With UK Sport building upon its successes in recent years, this coming Winter Olympics in South Korea could be one to watch! Investment into Team GB has led to some great progression over the last four years. There are high hopes for medals; one of whom is slalom skier, Dave Ryding, who took a fantastic podium finish of 2nd at the Kitzbuhel World Cup Slalom in January 2017. Admitting that crisps are his guilty pleasure, and that he likes his French crepes with ‘sucre citroen’ topping, Dave took a few minutes away from his busy training schedule to talk to us:
*Amazing result for you in Kitzbuhel this year. How did it feel? Kitzbuhel was a crazy day, I will never replicate that feeling of getting my first podium unless I win one I guess... It was a whole different level media wise, interest in my story and where I have come from, and the pressure of the difficult piste was crazy.
* Favourite ski resort: Hinterstoder, Austria is my personal favourite... it’s not the biggest but has everything and it is perfect for the family.
* Top tips for new skiers: Get some Fischer skis and enjoy the mountains!
* Do you have a pre-race routine? No routine other than my warm up and focus on controlling my breathing
* Pre-race meal: whatever is in the athlete hospitality and a good whole breakfast
* It’s your third Olympics how are you feeling about it in general? And how do you feel about your chances? I will focus on the Olympics when the time comes, my chances all depend on how I’m skiing on the World Cup first.
* You must spend a lot of time travelling, what are your travel essentials that you can’t do without? eye mask and ear plugs.... I can’t get by without my sleep
* What have you been doing this summer? A hell of a lot of training as I always do... when I stop skiing then I will have time to do other things I guess, but for now I’m all in.
* Ski resort you’d like to visit? I would like to see a bit more of the American ones... but I have jet lag so maybe I will leave them.
* What’s on your Christmas list? some good ski form for January... it’s a hectic month!
* If you hadn’t been a race skier, what do you think you’d have been? I love sport so I would like to think doing another sport... I had a teacher in mind when I was younger also.
All of us at TG Ski wish Dave the best of luck for his Olympic campaign. He’ll undoubtedly be an inspiration to the next generation of slalom skiers. Go Dave!
If all this talk of skiing leaves you itching to book a trip out to the Alps, please get in touch with our team to experience it for yourselves. You never know, one of your group may be a future Olympian in the making! At TG Ski, we offer catered chalet holidays with the emphasis on exceptional quality service, in beautifully presented luxury chalets, with exquisite food. Come and get exited about snowsports with us!