Brilliant 10 things as always, cheers Matt. Adam Elder's article was refreshingly well-informed; no cringeworthy, clumsily used action sports jargon. It hadn't crossed my mind that being associated with a national team would benefit athletes insurance wise, but it makes sense. It's certainly clear that they get better access to training facilities and trips. It seems that there has been a shift away from sponsors taking this responsibility and towards national teams organising team park trips or airbag sessions (I am only speaking from a freeskiing point of view). Which is massively detrimental for riders who are not in the comp scene or follow the Olympic branch of the sport. Big sponsors used to get these riders together from across different genres of the sport for park shoots, pow missions or team weeks, but I feel like these are fewer and further between. To not have this cross pollination between different factions feels like it weakens all tribes in our culture.
Insurance wise, spending the 40 EUR on the Carre Neige that is offered with your lift pass was the best 40 EUR I ever spent. I use two different insurance companies to cover just about everything that can go wrong anywhere across the alps. But I sent my 5000 EUR heli rescue bill straight to the Carre Neige people in Bourg and they sorted it out with no questions asked. Worth having even if you are insured elsewhere.
Love her write up of her experience!! And yup I can definitely remember our conversation and the fear lol
Ha ha yea I remember that as well
Brilliant 10 things as always, cheers Matt. Adam Elder's article was refreshingly well-informed; no cringeworthy, clumsily used action sports jargon. It hadn't crossed my mind that being associated with a national team would benefit athletes insurance wise, but it makes sense. It's certainly clear that they get better access to training facilities and trips. It seems that there has been a shift away from sponsors taking this responsibility and towards national teams organising team park trips or airbag sessions (I am only speaking from a freeskiing point of view). Which is massively detrimental for riders who are not in the comp scene or follow the Olympic branch of the sport. Big sponsors used to get these riders together from across different genres of the sport for park shoots, pow missions or team weeks, but I feel like these are fewer and further between. To not have this cross pollination between different factions feels like it weakens all tribes in our culture.
Insurance wise, spending the 40 EUR on the Carre Neige that is offered with your lift pass was the best 40 EUR I ever spent. I use two different insurance companies to cover just about everything that can go wrong anywhere across the alps. But I sent my 5000 EUR heli rescue bill straight to the Carre Neige people in Bourg and they sorted it out with no questions asked. Worth having even if you are insured elsewhere.
Have a good weekend.
Hey thanks Scott. It’s a really thought provoking piece that eh? And I hear ya on the Carte Neige
Geoff Rowley is one gnarly mid lifer!
Had the good fortune to meet him earlier this year and yeah can confirm he’s still very definitely got that fire in his eyes