Snowsports trip to Tignes

Give me your clothes, your boots, and your dignity – a common cry across the land as 40 eager Imperialites joined hundreds of students from around the country in preparation for the British Universities Snowsports Council (BUSC) Main event 2011. The stench of sweaty ski/board boots filled the air as old gear was dug out from the back of cupboards and chucked on coaches for the 24-hour drive to Tignes, during which our star snowboard freestyler Luke Bridgestock became a much loathed mini-celebrity among Bristol University students for his embarrassingly loud “the first time I ever...” life recollections at 5am.

The first day in France was spent burning in the sun and messing around on nursery slopes before Val Claret was graced with athletic disco shapes (go Vlad!) and piggy backing all the way to the moon and back. Not the kind of limp wristed skiers who lie in bed all day, Sunday brought with it the first of many early starts and epic days! With most students opting for the lift pass extension, thousands of acres of skiable terrain were at their feet, offering something for everyone; from absolute beginners to all star ski-racers. Snow conditions are always a concern with an event scheduled at the tail end of the season, but as Tignes is a high resort (think 3500m peak, 2000m base) fun Easter skiing was to be had, and surely everyone enjoys slaying some end-of-day choppy slush?

Competition-wise it was a successful trip for us, notably Chris Wyatt who put in solid performances in the men’s ski racing events, but was let down in the Skier-X by a last minute course change, putting the 2nd half of the field at a distinct time disadvantage. The relentless pursuit of excellence by our snowboarding freestylers saw appreciation from the judges, and final round qualifications were granted. As always competition was fierce and unfortunately a stray (and most likely imaginary) pole in the lip of a kicker thwarted Luke’s 60 ft rodeo-5 attempt, prompting our exit from the competition and a heavy night of melty-face concussion antics for some. Ex-competitor in the world Mountain Boarding championships but newcomer to the freestyle snowboard scene was our youngest competitor, the fresh faced Irish wonder John McGuckin, who wowed judges with his precarious Slopestyle innovation, pulling a trick of his own creation on his final run, the now infamous “turtle spin”, getting enthusiastic cheers from the judges box. Perhaps too radical for his own good, such innovation failed to translate into BUSC points, but John vows to return to the competition next year and “nail an edge flip” for the recognition this sinewy sportsman deserves.

In great Imperial tradition, most of the committee (current and elected for next year) as well as the keenest club members spent the majority of the trip dressed as animals/morons. Think “tight, bright, and shiny” and of course “cow vs croc” - keep an eye on the ICSC Snowsports page for high speed video evidence of the latter. As always BUSC laid on endless great nights out, perhaps the best being the Funicular party – a 10 min train (!) ride up the mountain for a 3500m/6 h rave to natty riddumz and dirty beetz, with Lizzy Griffiths pushing the skank meter up to 11 all night long!

Another incredible Imperial snowsports trip, and so a big thanks to all the people who came along to make this possible. Special mention goes to next year’s Snowsports chair, our very own sugar cougar and trip organiser Beth Burks for making all our dreams a beautiful and boozy reality! As the snow melts for the summer, and we count down the hours to the ICSC January trip (see you there!), we praise the almighty God of Snow for looking over us this season, and letting us come home in one piece. In the words of the often late and rarely great current Snowsports chairman, “it’s like the Black Eyed Peas say...it’s all about the boom boom pow”.