0:00:13 > 0:00:15Dropping.
0:00:59 > 0:01:06When winter descends on mother nature smiles, the mountains, live.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10The snowfall paints the prettiest picture and shapes the ultimate
0:01:10 > 0:01:19playground, where you and I find simple pleasures. Speed, a carved
0:01:19 > 0:01:28turn, a powder turn. And where the elite go from being just like us, to
0:01:28 > 0:01:33being nothing like us, because they see things we cannot. They risk
0:01:33 > 0:01:35being we will not.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45In their world, an inch feels like a mile, a 10th of the 2nd feels like a
0:01:45 > 0:01:53year. They put it all on the line for us to consume, on the edge of
0:01:53 > 0:02:01our seats. Our simple to pleasured enjoyed through them, vicariously.
0:02:01 > 0:02:09Of course, this is not a selfless act. The prize on offer is glory.
0:02:09 > 0:02:17And he makes history, the champion of the world!A place in history.
0:02:17 > 0:02:26Dave Ryding rewrites the record books!Bill Winter Olympics is just
0:02:26 > 0:02:29weeks away and the playground is bigger than it's ever been. -- the
0:02:29 > 0:02:34Winter Olympics is just weeks away. There's enough excitement and
0:02:34 > 0:02:40anticipation to write a smile, from us and hopefully from mother nature.
0:02:40 > 0:02:41Hello and welcome to Ski Sunday.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44We are in Val D'Isere in France, and we're gearing up
0:02:44 > 0:02:45for a pretty busy winter.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Yep, the World Cup tour is kicking into gear.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Later in the series, we'll have the classic downhills
0:02:50 > 0:02:52from Wengen, Kitzbuehel and the famous night slalom
0:02:52 > 0:02:56from Schladming to look forward to.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00And, of course, we've got at least one eye on the biggest ever
0:03:00 > 0:03:01Winter Olympics from Pyeongchang, which starts in February.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Team GB are targeting their most successful Games ever, and, on snow,
0:03:05 > 0:03:11we have medal contenders in Alpine, Nordic and freestyle.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Later in the show, we'll hear from one of them - James Woods has
0:03:14 > 0:03:16been talking to Tim Warwood about the Big O.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21Unsurprisingly for Woodsy, he's taking it all in his stride.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25I am a kid from Sheffield who just love something that nobody knows
0:03:25 > 0:03:29about. That's where I come from and that's who I am. I want to be the
0:03:29 > 0:03:35best I can be and really, really don't care about anything but going
0:03:35 > 0:03:37straight in.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39It's a big year for our Winter Olympians,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41and it's also a big year for us.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Ski Sunday is about to turn 40, and we're hoping you'll forgive us
0:03:44 > 0:03:48for getting a little nostalgic.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52This is Bobsleigh and the downhill races.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57More of that later.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59First of all, we've got the racing to bring you.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03We're here for the men's slalom.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06As usual, there's a field packed with talent, including
0:04:06 > 0:04:08the exceptional Henrik Kristoffersen and the 6-time overall World Cup
0:04:08 > 0:04:10champion Marcel Hirscher.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14Right up there mixing it with those two is our own Dave Ryding,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16who's grounding in the sport is rather different to his
0:04:16 > 0:04:17esteemed competitors.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21Chemmy Alcott has been to visit him at home in Lancashire.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30You wouldn't think that this is the kind of place where World Cup medal
0:04:30 > 0:04:36winning skiers are raised but Dave Ryding is different and his rise to
0:04:36 > 0:04:40stardom has been anything but conventional. Dave works super hard
0:04:40 > 0:04:46and is rarely home to take a break but he is back in Lancashire and has
0:04:46 > 0:04:50kindly invited me over for a cup of tea. Hello, Dave.Good morning.How
0:04:50 > 0:04:59you doing?Good, yourself? Good. Come in.I was worried you were
0:04:59 > 0:05:03going to invite me in then, I've come all this way! Dave, this is it.
0:05:03 > 0:05:12That's the guy.Fairly substantial, it was an amazing performance.He's
0:05:12 > 0:05:182nd, that sensational!How often do you polish this?Not often enough.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22It is amazing.It's something I never thought I would get, actually,
0:05:22 > 0:05:28but I always thought it would be cool to have I have one.I've always
0:05:28 > 0:05:33been impressed by your mental focus, but none more so than that 2nd run
0:05:33 > 0:05:38at Kitzbuhel. For the 1st time to be in with medal contention pull off
0:05:38 > 0:05:44that performance, it shows you are not fazed by the big events.I
0:05:44 > 0:05:48surprised myself, really, how I took it. I got a lot of similar emotions
0:05:48 > 0:05:54as when I was in a kid. I said this to people at the time, I was able to
0:05:54 > 0:05:56deal with the emotions in a very similar way. I think I learned quite
0:05:56 > 0:06:02a lot from the World Championships when I was forth after the 1st run.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07I didn't ski the 2nd run as well as I could have.He holds his head in
0:06:07 > 0:06:12his hands in disappointment!Going from 4th to 11, I learned from that,
0:06:12 > 0:06:16that you have to do two runs and risk everything because everyone
0:06:16 > 0:06:21else's.You are skiing against these guys from Austria, powerhouse ski
0:06:21 > 0:06:25nations. But that's not where it started for you, but dry ski slopes.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29I wondered if you could take me to the old stomping ground.Of course
0:06:29 > 0:06:37we can.Rocket Dave Ryding, this is where it started for you.Yes, one
0:06:37 > 0:06:41sunny Sunday. Even though it was just on this small swipe it was a
0:06:41 > 0:06:47cool feeling amazed me want to come back for more.And our area... The
0:06:47 > 0:06:52Lancashire Alps, with the sheep. There wasn't a fence so there's
0:06:52 > 0:06:56sheep would come on the side quest might raced around sheep?Yes.
0:06:56 > 0:07:01That's what you are so agile.I learnt a lot of skills. It is quite
0:07:01 > 0:07:05flat here and when we are racing on flat slopes, that's when I'm very
0:07:05 > 0:07:09good. Kitzbuhel is different, so I learned that over the last ten years
0:07:09 > 0:07:13on the snow. It shows you can take a lot from the dry slopes and it puts
0:07:13 > 0:07:26you in good stead.Is it true your grandad used to sell skiing stuff
0:07:26 > 0:07:29out the back of his van to support your young boy dreams?Yes, it paid
0:07:29 > 0:07:32for my skis and equipment. That's how we did it, part of the journey.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35I think I quite enjoyed it as well! Of course they did and I bet they
0:07:35 > 0:07:38enjoy seeing the fruits of the hard work they put in.As much as is nice
0:07:38 > 0:07:41for me, it's nice that the family. The sacrifices, because they did a
0:07:41 > 0:07:45lot, well worth it.I know you have been putting in hard work for a long
0:07:45 > 0:07:49time. Last season it was all about the left footers. Your coach was on
0:07:49 > 0:07:52your every single time you trained about those left footers. You
0:07:52 > 0:07:58managed to match them up, which is why your performance has excelled.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01What are you working on technically right now?It is funny... Everyone
0:08:01 > 0:08:05says it is so similar now, but when we are looking we slow it right
0:08:05 > 0:08:11down. There are still parts of my skiing that need to be worked on,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15specifically on that turn. It's a good thing, because I still see
0:08:15 > 0:08:18improvements to come, which will improve my results, hopefully, and
0:08:18 > 0:08:22give me more speed and consistency Baines. I used to see limits for
0:08:22 > 0:08:27myself but after last season I don't think there are limits any more.One
0:08:27 > 0:08:31slalom race down for the season. Plenty of positives to take from his
0:08:31 > 0:08:37performance.Yes, he was one of the fastest skiers on the hill. The won
0:08:37 > 0:08:41the 1st run and the 2nd run he had to push hard because it was so
0:08:41 > 0:08:46tight. He came in under the steep with a half 2nd lead and the race in
0:08:46 > 0:08:49the bag but stood on his inside ski and went out and ultimately no
0:08:49 > 0:08:54points scored.He's gone up a get technically but is his approach to
0:08:54 > 0:08:58the 2nd run evidence that he's gone up a gear mentally as well?He told
0:08:58 > 0:09:02us in the family was disappointed at the World Championships, that he
0:09:02 > 0:09:07didn't put down two attacking runs. The 2nd most disappointing for him.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12He knows if he wants to win he has to take risks on both runs.Slalom
0:09:12 > 0:09:17is decided on fine margin on the cut is so brutal, it's a risky strategy.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Particularly because he hasn't scored a result yet this season. If
0:09:20 > 0:09:25you don't score points, the world ranking slips and you will start in
0:09:25 > 0:09:29a worse position. I think this hill, never really suited him in the past,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33he will be happy with a solid top ten results.We have a dimension
0:09:33 > 0:09:36there has been a very subdued atmosphere here for the 1st weekend
0:09:36 > 0:09:41of racing in Val D'Isere.This is the 1st home race for the French ski
0:09:41 > 0:09:45team since they tragically lost their charismatic downhiller, killed
0:09:45 > 0:09:49in a training accident in Canada just before the season started. And
0:09:49 > 0:09:56just a couple of days ago, a young German, Max, 17 years, also killed
0:09:56 > 0:10:00racing in Canada. Ski racing has been 20 years without a fatality and
0:10:00 > 0:10:08now we have had two in the space of a couple of weeks.
0:10:08 > 0:10:14Racing got underway yesterday and there was an impeccably observed
0:10:14 > 0:10:21minute's silence. Time to get the slalom underway. It is contested
0:10:21 > 0:10:27over two runs.
0:10:27 > 0:10:28The fastest 30 getting to race again.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Matt Chilton has your commentary from run 1.
0:10:30 > 0:10:31Matt Chilton has your commentary from run 1.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35One of the steep slopes on the tour. To add to the family stumping with
0:10:35 > 0:10:43snow, just like the old days. Dave starts with bib number 14. Michael
0:10:43 > 0:10:49Matt, the Austrian skis out into the blizzard. Really aggressive start.
0:10:49 > 0:10:54Jumped out of the start. Won't mind the steep too much, Michael Matt.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59Nice rhythm to start with. Younger brother of Mario. Double world
0:10:59 > 0:11:04champion and the reigning Olympic champion. But he has retired now.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09Michael Matt keeping it in the family. Nice work so far. Nothing
0:11:09 > 0:11:14wrong with this. Onto the only brief flat section on this slalom hill,
0:11:14 > 0:11:20which is one of the toughest on the tour. They used a water injection
0:11:20 > 0:11:24bar in the early part of the week to send water into the top layer of the
0:11:24 > 0:11:28snow, allowing it to freeze and create a top surface of sheet ice
0:11:28 > 0:11:33which has now been covered in fresh snow. All sorts of elements to deal
0:11:33 > 0:11:42with. That is a good run from Michael Matt. 49:19 49.19. Seem to
0:11:42 > 0:11:49enjoy his 1st run on this course. Stefano Gross at the start.
0:11:49 > 0:11:56Powerful. Powerful pics from the start heart for the Italian,
0:11:56 > 0:12:00straight into the rhythm, attacking this top set. The course has been
0:12:00 > 0:12:06set by one of the Norwegian coaches. We will keep an eye on Henrik
0:12:06 > 0:12:11Kristoffersen, who will have the advantage with a little bit of
0:12:11 > 0:12:15inside knowledge, potentially. He started number seven. Stefano Gross
0:12:15 > 0:12:21has ripped through the top 20 turns. Really nice rhythm. Fast transition
0:12:21 > 0:12:29from edge to edge. Michael Matt's lead coming under pressure now from
0:12:29 > 0:12:37the Italian. 31 years of age, Stefano Gross, lots of experience.
0:12:37 > 0:12:45And he leads the way in Val D'Isere by 19 hundredths of a 2nd.Stefano
0:12:45 > 0:12:50Gross is a beautiful skier, grey upper and lower body separation and
0:12:50 > 0:12:55also really very fluid on these tight and difficult course, that is
0:12:55 > 0:13:03what gained him the lead. So now the main man Marcel Hirscher.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08He is on his way. World champion, World Cup champion, Olympic silver
0:13:08 > 0:13:16medallist. Marcel Hirscher with a wide turn, took the scenic route and
0:13:16 > 0:13:20that eight gate but now he's back into the rhythm. That is fast.
0:13:20 > 0:13:28Marcel Hirscher at his very best. 0.30 six. The mistake at the top
0:13:28 > 0:13:32cost him but expect a second-half charge here from Marcel Hirscher.
0:13:32 > 0:13:38That would be typical of him, who has won no fewer than 20 World Cup
0:13:38 > 0:13:45races in his career and still only 28 years of age. Marcel Hirscher
0:13:45 > 0:13:51chasing the leader of the Italian Stefano Gross. How close can he go?
0:13:51 > 0:13:5549 seconds flat is the time to beat and forth only for Marcel Hirscher,
0:13:55 > 0:14:02just over 30 seconds.Classic Marcel Hirscher, out of the start gate like
0:14:02 > 0:14:10a bull in a china shop. Great calves, generating huge speed but
0:14:10 > 0:14:13almost went out of the course, if he can iron out those mistakes he will
0:14:13 > 0:14:20fly on the 2nd run.The Norwegian psyching up their man Henrik
0:14:20 > 0:14:25Kristoffersen. The winner of this race 12 months ago. The course has
0:14:25 > 0:14:31been set by his coach. Let's see how much that helps. It is a good start.
0:14:31 > 0:14:390.16. Henrik Kristoffersen made light work of the 1st 16 the Times.
0:14:39 > 0:14:44-- turns. He trails by three tenths of a 2nd.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54He might have been able to find a tenth of a second or two there. And
0:14:54 > 0:15:02he has. 12 hundredths. Kristoffersen back in contention. There was a
0:15:02 > 0:15:05heavy edge, a sign that he just applied the brakes briefly. The
0:15:05 > 0:15:09winner of five World Cup slalom is last season. Henrik Kristoffersen
0:15:09 > 0:15:16goes into third in Valdez. 0.4 one. That heavy edge look like it might
0:15:16 > 0:15:26have slowed him down, and it did. Ready to race is Daniel Yule. The
0:15:26 > 0:15:28talent this respect the summer going back to his roots. He visited
0:15:28 > 0:15:33Scotland where his parents were born. The Scottish air must have
0:15:33 > 0:15:37done him some good. He has taken a fourth in slalom and a third in
0:15:37 > 0:15:44Giant Slalom already this season. Will he be celebrating with a wee
0:15:44 > 0:15:54dram after a good result here today? The first of the Swiss, Daniel Yule,
0:15:54 > 0:15:59Scottish heritage. Let's see what he can produce. On one of the steepest
0:15:59 > 0:16:04slalom hills in the world. It is a good start. 0.16. No lack of
0:16:04 > 0:16:10aggression from Daniel Yule. And he's in trouble, and out of the
0:16:10 > 0:16:14race. That is going to hurt, because he was in front. When he sees the
0:16:14 > 0:16:27splits later he will know that he had a chance. Mattias Hargin from
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Sweden, number 11. He has been training on this course, and down
0:16:31 > 0:16:34the road from here, getting some training in any resort early in the
0:16:34 > 0:16:42week. 16 hundredths of a second in front of Stefano grows at the first
0:16:42 > 0:16:55intermediate. 0.35 behind. He lives in Switzerland in the winter, in
0:16:55 > 0:16:59Engelbergen, where he is a passionate free skier Tommy loves
0:16:59 > 0:17:03the adventure skiing. That has propelled them into the spotlight,
0:17:03 > 0:17:08along with his slalom success back home in Sweden. He has only one
0:17:08 > 0:17:14single World Cup race in his career, the 32-year-old. How close can you
0:17:14 > 0:17:18go? Looks promising, good enough for third. Hargin is in the hunt. Good
0:17:18 > 0:17:25scheme from suite. Next to go is Manuel Feller. The young string is
0:17:25 > 0:17:29known for his risk it all racing and his reputation as a wild child could
0:17:29 > 0:17:36not be further from the truth. He is quite zen and lost to relax by
0:17:36 > 0:17:42fishing. Can he catch a big one and take victory today?Number 12,
0:17:42 > 0:17:47Manuel Feller from Austria. The silver medallist at the World
0:17:47 > 0:17:53Championships in St Moritz last February. The long hair hanging out
0:17:53 > 0:17:59on the back of his race helmet. Feller is a bit of a wild boy at
0:17:59 > 0:18:05heart. Looks like he's going nicely. He's going very nicely. He's in
0:18:05 > 0:18:11front of Stefano Gross by 100th. He dances from edge to edge. Beautiful
0:18:11 > 0:18:18slalom technique from Manuel Feller. 33.19 's next target. He is miles
0:18:18 > 0:18:23and one, he has absolutely nailed the top two thirds, and what a shame
0:18:23 > 0:18:40for Feller, who is a faller!Now it is the turn of Andre Mhyrer from
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Sweden, the winner of seven World Cup slalom races in his long career.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47One of the tallest slalom races around but with a really light touch
0:18:47 > 0:18:56on the snow. How seafaring at the top? It looks like decent skiing but
0:18:56 > 0:19:01he's trailing by half a second. Now onto the flats. He might be able to
0:19:01 > 0:19:05generate a tenth of a second or so here. It is cutting up quite
0:19:05 > 0:19:10severely underfoot. He has lost brother time. Six tenths of a second
0:19:10 > 0:19:21down. His team-mate Mattias Hargin is in second. Stefano Gross is safe
0:19:21 > 0:19:27in the lead. And Andre Mhyrer is third. That is a fine finish. 21
0:19:27 > 0:19:32hundredths of a second behind. He has not his team-mate Mattias Hargin
0:19:32 > 0:19:34down one place.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45Dave Ryding is ready to race in Valdez. Lots of British support at
0:19:45 > 0:19:49the foot of the hill. Riding showed his ability in the first race of the
0:19:49 > 0:19:59season, setting the quickest time in the opening run in Levi, and he has
0:19:59 > 0:20:02the quickest intermediate, two hundredths of a second faster than
0:20:02 > 0:20:08current leader Stefano Gross. This time, he is half a second down. The
0:20:08 > 0:20:12flats are approaching. This is where he can make time. This is where he's
0:20:12 > 0:20:16one of the best in the world. Has he managed to claw back any of that
0:20:16 > 0:20:23deficit? He's now eight tenths down. The steepest of this course does not
0:20:23 > 0:20:29work in his favour. He was unlucky with the big draw today, pulling out
0:20:29 > 0:20:35number 14, but he's going to be in the second run. He has skied well.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39Skiing into ten, that is all right for Dave Ryding. He has a chance to
0:20:39 > 0:20:47move up in the second leg later on today.I think backlash that he had
0:20:47 > 0:20:51in Levi when he had the race in the bag was playing in the back of his
0:20:51 > 0:20:55mind and he skied that almost too conservatively, too much respect,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58and you could see on the top of the course how how he was. There was no
0:20:58 > 0:21:02risk. He will be kicking himself after the first run but a good
0:21:02 > 0:21:05chance with a good start number on the second run, he could move up the
0:21:05 > 0:21:10rankings.After the first one Stefano Gross leads the way for
0:21:10 > 0:21:16Italy. Michael Matt second. Dave Ryding is well positioned going into
0:21:16 > 0:21:22the second run, in 15th place. We said at the start of the show that
0:21:22 > 0:21:27we hoped mother nature would turn up and she is in full force.It is
0:21:27 > 0:21:31dumping human Val d'Isere but you can run a skull and anything. It is
0:21:31 > 0:21:37a fair race for everybody.D-Link David Grace conservatively?At the
0:21:37 > 0:21:43back of his mind would have been that DNF in Levi when he had a race
0:21:43 > 0:21:46in the back. He were skiing along the line, that is why he was not as
0:21:46 > 0:21:52quick as some of the other racers. What about Stefano Gross, unexpected
0:21:52 > 0:21:58leader after the first one?He's a proven winner on the tour, but he's
0:21:58 > 0:22:01been forming the last couple of seasons. It is great to see him
0:22:01 > 0:22:06back. He has the advantage of his coach setting the run in the second
0:22:06 > 0:22:11track. What about the perennial favourite Marcel Hirscher, he looked
0:22:11 > 0:22:19a bit rough. He has great ski speed, he just couldn't quite control it.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24Kristoffersen, his coach set the first one, and it was set for him.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Even after the fall line, but I don't think he's quite on the form
0:22:27 > 0:22:34that he was on last season.The top 30 the start gate ready to drop.
0:22:34 > 0:22:40Matt the commentary. Dave Ryding ready to go in Val d'Isere, author
0:22:40 > 0:22:46and running. His advantage of full second over the current leader.
0:22:46 > 0:22:54Difficult start. For Dave Ryding. Complicated conditions. As he skis
0:22:54 > 0:23:02off into the teeth of this blizzard, maintaining most of his lead. 0.75,
0:23:02 > 0:23:06and still ahead at the next intermediate, 0.4 one. Looking in
0:23:06 > 0:23:12good shape. Hitting the flats now. Good exhilaration. There is a little
0:23:12 > 0:23:18bit of soft snow on the top surface. Looking to reduce the ice underfoot,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22riding behind by 100th of a second. He's going to have to put his foot
0:23:22 > 0:23:27down over the final 15 terms, to do some damage to the lead. Almost home
0:23:27 > 0:23:35and drive. Hundreds of British fans here to cheer him on. He's out, down
0:23:35 > 0:23:44eighth position.Disappointing second run for Dave Ryding. He has
0:23:44 > 0:23:47held in the start gate for a long time and the names would have built,
0:23:47 > 0:23:51but he lost lots of time from the last split to the finish, not able
0:23:51 > 0:24:01to carry that speed from the steeper the flat.Next to ski, from Norway,
0:24:01 > 0:24:07I was really impressed by the way he tackled first run. He seems to
0:24:07 > 0:24:13thrive in these tricky conditions. Still one second in front with the
0:24:13 > 0:24:17next intermediate coming up. He would have lost some time, for sure,
0:24:17 > 0:24:23how much, though? Another quarter of a second. That is the best we have
0:24:23 > 0:24:27seen at intermediate two for a while. Still three quarters of a
0:24:27 > 0:24:37second in front. Onto the bottom half. Nordbotten with an advantage
0:24:37 > 0:24:47of 0.49 at last. At last we the lead of Marco Schwarz coming under threat
0:24:47 > 0:24:52from Jonathan Nordbotten of Norway. He has beaten comfortably, almost
0:24:52 > 0:24:58half a second. Nordbotten leading the Val d'Isere slalom World Cup.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02That is a great run from Nordbotten proving that you can do it in these
0:25:02 > 0:25:06conditions. I guess the Norwegians are used to skiing in the flat light
0:25:06 > 0:25:13and poor visibility.Ready to race is Marcel Hirscher, the six time
0:25:13 > 0:25:17world champion suffered a broken ankle in the baroque -- in the
0:25:17 > 0:25:19off-season and has been hitting the gym hard to get back to full
0:25:19 > 0:25:25fitness. He has spent time kayaking and visiting a sea wildlife century
0:25:25 > 0:25:38while on holiday. Will we see turtle power here today? He broke his leg
0:25:38 > 0:25:43in August. It is remarkable that he is racing at this level. He's had a
0:25:43 > 0:25:48good deal of success already this season, Marcel Hirscher, including
0:25:48 > 0:25:52victory in the Beaver Creek Giant Slalom last weekend. He is adding to
0:25:52 > 0:25:59his lead. Putting down one of these trademark second-round charges. 28
0:25:59 > 0:26:06years of age, Marcel Hirscher. 46 World Cup wins in total. 20 of them
0:26:06 > 0:26:11have been in slalom. Can he add to that total? Maybe so. He's going
0:26:11 > 0:26:17quicker and quicker. He doesn't mind about the blizzard. He's absolutely
0:26:17 > 0:26:23ripping it up in these difficult conditions. And the great Marcel
0:26:23 > 0:26:27Hirscher is going for the lead in Val d'Isere and he has got it by a
0:26:27 > 0:26:32mile! He has crush the opposition. Classic Marcel Hirscher on the
0:26:32 > 0:26:36second run. Really calm things down after the first run. No major
0:26:36 > 0:26:45mistakes. Superbly clean. Now he's thrown down the gauntlet.Next ago
0:26:45 > 0:26:48is Henrik Kristoffersen. The Norwegian had a complete break from
0:26:48 > 0:26:53skiing or three months this summer during which he went water-skiing,
0:26:53 > 0:26:57motocross riding and did lots of training with his shirt off. He will
0:26:57 > 0:27:07be working up a sweat in the slalom today. Henrik Kristoffersen, the
0:27:07 > 0:27:12winner of this race 12 months ago in Val d'Isere. The first of five World
0:27:12 > 0:27:17Cup slalom as he took on the tour in 2017. He comes into this second run
0:27:17 > 0:27:24with a lead of 0.14 of his great rival Marcel Hirscher. He has a
0:27:24 > 0:27:29ready lost that the lead and it is a deficit of four hundredths of a
0:27:29 > 0:27:35second now for Henrik Kristoffersen. 3p of a second down. Bash back three
0:27:35 > 0:27:41tenths of a second. Conditions almost impossible at the top. It is
0:27:41 > 0:27:46a little clearer here. Fractionally better visibility on the bottom of
0:27:46 > 0:27:51the course. But I don't think Marcel Hirscher will be worried about
0:27:51 > 0:27:55Kristoffersen's conclusion. It is drifting away from him. He will need
0:27:55 > 0:28:00a miracle finish to overturn the lead of Marcel Hirscher. It looks
0:28:00 > 0:28:05like finish, but Marcel Hirscher is safe in front as Kristoffersen skis
0:28:05 > 0:28:12into second position.Don't get me wrong, Kristoffersen is skiing well
0:28:12 > 0:28:16but maybe just not quite as good as last season. Timing is ever so
0:28:16 > 0:28:19slightly off at the beginning of the turn, he's jumping in and forcing
0:28:19 > 0:28:23that section of the turn. I think he will get it back as the season goes
0:28:23 > 0:28:40on, though.Now Mattias Hargin. For Sweden. On his way. His advantage
0:28:40 > 0:28:44over Marcel Hirscher isn't much. And it has been lost already.
0:28:44 > 0:28:52Intermediate number one, he trails Marcel Hirscher by 0.26 of a second.
0:28:52 > 0:29:00The next split, and Hargin has clawed back at tenth of a second. If
0:29:00 > 0:29:04he keeps it error-free and finds exhilaration here on the flats, then
0:29:04 > 0:29:10it is possible, I think, for Hargin to topple Marcel Hirscher from the
0:29:10 > 0:29:13top of the leaderboard. But now I think that's no longer the case.
0:29:13 > 0:29:19He's too far behind. 0.50 four. Hargin has done well to keep
0:29:19 > 0:29:26upright. To keep them carving. In these really difficult conditions in
0:29:26 > 0:29:41Val d'Isere. But he's down in fifth place. The second run under way for
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Andre Myhrer. Pushing out into the snowfall which has just eased off
0:29:44 > 0:29:49slightly at the top of the course. A little bit of mist, on the camera
0:29:49 > 0:29:54lens, difficult for the camera operatives to keep these pictures
0:29:54 > 0:29:59coming through in these conditions.
0:29:59 > 0:30:07Drifted into the red bat back in the Green zone now with a lead of four
0:30:07 > 0:30:13hundreds over Marcel Hirscher. 34 years of age and still going strong
0:30:13 > 0:30:18and still looking strong. 0.31 behind. Hirscher will start to
0:30:18 > 0:30:24believe that place on the podium might well be guaranteed, as Myhrer
0:30:24 > 0:30:29hits the last seven turns and tries to accelerate past Marcel Hirscher
0:30:29 > 0:30:37but he is only 3rd. Hirscher in front.Not the most aesthetically
0:30:37 > 0:30:40ski pleasing skier to watch but makes up with it with power and
0:30:40 > 0:30:44strength and skis are very tight line and gates. That will be a
0:30:44 > 0:30:48confidence building result for the Swede.
0:30:48 > 0:30:53Michael Matt next ago, won is 1st and only World Cup slalom
0:30:53 > 0:30:58competition last season. Younger brother of the great Mario, the
0:30:58 > 0:31:02Olympic champion in Sochi last time round. Michael Matt is struggling
0:31:02 > 0:31:07here. He is feeling his way through some of these turns, that's how poor
0:31:07 > 0:31:11the visibility is. Hirscher's lead I think we'll be safe at this next
0:31:11 > 0:31:19intermediate. Seven hundredths. Matt keeps himself narrowly in front. Now
0:31:19 > 0:31:22he finds himself on the flats and starts to move it up through the
0:31:22 > 0:31:27gears, hands down on some of these turns. Practically propping himself
0:31:27 > 0:31:36up. Now he has lost all that lead and a lot more. 0.38 behind. The top
0:31:36 > 0:31:41three separated by 0.0 four. Can Michael Matt fightback? Last few
0:31:41 > 0:31:48turns. Michael Matt is home in four.
0:31:50 > 0:31:58Stefano Gross's fans here, hopeful that their man can turn this around.
0:31:58 > 0:32:04The leader after the 1st run, ready to race that the 2nd time in Val
0:32:04 > 0:32:11D'Isere. His advantage over Hirscher is decent enough. More than half a
0:32:11 > 0:32:162nd is what he brings into the 2nd leg. The Italian is underway.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20Getting bumped away, the blizzard has picked up again. A bit late in
0:32:20 > 0:32:26the line and most but not quite all of his lead has slipped away. Next
0:32:26 > 0:32:31intermediate absolutely key to his prospects, and it's good. Still in
0:32:31 > 0:32:39front, still green, it has been all the way. A 2nd. Has to keep it
0:32:39 > 0:32:44error-free on the bottom bottom half of his slalom run. It is starting to
0:32:44 > 0:32:49get away from him. A little back seated. The skis back under control
0:32:49 > 0:32:58now. 21 hundredths to find. Hirscher's lead remains intact. Can
0:32:58 > 0:33:03Stefano Gross take the win in Val D'Isere? No, he's only six. Marcel
0:33:03 > 0:33:09Hirscher does it again. Disappointment for Stefano Gross in
0:33:09 > 0:33:13the end, coming out of the start gate he had a trip and it cost him
0:33:13 > 0:33:16basically all of his advantage on Hirscher and then he had to try and
0:33:16 > 0:33:21match him and couldn't on that final section leading into the finish.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25Marcel Hirscher comes through the blizzard to take his 2nd victory of
0:33:25 > 0:33:29the season, ahead of Henrik Kristoffersen in 2nd, with Andre
0:33:29 > 0:33:34Meyer 3rd. Dave Ryding of Great Britain finished in 19th position.
0:33:34 > 0:33:39Marcel, the 1st run it looks like it was linked to recovery after link to
0:33:39 > 0:33:46recovery?Yes, I was really shocked. Wrong choice of set up, wrong choice
0:33:46 > 0:33:54of skiing, wrong joys of -- wrong choice of technique. I went to the
0:33:54 > 0:33:57hotel, watch the video, analysed and tried my best. So yes, it was
0:33:57 > 0:34:03better.A look better on the 2nd runner. Romagna yes, luckily, I
0:34:03 > 0:34:07risked everything. It is unusual that you see the finish area with
0:34:07 > 0:34:13this high potential. Dave, disappointed with that?
0:34:13 > 0:34:14this high potential. Dave, disappointed with that?Yes,
0:34:14 > 0:34:19of course. It was a big step backwards. It was tough. I don't
0:34:19 > 0:34:24want to make excuses, but I couldn't see anything. There was so much snow
0:34:24 > 0:34:28on the gates, it was coming off the gates into my face. I did what I
0:34:28 > 0:34:30could.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Elsewhere in winter sport, it's been an encouraging start
0:34:34 > 0:34:36to the season for our British athletes as they look
0:34:36 > 0:34:38to build momentum ahead of the Winter Olympics.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41In short track speed skating, Elise Christie won the 500
0:34:41 > 0:34:43metres at the World Cup in Korea last month.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46Eve Muirhead skippered the Scottish women's team to gold at the European
0:34:46 > 0:34:48curling championships.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50The Scottish men took silver in their event.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55Defending Olympic skeleton champion Lizzy Yarnold took
0:34:55 > 0:34:57bronze at the World Cup in Lake Placid in October.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01And in bobsleigh, the British 4-man teams secured two
0:35:01 > 0:35:04podiums in a month.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Bradley Hall skipped his team to bronze in Utah, while Lamin Deen's
0:35:07 > 0:35:10crew took silver in Whistler.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13And you can see the next round of the skeleton and bobsleigh
0:35:13 > 0:35:15World Cup from Innsbruck on the red button.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18Coverage starts on Friday.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21Meanwhile, in freestyle, Katie Ormerod took silver
0:35:21 > 0:35:24at the first snowboard Big Air World Cup of the season
0:35:24 > 0:35:25in Milan last month.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27And Katie Summerhayes equalled her best ever result
0:35:27 > 0:35:32in the ski slopestyle World Cup with a silver in Stubai.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36In men's Ski Slopestyle, James Woods remains among the best
0:35:36 > 0:35:41riders in the world.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45And the 1st World Cup of the season in New Zealand in August he took yet
0:35:45 > 0:35:48another gold-medal, adding to his already impressive haul from the
0:35:48 > 0:35:55last five years. It is one of the most competitive freestyle
0:35:55 > 0:36:00disciplines and James Woods is a representative for all the elite
0:36:00 > 0:36:03freestyle skiers.
0:36:03 > 0:36:04Despite this elevated status, the Sheffield shredder
0:36:04 > 0:36:07is a simple creature at heart, as he's been explaining
0:36:07 > 0:36:11to Tim Warwood.
0:36:15 > 0:36:22I love it, and that's why we all got into it. Their mountain is like a
0:36:22 > 0:36:26blank canvas where you can show yourself.
0:36:37 > 0:36:44This is the sport that I love. I'd know that I put all my eggs in this
0:36:44 > 0:36:49basket, so I work really hard.That right there ladies and
0:36:49 > 0:36:50basket, so I work really hard.That right there ladies and and The Miz
0:36:50 > 0:37:03Mr James Woods. A 180 Octo grab. The right side 1260. He makes everything
0:37:03 > 0:37:06look so effortless.
0:37:09 > 0:37:16For those that don't know, start the start, where did it start for you?
0:37:16 > 0:37:20Well, I came from Sheffield, that's it really. None of my family skied
0:37:20 > 0:37:24all snowboarders.How does a kid from Sheffield become one of the
0:37:24 > 0:37:29world's best freestyle skiers?I was just around ten years old, at that
0:37:29 > 0:37:33phase in my life, a kid playing loads of football and just doing
0:37:33 > 0:37:38everything. There was a dry slope in Sheffield. I remember, my dad was
0:37:38 > 0:37:44like,...There's the skis slope.I didn't even know what a ski slope
0:37:44 > 0:37:50was. I remember my mum finding a free ski and snowboard lesson in the
0:37:50 > 0:37:54newspaper and I went and tried it and it just went... Skiing every
0:37:54 > 0:38:01day.Every moment of every holiday, he was there all day. I went from
0:38:01 > 0:38:06work today, Sam Egerton lunchtime. It was great. We would have a nice
0:38:06 > 0:38:12little chat in the sunshine.How much do you think Sheffield as a dry
0:38:12 > 0:38:16slope was instrumental in the freestyle side of your skiing?
0:38:16 > 0:38:21Absolutely. I started and had the influence of the ski club guys,
0:38:21 > 0:38:26teaching me how to ski, and it was great. Smashing the gates. Smashing
0:38:26 > 0:38:30the gates. Ten, 11, 12 years old I was meeting all these people, people
0:38:30 > 0:38:36lots older than me, kids that were 15, 18, 20, 30...Ancient guys who
0:38:36 > 0:38:42were 22!And they were killing it. I remember my 1st skiing and
0:38:42 > 0:38:47snowboarding idols. They were the local guys its Sheffield. That's how
0:38:47 > 0:38:51it works. It is that skate park mentality and those guys really
0:38:51 > 0:38:57brought me up. Hi, I'm James Woods, I got silver in
0:38:57 > 0:39:02ski cross.Who was your idol, who did you look up to and try to
0:39:02 > 0:39:18emulate?It was always Candide.And still is!Candide is just God, you
0:39:18 > 0:39:23know? As far as everything's concerned. But everyone around the
0:39:23 > 0:39:28ski village. The guys I was skiing with, I was definitely not the best.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32I loved to do it and I had a great time, but there were people who were
0:39:32 > 0:39:36far better than me. I was just riding a wave with everyone. It was
0:39:36 > 0:39:41after school for me and after work for everyone, I suppose. Always
0:39:41 > 0:39:46dark, orange lights, a dim glow and still now... The finals, at night
0:39:46 > 0:39:52time under the lights. And honestly, it's the best thing. Some of the big
0:39:52 > 0:39:55dogs alike, I hate doing the lights, I don't like the periphery. I'm
0:39:55 > 0:40:02like, just like Sheffield.It takes me back!
0:40:12 > 0:40:14X Games is kind of
0:40:14 > 0:40:17X Games is kind of freestyle skiing and snowboarding, that was the
0:40:17 > 0:40:22Olympics at the time, was in it? That's what you aspire to?Obviously
0:40:22 > 0:40:27we are brand-new to the Olympics. I didn't grow up staring the Olympics
0:40:27 > 0:40:31down as the ultimate goal, the end goal or anything like that. I
0:40:31 > 0:40:36genuinely didn't think I would be in the running. It was as big a
0:40:36 > 0:40:39surprise for me as the US for anyone that I got into the freestyle
0:40:39 > 0:40:44Olympics. Sharpie gave me a ring and said, how do you want to play at
0:40:44 > 0:40:50Qwest mightwhat we do?Idol, we might as well, someone is going to
0:40:50 > 0:40:55win.COMMENTATOR: Beautiful run from James Woods.The whole thing about
0:40:55 > 0:40:59representing your country, that is what has brought the Olympics up to
0:40:59 > 0:41:03par. It's like, actually, this is really weird but I'm not competing
0:41:03 > 0:41:07for myself. I was Great Britain. I was wearing biscuits, very different
0:41:07 > 0:41:13to anything I've done before. Freestyle skiing it's an image, if
0:41:13 > 0:41:18look good, you feel good.If you feel good, you ski good. Excellent
0:41:18 > 0:41:22philosophy!Wearing the uniform essentially, how is it?Really
0:41:22 > 0:41:26weird, really strange. Conforming, wearing this, being part of the
0:41:26 > 0:41:30team, it is strange. At the Olympics it hits home, and not doing this for
0:41:30 > 0:41:34me, I'm not doing it for my personal gain, of course I am, in a way I'm a
0:41:34 > 0:41:38competitive person and want to do the best I can do. You see a
0:41:38 > 0:41:53challenge and you get the eye of the Tiger, don't you? But that
0:41:53 > 0:41:55whole representing your country side of it, that's what the Olympics
0:41:55 > 0:41:57represents. That was probably the biggest thing I could take out of
0:41:57 > 0:42:00Sochi., Tyton considering how work he has had to work out the back,
0:42:00 > 0:42:02with that injury, will be pleased with that result.If you gold-medal
0:42:02 > 0:42:06at the Olympics, it's a life changer, isn't it, really? Is that
0:42:06 > 0:42:12thought in your head?I mean... To be honest, not really.You will be
0:42:12 > 0:42:28on cereal boxes back home. All Bran, Woody edition. Woodsy's Museli.It's
0:42:28 > 0:42:35cool, but I'm not kid from Sheffield. That grimy kid that just
0:42:35 > 0:42:38love something nobody knows about. That's where I come from and that's
0:42:38 > 0:42:45who I am. I want to be the best eye candy. It would be sick to influence
0:42:45 > 0:42:49and inspire some people. I love being in the mountains, hanging out
0:42:49 > 0:42:54with my friends. I really, really don't care about anything but going
0:42:54 > 0:43:00straight in.I hate to say this to you, so sorry, you can't ski
0:43:00 > 0:43:05forever.Yes, you can stop I am sorry, you can't. What is next? Ten
0:43:05 > 0:43:10years, 15 years' time, what is next to James Woods, what are you going
0:43:10 > 0:43:17to do? I will ski forever, dude.It will really hurt when you get to 35!
0:43:17 > 0:43:22It already does! I tried to make some clever decisions, business
0:43:22 > 0:43:27minded that would keep me doing the stuff I love to do. Like I said
0:43:27 > 0:43:30before, I love being in the mountains and skiing more than
0:43:30 > 0:43:35anything. I love charging, I will ski forever.That's what I want to
0:43:35 > 0:43:43hear. You're a legend!You are a legend.You really are a legend! He
0:43:43 > 0:43:48is never anything but totally honest, wears his heart on his
0:43:48 > 0:43:52sleeve and is someone we can feel proud of?Yes, he's a genuine
0:43:52 > 0:43:55contender for gold. I think what might have surprised some people is
0:43:55 > 0:43:59he doesn't prioritise the Olympic dream. The be all and end all is not
0:43:59 > 0:44:04that gold medal, instead he has these very old school core freestyle
0:44:04 > 0:44:08values I really like that about him. But he still massively competitive?
0:44:08 > 0:44:11Yes.
0:44:11 > 0:44:12One of Woodsy's closest rivals in Pyeongchang
0:44:12 > 0:44:13will be Gus Kenworthy.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15The American Kenworthy is a multiple X Games
0:44:15 > 0:44:18medal winner in both ski slopestyle and half-pipe,
0:44:18 > 0:44:21and he took silver in slopestyle at the Winter Olympics in 2014.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23In the freestyle community, Kenworthy is part of the furniture,
0:44:23 > 0:44:26but he felt quite the opposite until just two years ago.
0:44:31 > 0:44:37Any time anything was bad, the weather, the contest, the judges it
0:44:37 > 0:44:43was this is so gay. We had people that called us fags. I thought, when
0:44:43 > 0:44:46are they going to realise I am gay?
0:44:51 > 0:44:53I look back on it
0:44:53 > 0:44:57I look back on it fondly. It was four years ago, in Sochi. In some
0:44:57 > 0:45:00ways it feels like a lifetime ago, and other ways it feels like it was
0:45:00 > 0:45:11just yesterday.Can you back woods with his treble 14? Oh! Eugh! Nobody
0:45:11 > 0:45:15knew that I was gay, I hadn't come out my parents yet. We had talked
0:45:15 > 0:45:24about out in Sochi, like a protest to all of the anti-LGBT legislation
0:45:24 > 0:45:29they had in place. And then it was, like, congratulations and I got a
0:45:29 > 0:45:33parade in my hometown. And I felt really guilty.It really put it into
0:45:33 > 0:45:39perspective for me. And it was the beginning of me realising that I did
0:45:39 > 0:45:44need to come out and figure out how I was going to do that.That's not a
0:45:44 > 0:45:47straightforward as you might think in action sports where many of the
0:45:47 > 0:45:50athletes fit in with the stereotype, Camacho adrenaline fuelled
0:45:50 > 0:45:56community, despite its origins celebrating independence and
0:45:56 > 0:45:59originality, the professionals are often guilty of conforming to the
0:45:59 > 0:46:03uniform soundtrack of their peers. They revel in their differences with
0:46:03 > 0:46:07society rather than each other.I was scared that coming out I would
0:46:07 > 0:46:11lose fans and sponsors and get judged worse at events. I travel all
0:46:11 > 0:46:15year round with these guys and they are some of my closest friends and I
0:46:15 > 0:46:19think they would think that I had been deceitful to them, that they
0:46:19 > 0:46:23would resent before it. I felt like I had a lot to lose and I was going
0:46:23 > 0:46:28to lose it all, so I was scared. The year after the Olympics, X Games
0:46:28 > 0:46:35went so badly for me. I had a cry in the parking lot and said I don't
0:46:35 > 0:46:38want to do this any more, I did want to be in the sport I cannot be
0:46:38 > 0:46:43myself, and I am so ashamed of myself and he was like, you don't
0:46:43 > 0:46:46have the closet yourself, you can come out in the sport, I am here
0:46:46 > 0:46:52with you. It was like, basically, you are so good at this, you have no
0:46:52 > 0:46:57reason to stop. I ended up winning every event for the rest of the
0:46:57 > 0:47:00season, had my best finish and I wanted to come out ranked number one
0:47:00 > 0:47:03in the world, because even if anyone disagrees with me being gay or
0:47:03 > 0:47:12cannot take it, they cant disagree with that.He finally came out in
0:47:12 > 0:47:15October 2015 and announcing his news on social media and in a magazine
0:47:15 > 0:47:21interview.The reaction was the opposite of what I'd expected. I had
0:47:21 > 0:47:26set myself up for the worse. I had screenshot id. How much followers I
0:47:26 > 0:47:31have. And all I needed was the people that I had already told, who
0:47:31 > 0:47:35were already supportive, and then it was just the opposite. I posted a
0:47:35 > 0:47:40cover, but we did it, and my phone started going crazy. I got calls
0:47:40 > 0:47:44from other people in the industry who had joked about things and
0:47:44 > 0:47:48called me gay, Corden Yafai get or whatever, saying that they were
0:47:48 > 0:47:53sorry and if they had any idea they would never have said those things.
0:47:53 > 0:48:01I was like in tears during those apologies. I had people posting my
0:48:01 > 0:48:05article and saying how much they supported me and I felt so loved. I
0:48:05 > 0:48:12never expected the reaction to be what it was. Anything that I've done
0:48:12 > 0:48:17in my life that I am most proud of is coming out and doing it the way
0:48:17 > 0:48:21that I did it, because I get messages every single day from kids
0:48:21 > 0:48:25and I see people on the street in New York or LA who say that the
0:48:25 > 0:48:29article resonated with them and help them come to terms with themselves,
0:48:29 > 0:48:32help their parents accept them, help someone else understand, and I'm
0:48:32 > 0:48:36just hoping that my story of seeing someone come out at the peak of my
0:48:36 > 0:48:40career in a sport that you wouldn't think would be accepting, and seeing
0:48:40 > 0:48:46how accepting it was, I hope it gives people encouragement and can
0:48:46 > 0:48:50apply for people that are in the closet, in sports.His story has
0:48:50 > 0:48:53inspired a new range of global sponsors who see him as the perfect
0:48:53 > 0:49:00poster boy for their brand in an increasingly diverse market. Eugh! I
0:49:00 > 0:49:03was thinking, is it bad that I'm getting sponsors because of this?
0:49:03 > 0:49:08Then it was like, I don't care. Yellow macro this brand wants to
0:49:08 > 0:49:11partner with me for living with my life authentically, I want to be
0:49:11 > 0:49:15with that brand. It is amazing for any kids in the closet bar in
0:49:15 > 0:49:24sports.Solid run from Gus Kenworthy.I wanted to do well for
0:49:24 > 0:49:27myself and for the LGBT community, I want to be their sports guy, I want
0:49:27 > 0:49:32to be at the Olympics and get a medal for the community. The more
0:49:32 > 0:49:35representation you have, the more it helps break down barriers and stigma
0:49:35 > 0:49:40and homophobia and eventually it will get to the point where it is
0:49:40 > 0:49:43not so crazy and shocking and it will not have to be a big statement
0:49:43 > 0:49:46by coming out, it can just be everyone living their lives,
0:49:46 > 0:49:49authentically.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54What an inspiring story - to see an athlete at the very top
0:49:54 > 0:49:56of their sport coming out, being supported by their peers,
0:49:56 > 0:50:01and high profile sponsors is so encouraging.
0:50:01 > 0:50:06You only need to look back to 1998 when a skateboarder talked about his
0:50:06 > 0:50:11sexuality in interview and was dropped by sponsors. The fact that
0:50:11 > 0:50:15he has owned it and the dialogue has been about as results rather than
0:50:15 > 0:50:21his sexuality is the biggest success for me.As he said in the prom,
0:50:21 > 0:50:25hopefully this will none -- this one they not be a thing and not even
0:50:25 > 0:50:28were talking about. He's actually half British. His mother is from the
0:50:28 > 0:50:34UK and moved to US when he was two years old.We have it on good
0:50:34 > 0:50:40authority that he is a fan of British TV, so he watch ski Sunday.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43Can you believe next year it'll be 40 years since Ski Sunday first
0:50:43 > 0:50:44appeared on the BBC?
0:50:44 > 0:50:49Originally inspired by Franz Klammer's daring run
0:50:49 > 0:50:52in the downhill at the Winter Olympics in 1976,
0:50:52 > 0:50:55the programme has evolved over the years to include freestyle,
0:50:55 > 0:50:57snowboarding, and other winter sports.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59But one thing has remained a constant and very popular
0:50:59 > 0:51:00presence, as Graham explains.
0:51:07 > 0:51:09Every week we get hundreds of comments from the audience about one
0:51:09 > 0:51:14thing, the theme tune. People absolutely love it. And to be fair,
0:51:14 > 0:51:19it is the best thing about the show. Very sadly I have it as a ring tone
0:51:19 > 0:51:26on my phone. It is the soundtrack of the winter.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32SKI SUNDAY THEME.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47A very good afternoon and welcome to the ski slopes of Europe. Yellow
0:51:47 > 0:51:54macro to celebrate ski Sunday toning body the BBC for the manic orchestra
0:51:54 > 0:52:06have agreed to give a performance of a special piece of music. It is
0:52:06 > 0:52:10called Pop Looks Bach and I am joined by the son of the original
0:52:10 > 0:52:14composer.I remember listening to it on TV. My dad was not aware that it
0:52:14 > 0:52:17was going to be played. It came on the TV and he was delighted and
0:52:17 > 0:52:22thrilled. Like a lot of the other music that he found out watching TV,
0:52:22 > 0:52:27that was played, yes.He worked for a publishing house. How much music
0:52:27 > 0:52:36videos reproduce?For them, quite a lot, maybe 20, 25 different records
0:52:36 > 0:52:43but maybe upwards of 80. 80 albums of music.You are a keen musician
0:52:43 > 0:52:54himself and I understand you got the big vinyl collection.Ski Sunday.
0:52:54 > 0:52:59This is Bob Sleigh and the downhill racer is with Pop Looks Bach. What
0:52:59 > 0:53:04is it about this piece of music that makes it so catchy, that makes it
0:53:04 > 0:53:18last so long?It is not based on any one work of Bach, but it is like a
0:53:18 > 0:53:24Bach toccata, it has this classical sounding thing, then it has this
0:53:24 > 0:53:27little jazz and blues sounding section which gives it more of a
0:53:27 > 0:53:36modern flavour. And the timpani kicks everything into life and
0:53:36 > 0:53:42brings it to life.What would your dad think if he was here today, and
0:53:42 > 0:53:47the BBC for the moniker was playing his piece of music and the fact that
0:53:47 > 0:53:52it has run on ski Sunday for 40 years?He would be delighted to be
0:53:52 > 0:54:00here. He would be very pleased that his music is so much love. -- loved.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57It is the star of the show. There's been another element that has been
0:54:57 > 0:55:05almost as constant as the theme tune.Graham. 33 years and counting.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07Before we leave you, we've just got time for Ski Social.
0:55:07 > 0:55:08Before we leave you, we've just got time for Ski Social.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10As ever, we want you to send us pictures and videos
0:55:10 > 0:55:13of yourselves in action.
0:55:13 > 0:55:16You can be good or bad, just than the average.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19Just use the hashtag Ski Sunday.
0:55:19 > 0:55:21To kick things off, we've picked a couple
0:55:21 > 0:55:23of our own personal favourites from the early part of this season,
0:55:23 > 0:55:25but these definitely fall into the good category.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28Check out Candide Thovex's latest offering in his One
0:55:28 > 0:55:30of those Days series...
0:55:41 > 0:55:45And Graham has been polishing his ego a little bit and insisting that
0:55:45 > 0:55:48we put in this clip.
0:55:48 > 0:55:57ego a little bit and insisting that we put in this clip.I set a
0:55:57 > 0:56:01skijoring world record.He has a twig on faster traditionally skiing
0:56:01 > 0:56:08downhill.160 is my goal. It is not just me that this into speed. This
0:56:08 > 0:56:14Swiss skier has set a skiing world record of 80 miles an hour
0:56:14 > 0:56:26backwards. Ski Social has turned up this nugget. He's not the only
0:56:26 > 0:56:41snowboarder from the Forest of Dean. DJ Miff from EMF ascent bassoon.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44Charlotte is planning a snowboarding trip and wants to find the best way
0:56:44 > 0:56:49to get fit.A classic is the lunges and squats to work on your legs. I
0:56:49 > 0:56:54have been working in yoga. My wife is an instructor and has convinced
0:56:54 > 0:56:58me that it is the best way to prepare for a season. It gives you
0:56:58 > 0:57:02all the body strength and critically also gives you the flexibility to
0:57:02 > 0:57:08deal with the inevitable snags.Then jamming Green has asked which snow
0:57:08 > 0:57:13sports he can get his wife into, because she has got dodgy knees.If
0:57:13 > 0:57:17you can't do alpine skiing, there's always Nordic skiing, which gets you
0:57:17 > 0:57:22out enjoying the mountains. Because it is the 40th year, we've had a
0:57:22 > 0:57:27request for some of the more questionable outfits down the years.
0:57:27 > 0:57:32I think you should lead on this one. It is fair to say that I learn
0:57:32 > 0:57:35through trial and error and fashion terms. This is a standout, the
0:57:35 > 0:57:42purple and white stripe. Also the pink pants with the grey camo
0:57:42 > 0:57:46jacket. And I like this green, yellow and white striped jacket.
0:57:46 > 0:57:52What was I thinking?In the British team, I didn't have much choice, we
0:57:52 > 0:57:56wore a uniform.Check out this catsuit, though. It's not about the
0:57:56 > 0:58:01catsuit, it is about the mullet, incredible!
0:58:01 > 0:58:03That's all we have time for this week.
0:58:03 > 0:58:06Next week, we're back in Val D'Isere but the speedometer is getting
0:58:06 > 0:58:07cranked up a notch.
0:58:07 > 0:58:09We'll hear from the brilliant British Paralympic
0:58:09 > 0:58:12skier Millie Knight, and from the superstar
0:58:12 > 0:58:14of Alpine Lindsey Vonn, as we feature the women's downhill.
0:58:14 > 0:58:16See you then.
0:58:57 > 0:59:00She can't be serious. Hello, Daddy.