday.
:43:43. > :43:46.I'm afraid that's all we've got time for this week. If you are a ski
:43:47. > :43:50.racing fan you will be pleased to know we resume normal service next
:43:51. > :43:54.week on Ski Sunday. We are in St Moritz for the world
:43:55. > :43:56.Alpine ski Championships where we will feature the men's and women's
:43:57. > :44:05.downhill. We will see you then. COMMENTATOR: She's the star of the
:44:06. > :44:10.skiing season. Amazing strength. He looks to be in
:44:11. > :44:11.solid form. He's in trouble!
:44:12. > :44:23.He is in control! When author
:44:24. > :44:26.Sir Terry Pratchett died,