Dale Begg Smith: Mogul skiing star captures top winter sports award
Posted April 18, 2009 – 3:02 pm in: Sports And FitnessDale Begg-Smith is the Ski and Snowboard Australia Snowsports Athlete of the Year for 2004/05. The annual awards were announced at a gala dinner at the Sofitel Hotel, Melbourne, on Saturday April 30.
The competition for the premier award of the night was very tight, with Begg-Smith and aerials skier Lydia Ierodiaconou – both ranked number two in the world – the key contenders.
In the end the award went to 20-year-old Begg-Smith, who as well as finishing runner up in the World Cup last season also claimed a bronze medal at the world championships.
He had started the season ranked 18th in the world, with only 13 World Cup events under his belt, so his rise to world number two has been one of the fastest in the sport’s history.
Ierodiaconou won the Outstanding Achievement of the Year award for her back to back gold medals at Mt Buller in September.
Halfpipe snowboard star Torah Bright won the Junior Athlete of the Year award, while Begg-Smith’s coach Steve Desovich was named Coach of the Year.
In the Media Award category, Herald Sun photographer Trevor Pinder won the Best Photograph of the Year award for his action shots of Ierodiaconou at Mt Buller.
The Electronic Media award went to the Seven Network for its coverage of the Mt Buller World Cup.and the Print Media award was collected by Daily Telegraph journalist Arthur Stanley.
Keynote speaker at the event was The Honorable Rod Kemp, Minister for the Arts and Sport. Awards were presented by Mark Adams from Mark Adams Real Estate, Leanne Sharry from T-Board Australia, Secretary General of the Australian Olympic Committee Craig Phillips, Chairman of the OWI Geoff Henke and the Seven Network’s Ian Johnson.
The full award details:
Snowsports Athlete of the Year
Snowboard Athlete of the Year – Torah Bright
Freestyle Athlete of the Year – Dale Begg-Smith
Cross Country Athlete of the Year – Paul Murray
Alpine Athlete of the Year – Luke Deane
Snowsports Athlete of the Year – Dale Begg-Smith
Junior Athlete of the Year (Sponsored by T-Board Australia)
Freestyle Junior Athlete of the Year – Ramone Cooper
Cross Country Junior Athlete of the Year – Ben Sim
Alpine Junior Athlete of the Year – Katya Crema
Snowboard Junior Athlete of the Year – Torah Bright
Junior Athlete of the Year – Torah Bright.
Coach of the Year
Snowboard Nomination Ben Wordsworth
Freestyle Nomination Steve Desovich
Cross Country Nomination Finn Marsland
Alpine Nomination Michael Branch
Coach of the Year – Steve Desovich
Outstanding Achievement of the Year
Snowboard Nomination Andrew Burton
Freestyle Nomiration Lydia lerodiaconou
Cross Country Nomination Paul Murray
Alpine Nomination Luke Deane
Outstanding Achievement of the Year – Lydia Ierodiaconou
Club of the Year (Sponsored by Mark Adams Real Estate)
Cross Country Club of the Year – Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club
Snowboard Club of the Year – Perisher Snowboard Squad
Freestyle Club of the Year – Team Buller
Alpine Club of the Year – Mount Buller Race Club
School Snowsports Club of the Year (Sponsored by Mark Adams Real Estate)
Victorian Finalist – Bright P-12 College
NSW Finalist – SCECGS Redlands
School Snowsports Club of the Year – Bright P-12
Media awards
Print Media contribution – Arthur Stanley, Daily Telegraph
Best photograph of the year – Trevor Pinder, Herald Sun
Electronic media contribution – Seven Network
Comments Off | Tags: Dale Begg Smith, Paul Murray, Sofitel Hotel MelbourneSki Patroller
Posted April 7, 2009 – 10:02 am in: Outdoor SportsA ski patroller is a person who checks the area where the people are skiing and ensures safety precautions are followed. A ski patroller knows the dangerous areas on the snow and is vigilant about people who venture too close to these areas.
A ski patroller undergoes intensive ski patrol training and is well versed with first aid and the vulnerabilities of skier’s injuries.
A ski patroller has to be physically strong and fit. Ski patrol training requires a lot of dedication and commitment to the job. There are ski patrol training programs which help you attain the level of fitness and expertise required for ski patrolling and after completion you will become one of the best ski patrollers in your area.
A ski patroller needs to be a highly skilled skier who is well versed with skiing events like Cross country, downhill or Alpine skiing, Freestyle, Nordic combined skiing, and ski jumping.
Whenever such types of events are taking place a ski patroller will always be around to ensure that the skiers have a well groomed trail, or to check if there is any skier who is stuck in the snow.
A ski patroller is well aware of the dangers that lurk in and around the area like avalanches, ditches etc. During the ski patrolling training the ski patrollers are made aware of weather conditions and what can go wrong during certain weather conditions. Patrollers are also trained on what factors can trigger an avalanche the areas where the snow is very thin.
There are http://www.snowchallengecanada.com/form.asp?i=1
>skiing courses available for those who want to become a http://www.snowchallengecanada.com/default.asp?contentID=580
>ski patroller and also for those who want to improve their skiing skills. Skiing is a dangerous sport and requires lots of practice and dedication. Therefore, it becomes important to join a http://www.snowchallengecanada.com/default.asp?contentID=580
>ski patrol training program so that you can learn it well. Whether, you want to learn skiing to become an instructor, want to improve your skills, or just want to enjoy a holiday; there is a ski patrolling training course designed for you.
Comments Off | Tags: Dedication, Job Training, Ski PatrolA Look at the Various Skiing Events Available Today
Posted March 18, 2009 – 8:29 am in: HobbiesSkiing actually originated as a need for transport of humans from place to place. This was an ingenious method devised by man in order to move around from place to place especially in places which are permanently covered with snow.
Origin of skiing was in Scandinavia. This activity originated here out of absolute necessity. Since then skiing has developed as an important sport with a lot of progress in technology and style.
Sondre Norheim is considered to be the father of modern skiing. The idea of using binding while turning to ski downhill was put forth by him. This was the prerunner to the present alpine skiing.
With improvements in techniques this sport started gaining in popularity and is today one of the important means of recreation and enjoyment for a lot of people all over the world. It has developed to such an extent that a large number of events are held every year in this sport where a lot of skilled professionals take part.
The various skiing events include extreme skiing, snowboarding, freestyle skiing, ski jumping, cat skiing, telemark skiing, cross country skiing, heliskiing, speed skiing, etc. Techniques were perfected to enable people to ski in a proper manner. Accessories like clothing and the various safety equipments were fine tuned.
With the advance in technology, even a person who is challenged physically is able to enjoy this sport. This is possible with use of special equipments like sit skis, inter skier communication, double and single color guides, outriggers, etc.
Difficulty levels in the slopes are indicated with colour codes. Generally green represents slopes for beginners and black for more advanced and experienced skiers. Crusts, granular snow, packed powder snow and corn snow are generally preferred by people.
All skiing destinations abound in resorts which offer excellent accommodation facilities for people who come on skiing vacations. A lot of these resorts, apart from excellent service also provide with instructors who train people wanting to learn skiing in basic skills and techniques.
Different types of skiing include the water skiing, snow skiing, powder skiing, alpine skiing, cross country skiing, etc. Skiing on water with the skier tied on to the motor boat is called water skiing. This involves three people namely the skier, the driver who drives the boat and the observer who communicates between the driver and the skier.
Snow skiing involves skiing on the slopes of mountains covered with snow. Snow skiing is of two types – the Nordic and alpine. Nordic indicates cross country skiing while alpine is skiing downhill. Powder skiing is skiing on snow which is light and fluffy. This skiing is the favourite among almost all the skiers in the world. Powder skiing gives the skier the feeling of floating on clouds.
Back country skiing is something a strong and experienced skier can enjoy. While you are on this type of skiing you are generally on your own with no help on hand. If you can be sure of avoiding accidents and of your skills and ability, backcountry skiing is very exciting and thrilling.
No Comments | Tags: Corn Snow, Jumping Cat, Skiers