‘Olympic legacy is already inspiring young people to engage in sport’ say youth charity Snow-Camp

“A fantastic and beneficial project that just keeps getting better” Ed Leigh (BBC presenter)

Whilst the Olympics have been captivating the nation over the last 2 weeks, youth charity Snow-Camp have continued to run their youth programmes  engaging and supporting inner city young people through snowsports. And the charity has seen levels of enthusiasm for engaging in sport surge over the Olympic period, with interest in signing up to Snow-Camp projects higher than ever before.

 Director Dan Charlish said, ‘We have been running Snow-Camp programmes since 2003, but the Olympics seem to have captured the imagination of young people and it has been fantastic to see the demand for places on our snowsports beginner courses growing so rapidly!’

 The charity uses a combination of snowsports, life-skills and vocational opportunities to support young people who would otherwise never have the opportunity to engage in snowsports. Their programmes enable young people to progress from beginner to instructor over the course of a year – with newly qualified young people then recruited to teach their peers in the next round of beginner courses.

Charlish said, ‘The fact that snowsports themselves haven’t featured in this Olympics doesn’t seem to have made any difference – young people have simply been inspired by what they have seen to try something new and aspirational, to challenge themselves and discover their own potential. Snowsports are perfect for capturing young people’s enthusiasm and channelling it positively. And with the winter Olympics in Sochi 2014 just around the corner, the potential to build on the legacy of these Olympics and ensure further positive impact for young people is huge.’

The charity is seeking to expend its youth support programmes to meet the new demand, but admits recent funding cuts have made this a challenge.

 ‘Of course we are delighted David Cameron has confirmed that funding will be available for our elite athletes, as these funds will create the role models in Rio that will inspire our young people once again,’ says Charlish. ‘But this inspiration will be wasted, and can even lead to a sense of anger and resentment amongst young people, if there is insufficient provision in place for young people to get involved at the grassroots and try new sports in response to what they have seen.

 More funding at grassroots must accompany funding of elite athletes to enable all young people have better access to sports  - and to ensure the Mo’s and Jessica’s of the future don’t get missed!’ www.snow-camp.co.uk

Industry leaders to judge inaugural awards

Olympic skiers Martin and Graham Bell head up a judging panel for a new annual award scheme to celebrate the very best in the world of skiing and snowboarding. The World Snow Awards are being launched by VOS Media, the company behind Daily Mail Ski And Snowboard magazine and the Ski And Snowboard Show. 

 Martin and Graham join an 18 strong judging panel comprising the leading lights of British snowsports including Graham's co-presenter on Ski Sunday Ed Leigh, former President of the SIGB Damon Street, editor of Where to Ski & Snowboard Dave Watts, former Chief executive of the Ski Club of Great Britain Caroline Stuart Taylor and editor of Daily Mail Ski And Snowboard Henry Druce.

The judges are set to reward resorts, companies and individuals in 25 categories including best European and North American resorts,  ski and snowboard brands,  and specialist and mainstream tour operators.

The winners will be announced during a fun-filled awards evening on Friday 2 November at the annual Ski And Snowboard Show in Earls Court, London.The event will form the centrepiece of Daily Mail Ski And Snowboard's 25^th anniversary and be attended by the great and good of the snowsports industry and select readers of the magazine.

With over 25 years of experience reporting on the snowsports industry from across the globe, Daily Mail Ski And Snowboard is the UK's leading snowsports publication and is perfectly placed to help launch an awards scheme highlighting the industry's outstanding companies of the year.

Martin Bell says, “Winter sports have come on in leaps and bounds since I competed and the World Snow Awards help raise the standard for everyone involved in skiing or snowboarding.”

http://www.skiandsnowboard.co.uk/world-snow-awards/

Guaranteed Instructor Jobs in Austria with International Academy

International Academy (IA) has expanded their program to offer a new course for winter 2012- 2013 to cater for the many students who may find themselves disappointed if they do not get a place at university this year. This course is designed to offer gainful employment at the end of the course as well as a chance to add new skills to the CV.

With over 12 years of experience, IA offer high quality instructor programs in partnership with resident ski and snowboard schools in selected world class resorts. Come August 16^th it will be time for students to work out what they can do before they can either reapply to UCAS in the spring or decide to try a completely different path for their future. Without a doubt it’s time for students to be focused and to show they can act independently, put themselves in different environments and choose to learn skills that enhance their application to university or to enter the work place.

Trainee instructors can head for this new destination: Zell am See/ Kaprun

International Academy heads to Austria for the first time and has joined up with Ski Dome Oberscheider to offer high quality ski and snowboard instructor training courses in Zell am See and Kaprun. Home to some of the highest Peaks in Austria, renowned for Autumn powder snow, challenging runs and panoramic views it’s a great place to study for 6 weeks and gain the Skilehrer Anwarter instructor qualification. This enables a student to qualify and ready to teach from the beginning of the winter season in Austrian ski schools and all around the world. In addition on the course the following jobs are guaranteed for those who make the mark:

1. 10 ski/snowboard instructor jobs will be offered for the full season in the Kaprun area
2. 10 ski/snowboard instructor jobs will be available for the half-term and Easter holiday peak weeks (4 weeks)
3. 20 ski/snowboard instructor jobs will be available for the half-term week   

 www.international-academy.com

The first ever Polar Floating Film Festival voyage and a new Fly Cruise itinerary

Quark Expeditions, the leader in polar adventure, announces the company’s Antarctic 2013/14 season. Highlights of the season include a voyage featuring the first-ever Floating Polar Film Festival in conjunction with Hot Docs, a fly-cruise voyage that takes passengers across the Antarctic Circle, and a 22-day ‘do it all’ Antarctic adventure that is the only voyage of its kind to take passengers to South Georgia, the Falkland Islands as well as the Antarctic Peninsula. With 32 departures starting 1 November 2013, Quark Expeditions offers more Antarctic voyages than any other Polar operator. 

New Expeditions Added: Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica via Buenos Aires: Explorers and Kings: The inaugural voyage of the season aboard the Sea Spirit offers passengers an unprecedented experience. Departing from Buenos Aires, the 22-day voyage offers passengers the first-ever Floating Polar Film Festival. Curated by North America’s largest documentary festival, Hot Docs, this on-board festival will feature a diverse documentary film program set against the remote beauty of Antarctic waters. The journey starts on 1 November 2013 on the Sea Spirit.

Antarctic Express: Crossing the Circle: Quark’s newest fly-cruise voyage offers passengers all the incredible experiences and bragging rights of crossing the Antarctic Circle, in less time than a typical voyage. This new 11-day expedition (instead of the usual 15) departs on 22 December 2013 and will have passengers celebrating New Year’s Eve aboard the Sea Adventurer.

Crossing the Circle via Falklands & South Georgia: Epic Antarctica|For those looking for the ultimate Antarctic experience, there is now a 23-day ‘do it all’ expedition on the Sea Adventurer which departs 3 February 2014. This extensive itinerary offers travelers a chance to see seven species of penguins, and more than 30 species of birds while visiting the “Galapagos of the Poles.” This is the only voyage available taking passengers to the Falklands and South Georgia as well as across the Antarctic Circle to the Peninsula.

Ships: The largest of Quark’s fleet, the ‘Super Yacht,’ Ocean Diamond, is back with Quark Expeditions for its second season of Carbon Neutral voyages. The ship features unparalleled comfort and stability. Passengers can enjoy a massage and wellness program, the largest Polar library, in-room flat screen TV and DVD player and each cabin offers exterior views and en-suite bath. An all-inclusive beverage package is also available on this ship.

Sea Adventurer (formerly known as Clipper Adventurer) boasts outside cabins with en-suite facilities, a TV and DVD player in every cabin, a Polar Boutique, internet access, a fitness room and more. All-inclusive beverage packages are available on this ship.

Sea Spirit is Quark’s luxury adventure ‘all-suites’ ship and features all-inclusive beverages on every voyage, every suite has an exterior view and en-suite bath, in-room satellite phone and flat screen TV and DVD player. This ship also offers passengers a hot tub and workout room, polar library and many more amenities to suit every passenger’s needs. www.quarkexpeditions.com

Awards to honour best in snowsports

The winners will be announced at a fun-filled awards evening on Friday 2nd November at the annual Ski and Snowboard Show in Earls Court, London. The event will form the centrepiece of Ski & Snowboard's 25th anniversary and will be attended by readers of the magazine along with the great and good of the snowsports industry.

Set to become one of the highlights of the snowsports calendar, the awards will reward resorts, companies and individuals in 25 categories. These will include the best European resort, American resort, ski and snowboard brands, airline, and specialist and mainstream tour operators.

The World Snow Awards will be judged by a panel of leading ski and snowboard experts and by public vote. Ski and snowboard brands will be judged using the Ski & Snowboard's extensive results from annual ski and snowboarding testing weeks.

With over 25 years of experience reporting on the snowsports industry from across the globe, Ski & Snowboard is the UK's leading snowsports publication and is perfectly placed to launch an awards scheme highlighting the industry's outstanding companies of the year.

Winning a World Snow Award is an independent stamp of approval for a company and its products, singling them out from the competition. VOS Media will work with all winners to gain as much impact from their World Snow Awards win as possible.

www.skiandsnowboard.co.uk/world-snow-awards