Snowsport Scotland

Mar 28, 2023

By Gavin Musgrove  | Updated: 10:47, 28 March 2023 Easier access to your trusted, local news. Subscribe to a digital package and support local news publishing. Gallery1 Preparations are going well at both ends for the return of the British snowboarding championships to Cairngorm Mountain for the first time in more than three decades. The organisers will be hoping that they have more of the same as yesterday at the resort which was bathed in glorious sunshine all day long as work continues ahead of the arrival of THE BRITS 2023 this weekend. There will be slopestyle, banked slalom and rail jam competitions at the Ptarmigan on the upper slopes of the resort along with music and a bar. Cairngorm Mountain chief executive Susan Smith said: "Our planning is going well. We have started shaping the features for the competitions. "The weather is holding up, with fresh snow last night and excellent skiing conditions from top to middle. "We are hopeful that the weather will hold up for Saturday and Sunday. "Our plans include a pop-up ice bar and barbecue outside the Ptarmigan building. "Shuttle buses will operate from the Ciste car park and take people to the Cas area. "We will be collecting competitors by bus shuttle service at 8am from Aviemore Railway Station. "The buses are only for competitors as we want to get them to site, ready to get taken to the Ptarmigan in good order." Ms Smith added: "We have received excellent support from individuals within the skiing community and I want to thank them for helping us out." Unfortunately GB snowboard sensation Mia Brookes will be unable to attend due to previous sponsorship commitments. The 16-year-old recently become the youngest world champion in the sport's history when she beat New Zealand's Zoi Sadowski-Synnott to women's slopestyle gold at the Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships in Georgia. Brookes also landed the first Cab 1440 double grab in a women's event to claim Britain's maiden slopestyle gold. She was unable to qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics as she was too young. But GB Snowboard stars Liam Tynan and Max Jorge are both expected to compete at the weekend along with most of the rising stars with Snowsport Scotland and Snowsport England squads. A BRITS spokesman said: "More than 150 competitors have pre-registered so far, and this figure will increase as we get closer to the weekend so that’s really encouraging. "We have the GB Team coaches along with Snowsport Scotland and Snowsport England coaches in attendance and some past and present Olympians will be in attendance including Billy Morgan who won big air Bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. "We have a very strong over 30s contingent in the men’s snowboard banked slalom so that looks like the one to watch this year." He added: "We would like to thank our primary sponsors Ellis Brigham & TSA without whom this wouldn’t have happened – along with the support of the strath's very own Euan Baxter at Snowsport Scotland." Picture Organic Clothing and Protect Our Winters are giving prizes out for sustainability and rewarding people for eco travel while board and ski waxing will be carried out by Ellis Brigham staff on the hill. Related article: THE BRITS have been held in the Alps for the past 30 years, most recently taking up residence in the Swiss resort of Laax. They have been the UK's premier snowboard contest since 1990, pitting professional athletes against professional athletes, whilst retaining an open-door policy for anyone wishing to give-it-a-go. Spectators are welcome. Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.