What More Could You Want?

Snowsport England Aosta Valley Grand Prix Series
Round 3 - WMSA GP, Chill Factor
20th June, 2010

So after an eventful and somewhat traditionally chilly Pendle round of the Snowsport England Grand Prix series the racers moved a few miles south and what felt like a few degrees warmer into the UK’s finest refrigerator, better known to most of us as Chill Factor.

As ever, the Manchester slope had been prepared in perfect condition for ski racing, hard enough to provide racers wearing later bib numbers with a course that hadn’t rutted whilst not degenerating into ice rink conditions that would have made those same later bib numbers feel like they were more involved in a lottery than a ski race. Chill Factor’s reputation for being the best racing slope in the UK isn’t misplaced.

On the hill an impressively substantial field gathered to fight out the third round of this year’s Aosta Valley sponsored series. Indeed with the Manchester location and indoor setting attracting a good contingent of racers from the other side of Hadrian’s Wall and the challenge of two fantastically flowing courses set by Benn Hall and Dave Ryding the only certainty of the day was that the overall winners would be of the very highest calibre

And so it proved.

However despite the influx of visiting challengers it was the home club who dominated proceedings as Chill Factor’s Joanna Ryding brushed aside the rest of the field to claim her latest Grand Prix victory. In opening up a substantial gap after run 1 and then doubling it on run 2 Ryding recorded her 14th Grand Prix overall victory and extended her summer racing winning streak to an impressive 19 races, a run that goes back as far as Sept 2005.

In Emily Whitelock and Beth Widdup, both co-Chill Factor team mates, Ryding found her strongest competition. In edging out her younger counterpart by 0.3 seconds on run 1 Whitelock further extended her advantage by an additional 0.2 on run 2 to comfortably and deservedly claim the runners up spot. For Widdup however, this was an impressive step up in class and with such an impressive display now behind her she has confirmed herself as a serious challenger for future Grand Prix honours.

In the male field, whilst the Chill Factor club didn’t dominate to the same extent as in the ladies they still managed to claim the name of the winner as Brad Morgan followed Jo Ryding’s lead and brushed aside all challengers. With a half second advantage after run 1 Morgan launched his imposing frame down through David Ryding’s wonderfully flowing challenge and carved another half second gap to complete what ended up as an impressive and somewhat straightforward victory.

Callum Henderson and Scott McWhirter proved to be Morgan’s biggest challengers. In the earlier run Henderson’s time marginally eclipsed his fellow countryman’s effort but the Glasgow Ski Racing athlete hit back in run two to inch in front of Henderson and claim the runner up spot in the overall standings.

In the categories Kerry Turnock proved to be the best of the ladies masters and joined Ryding (seniors) Whitelock (jun 2) and Widdup (jun 1) on the top step of the podium. Kelly Greenbank’s 7th overall proved too good for the rest of the children 2 field whilst Megan Jenkins’s fabulous 5th place overall was more than enough to prove decisive over the rest of the children 1 competitors.

In the male categories Andrew Hjort claimed 1st place in the masters category whilst Henderson and Morgan followed suit in the Senior and Jun 2 categories respectively. In Jun 1 Eliya Beelaert-Rubin impressive 5th place proved more than enough with Dan Poth and Matt Davies claiming the spoils in the children categories.

As the prize giving ceremony completed however it was clear that both the sport and the host venue also had reasons to celebrate. The magnificent facility never fails to deliver top rate racing conditions and in attracting such a substantial field of high quality athletes both the sport and the Grand Prix series can see that the long term future is extremely positive.

A superb venue, a fantastic event and two magnificent winners - what more could you want?