Richmond skiing ace Toby Fryers is hoping the English Alpine Ski Championships can once again lay the foundations for a successful time on the slopes.
Despite only finishing a small portion of his races in Bormio last year, the 14-year-old enjoyed one of his best meets – able to transfer the form to the rest of the season.
Fryers will be among 350 of the best English Alpine skiers to descend on Bormio, Italy from February 11-17 2017 for the 21st English Alpine Championships, organised by national governing body Snowsport England.
And with this being the tenth anniversary of the Championships being held in Bormio, Fryers is determined to make his mark.
Competing in the Giant Slalom, Super G and Slalom, it’s set to be a busy week for the teenager, battling to be the best Under-16 boy in each discipline.
But with this being his fourth visit to Bormio, the Reed’s School student is confident experiences can only hold him in good stead.
“Last year was incredibly enjoyable, I was skiing quite well and even though I didn’t finish a lot, I was seeing big improvements in my racing just in a short space of time,” he said.
“My best two races last season came after riding in Bormio, so it would be brilliant to be able to repeat that and take the confidence forward.
“Having skied on the pistes before, I feel a lot more aware of what I need to do and hopefully that will leave me in a good position.
“I remember it being a hard course – the Super G piste and the GS piste are quite steep so you have to be at your best and the slalom is really good fun.”
The English Alpine Championships are a week of national-level racing and skiing camaraderie, featuring the best English skiers in the country, ranging from Under 10s up to senior athletes.
The event continues to feature the rising stars of Alpine skiing in England, previously acting as a platform for the likes of Chemmy Alcott and Dave Ryding, who finished second in the alpine World Cup slalom in Kitzbuhel in January – Britain’s best result in 35 years.
And with the country’s best all gathering in one week, Fryers knows it’s not going to be an easy task to hit the heights.
But the British Ski Academy riders insists preparation has been good heading into the Championship, also focusing on the importance of having goals to aim for in a big meet.
“I’m hoping to get a top five in Under 16, and first in the 2002 category in one of the three disciplines,” he added.
“I’ve been doing lots of training and also competing in the Anglo-Scottish skiing championships and Evolution races. I wasn’t always finishing, but I was skiing well which has given me a lot of confidence.
“There were definitely some positives to take from those and now I want to build on those.
“The field is always really tough in Bormio, you’re racing against the best in the country, but I just try to focus on my own racing and hope that does me well.”
Follow the English Alpine Championships on the Snowsport England Facebook page and get live updates on Twitter @SnowsportEng. Full results will be available at www.snowsportengland.org.uk while you can find your nearest slope offering value-for-money GO SKI GO BOARD sessions at www.goskigoboard.org.uk
Featured image courtesy of www.Racer-Ready.co.uk, with thanks
